The Effectiveness of Observational Learning on the Knowledge of Tenth-Grade Students (Case Study: Hajar School, Isfahan)

The present study aims to investigate the effectiveness of observational learning on students' conceptual understanding of ion dissolution in tenth-grade students. To achieve this goal, a simple experiment was conducted. The target population consisted of all tenth-grade female students in the experimental and mathematical fields at Hajar schools in Isfahan city. 17 students were selected as an accessible sample and randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. The experimental group underwent a 45-minute observational learning session. The data collection tool was a diagnostic test consisting of two questions, one open-ended question, and one multiple-choice question. The open-ended question assessed the completion of the reaction of ion dissolution, and the multiple-choice question assessed the ions formed after the dissolution of ionic compounds. The content validity of the test questions was confirmed by five members of the chemistry faculty at Farhangian University and chemistry teachers. The test was piloted on three students outside the sample, and the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.805 indicated high reliability of the test questions. The results of the study showed that the observational learning approach had a positive effect on students' conceptual understanding of ion dissolution, and students who learned this concept based on the observational learning approach answered all the questions in this topic correctly.