Abstract:
Teaching methods can help learners to develop problem-solving skills and enhance their
achievement in stoichiometry. Process oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) is one of the
teaching methods that promote problem-solving skills because it provides opportunities for
learners to work with many formulae through many steps in solving problems such as
stoichiometric calculations of number of moles and concentration of solutions. To understand
how POGIL can improve learners’ achievement and develop problem-solving skills, four grade 11
physical sciences classes of mixed gender and multicultural black learners were purposefully and
conventional sampled from four different township schools in Pretoria, South Africa. Through pre- and post-test case study and lesson observations, two different independent groups (POGIL group
and lecture group) were included in the study. POGIL group constituted 48 students, while lecture
group 62 students taught by their respective teachers at their schools for three weeks using
English second language. The results from the pre-test suggest that learners in all the four classes
lacked problem-solving competencies in solving both the low-order and the high-order
stoichiometry questions. According to the research interpretation, lesson observations of POGIL
were active learning while lecture method was passive learning. The post-test results indicate
statistically significant greater problem-solving competencies in POGIL group than in the lecture
group. The study recommends the use of POGIL in teaching stoichiometry.
