A study on the integration of essential questions and chemical experiment to interdisciplinary environmental issue in the university chemistry classroom is explained. The purpose of this study is to investigate the similar and different-chemistry-background of students’ performance and discover how essential question teaching and a chemical experiment to facilitate students’ learning experiences to get deeper understanding.
This study was started by develop the teaching design based on Understanding by Design (UbD) unit planning by identify essential question for seven article and address to big ideas in water treatment topic. Meanwhile, a chemical experiment of Solar disinfection (SODIS) improved by titanium dioxide (TiO2) was developed. The idea was the decreasing of pollutant mimicked with red-dye solution under sunlight exposure during an hour. TiO2 as photocataliyst could foster the reaction between UV energy of sunlight to decomposed organic compound on water by producing electron radical free. This experimental design was measured based on RGB (Red, Green, Blue) measurement by smartphone APP.
The validation of test instrument and essential question were validated using Convent Validity Index (CVI)The data collected from Material Science Engineering program (MSE) student and Natural Resources and Environmental program (NRE) student in chemistry classroom. Essential question, an open-ended question feedback was collected after teaching and learning were done. A grading rubric was modified as needed to grade and compare NRE and MSE of students group score.
The results showed that the chemistry background of MSE students was higher than natural NRE students regarding to pretest score in chemistry classrooms, where the significant p-value was .000 < α. The students understanding of essential question score was increased. For the experimental design, there was only one of six group could able to reproduce the similar plot of decreasing absorbance by the time. This result was re-examined by using difference UV lamp and different setting. As the conclusion the further experimental design was improved. There will be scheduled to continue further research in the Fall Semester 2019 academic year.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT i
ABSTRACT ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS iii
LIST OF TABLES viii
LIST OF FIGURES x
LIST OF APPENDICES xi
CHAPTER ONE 1
INTRODUCTION 1
Background of the Study 4
Purpose of the Study 11
Research Questions 13
Significance of the Study 13
Scope and Limitations of the Study 14
Definition of Terms 15
CHAPTER TWO 16
LITERATURE REVIEW 16
Basics Principles of Curriculum and Instruction 16
The Misconceptions of Teacher in design 18
Textbook-based design 18
Activity-oriented Design 19
A way to Backward Design 19
Principle of backward design 21
Understanding and Degree of Understandings 22
Understanding in UbD 26
Understanding by Design 28
Identification of Deep Understanding 29
Chemistry to Environmental Literacy 30
Essential Question, Big idea, and Understanding 30
Previous Research in Essential Question Teaching, Backward design, and UbD 32
CHAPTER THREE 39
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 39
Research Design 39
Research Procedure 40
Brief Summary of Unit (including curricular context and unit goals) 43
Research Participants 44
Research Instruments 47
Data Collection 48
Data Analysis 49
Validity and Reliability of Research Instrument 51
Validation of Test 51
Validation of Essential Questions 51
Reliability 55
Limitation 55
CHAPTER FOUR 56
TEACHING AND EXPERIMENT DESIGN 56
Teaching Design 56
The Way in Choosing Topics 56
Instrumental Validation 59
Pretest and Posttest Basic Items 59
Posttest Advanced Items 62
Question and Answer of Validation 79
Experiment Design 82
Trial Data 92
Students’ Data 93
Group III Data 93
Developed Experiment Data 94
Examination of APP Calibration Curve 95
Calibration curve for Different Phone and APP 96
Difference Concentration Exposure 97
UV Light Lamp Exposure 98
Sample Preparation 100
RGB Measurement Different UV Lamp 101
Pasco Measurement Different UV Lamp 102
Comparison of RGB and Pasco Measurement 103
CHAPTER FIVE 104
RESULT AND DISCUSSION 104
Statistical Analysis of Prior Chemical Background 105
Statistical Analysis of Posttest 107
Content Validation Index (CVI) 108
Statistical Analysis of Essential Questions 110
The Criteria for Deeper of Understanding 115
Students’ Data on Chemical Experiment 119
Discussion 123
CHAPTER SIX 129
CONCLUSION & RECOMENDATION 129
Conclusion 129
Implication of Study 131
The suggestion of Further Research 133
REFERENCES 134

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