A STUDY OF PRACTICAL TASK USED IN TEACHING AT SENIOR SECONDARY LEVEL

In order to investigate the students' learning outcomes in Chemistry Laboratory, a performance-based assessment was developed and implemented to a group of 50 chemistry students having chemistry as an elective subject at grade 12 in the academic year 2012-12 at Gyanodaya Vidya Mandir,Narsingarh . A multi-step organic synthesis experiment was chosen, and the basic organic manipulative skills, such as reflux, distillation, extraction, filtration, and re-crystallization were incorporated in the laboratory activities. According to the mean scores of on-site assessment, the students' manipulative skills of extraction and filtration should be reinforced. Students paid less attention on laboratory safety, and liked to rinse the apparatus with large amount of acetone, did not set up the equipments in proper position and did not work in the fume hood from our observations. Those indicated that we should give more emphasize on the laboratory safety guidelines in the class. From the analysis of paper-and-pencil scienceconcept test, students were unable to give reasonable explanations for certain Lab observations nd also , lacking the ability of rationalizations. The on-site assessment of undergraduates' performance in Lab activities assisted chemistry educators analyzing the strengths and weakness of our laboratory instructions, as well as reforming and improving the chemistry laboratory training programs of students and teaching assistants in the future.