Development of Robotics-Assisted Acid-Base Titration Setup and Laboratory Activity for Grade 11 Stem Students

Abstract

In the 21st century, the education sector is challenged to adapt to rapid scientific and technological innovations. Educational institutions should incorporate the development of 21st-century skills including creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication. One educational technology that is becoming more prevalent worldwide is robotics. However, the application of this technology to education in the Philippines is relatively new and very limited. Titration for acid-base reactions is one of the essential laboratory activities in secondary chemistry education. However, traditional or classical laboratory setups possess several potential physical barriers that can prevent effective hands-on learning and the integration of robotics can minimize these barriers. This study aimed to develop a robotics-assisted acid-base titration setup and laboratory activity for Grade 11 STEM students taking General Chemistry. Furthermore, this paper investigated the students' basic science process skills during the implementation of the developed laboratory activity and determined the students' perceptions of the activity. This quantitative study utilized a descriptive and developmental research method. The results indicated that the developed set-up was rated “excellent” on the system usability scale by teacher and student evaluation. The developed laboratory activity gained a rating of “excellent” in the teacher evaluation of format, language, and content. These results manifest that the developed setup and activity are well-designed and effectively fulfill its educational objectives. The students' basic science process skills were also “excellent” during the implementation of the activity. Furthermore, the students' perception of the activity was “very high” in interest/enjoyment, value/usefulness, and perceived choice. These results show that the activity can enhance students' scientific understanding and skills, and is also engaging, relevant, and personally meaningful.  These findings further emphasize the positive impacts of robotics integration on the overall teaching-learning process.