Learning on buffer solutions by high school students through inquiry guided and sensors with microcomputer based laboratory equipment

The design and implementation of an inquiry based laboratory activity to introduce buffer solutions to high school pupils is presented, and the learning of students is analysed. The context of the activity is human health and in it students use pH sensors and multicomputer based laboratory equipment to obtain data. Analysis of learners' productions reveals that most of the participants have identified the core concepts of the activity and that they have clearly given higher priority to the concepts than to the methodology used to obtain data. The results obtained suggest that it is a good option to introduce buffer solutions to students in a qualitative way, before working them quantitatively. We have observed that to have to use and to configure the sensors equipment does not represent a difficulty for students the first time they do it.