Natural objects as an effective means of training students majoring in Chemistry and Biology

The purpose of the study is to study the efficiency of students' assimilation of the methods of qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis using the methodical guidelines for the exploitation of highly mineralized natural waters (brines) developed by the professors of the Department of Chemistry (Francisk Skorina Gomel State University). Two groups consisting of 50 students each participated in the study which had been conducted for 3 years: a control group (CG) and an experimental group (EG). The CG students used the solutions elaborated under laboratory conditions, whereas the EG students used natural brines. To determine the features of the brines (solutions) under study these methods were adopted: potentiometric, titrimetric, colorimetric, turbometric, hypochlorite and other methods alongside the statistical analysis. The efficiency of learning was determined by calculating the level of training and the quality of knowledge based on the results of the students' independent works and computer testing. The students who were trained with the use of the natural objects demonstrated the improved academic outcomes in accordance with corresponding indicators. The training level demonstrated by the CG students varied between 54.1–60.1%; whereas in the experimental group, this indicator ranged from 62.9% to 83.3%. The quality of knowledge in the experimental group was also higher than in the control group: 66.1–73.3% and 57.4–58.8%, respectively. The approbation results of the developed methodical guidelines for studying the basics of sampling, sample preparation as well as the ones of the qualitative and quantitative analyses on the example of natural objects (brines) indicate an increase in the efficiency of the training compared to the standard methods for using laboratory solutions and serve as the basis for their implementation into the process of training future specialists majoring in Chemistry and Biology.