Problem-Solving Teaching in the Chemistry Laboratory: Leaving the Cooks...

The traditional "Cookbook-formula-experiments" do not develop student's scientific initiative, or creativity in the chemistry laboratory. Information is better understood, retained and transfered when the student elaborates it.A PST problem is an interactive situation in which a student has to assume his or her responsibility in gathering, assimilating and exchanging new information in a group. It is structured so that it presents the student a "puzzle"; it cannot be solved readily by the activation of a student's previous knowledge.PST Summary.First two weeks - -Each team of 3 students identifies and distributes among its members the different parameters and the laboratory procedures elaborated to solve the problem. -Each student experiments one of the 3 different pilot procedures elaborated by his team and exchanges results with team mates. Each team chooses a procedure .Third week -During this exam period each student experiments the procedure chosen, or synthesize a compound imposed by the professor.Fourth week -Students write their report in the lab, under "examination" conditions. -The teacher corrects each report with a correction chart .End of the semester -A survey of the P.S.T. pedagogy is made in each group and is analysed with each class president.Conclusion:PST pedagogy develops students' scientific initiatives, creativity, responsibility and communication abilities.