ChemThink Workshop Boosts Thinking Skills Among Chemistry Students

Corrienna Abdul Talib

By: Kow Ze Lin, Nurul Nazatul Shahizah Mahamad Shobri & Corrienna Abdul Talib

JOHOR BAHRU, June 7, 2023 – The students of the Chemistry Education Postgraduate Program from the School of Education (SOE), Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSSH) at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) have successfully introduced a learning approach to enhance thinking skills among chemistry secondary school students. The workshop was conducted in collaboration with SMK Sri Rahmat (SMKSR) in Johor Bahru.

The program, titled “International ChemThink Workshop: Enhancing Thinking Skills in Chemical Education,” was led by postgraduate students from Malaysia and China who were enrolled in the Chemistry Education course facilitated by Wang Si Han, Liu Chun Yu, Zheng Guang Jie, Kow Ze Lin, and Nurul Nazatul Shahizah Mahamad Shobri.

Its aim was to expose 16-year-old high school students to various thinking skills, including Six Hats Thinking Skills and Mind Map Thinking Skills.

Dr. Corrienna Abdul Talib, the project’s advisor lecturer, stated, “This workshop is designed to provide significant benefits to both high school students and UTM students. High school students will have the opportunity to explore and develop thinking skills using tools that can improve their ability to process and analyze problems in chemistry education. UTM students, on the other hand, will gain valuable research insights and teaching experience through this project.”

The workshop took place in the chemistry laboratory, with coordination by Pn Parimalah Loganathan, the STEM coordinator of SMKSR, and with great support from the SMKSR Headmaster, Pn Rogayah Abdullah. It is worth noting that both of them are UTM alumni.

Teachers and students at SMK Sri Rahmat expressed great satisfaction and happiness with the outcome. The school authorities reported that the workshop was well-received and highly appreciated by both the teaching staff and the participating students.

The learning approach, which incorporated different thinking tools, received praise for its effectiveness in enhancing students’ problem-solving abilities and analytical thinking in the context of chemistry education.

The teachers noted that the workshop provided a unique and valuable learning experience for the students, helping them develop essential thinking skills that would benefit their academic pursuits and future careers.

Furthermore, the participating students themselves expressed their satisfaction with the workshop. They found the activities and exercises engaging, enjoyable, and relevant to their chemistry learning. The students appreciated the opportunity to explore different thinking tools as it broadened their perspectives and improved their problem-solving approaches.

Many students felt that the workshop had a positive impact on their thinking skills. The success of the workshop at SMKSR demonstrates the effectiveness of the ChemThink Workshop. The positive feedback from both the school authorities and the students further emphasizes the value and impact of the workshop on their learning journey.

This incredible journey was supported by many individuals and received funding from FSSH, UTM. Their unwavering support and encouragement played a pivotal role in the success of our endeavor.

Furthermore, special thanks go to the school administration and staff for their cooperation and for providing us with the opportunity to conduct ChemThink with their students. Their support and trust in our abilities have been instrumental in making this initiative a reality and look forward to more collaborations in the future.