scholarly journals Progressing chemistry education research as a disciplinary field

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith S. Taber
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Education Research ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Chemistry Education ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Chemistry Teaching ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Disciplinary Field ◽  
Chemistry Education Research

AbstractThis article offers a viewpoint regarding the current status of chemistry education research (CER) as a scholarly field within science education, and suggests priorities for future directions of work in the field. The article begins by briefly considering what makes something a discrete field of activity, and what makes such a field ‘scientific’. This provides a basis for understanding and evaluating CER, and informs a consideration of imperatives and priorities for progressing the field. In particular, it is suggested one emphasis should be on areas of work which can be considered ‘inherent’ to CER as they arise from essential aspects of chemistry teaching and learning, and some examples of such inherent research foci (the ‘chemist’s triplet’; models in chemistry; chemical explanations) are briefly discussed.

Chemistry education research trends: 2004–2013

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 470-487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tang Wee Teo ◽  
Mei Ting Goh ◽  
Leck Wee Yeo
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Education Research ◽  
Science Teaching ◽  
Chemistry Education ◽  
The United States ◽  
Research Trends ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Chemistry Education Research ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Science Education Journals

This paper presents findings from a content analysis of 650 empirical chemistry education research papers published in two top-tiered chemistry education journals Chemistry Education Research and Practice and Journal of Chemical Education, and four top-tiered science education journals International Journal of Science Education, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, Research in Science Teaching and Science Education from 2004–2013. We found that empirical chemistry education research (CER) papers accounted for 7.7 percent of the publications in the four science education journals. The most highly published area of research was in conceptions and conceptual change and most studies adopted mixed methods. The majority of the studies were conducted in higher education contexts and in the United States. Researchers who publish prolifically in the field included Vicente Talanquer, Derek Cheung, Michael Sanger, Keith Taber, Melanie Cooper and Marcy Towns. Current research trends and gaps are illuminated and possible future work in CER is discussed in the paper.

scholarly journals An Overview of Chemistry Teaching Transformation during COVID-19 Pandemic: An Experience from University of Botswana

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Girija S. Singh
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Mechanisms ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Chemistry Education ◽  
Chemistry Teaching ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
University Of Botswana ◽  
National University ◽  
The University ◽  
Teaching Transformation

COVID-19-related disruption in teaching in the University of Botswana led the school to prepare new strategies for running classes and to design innovative way of instruction.  The most notable change was to replace face-to-face lectures with online teaching at least partially (blended teaching and learning). This posed many challenges, especially in the teaching of science and technology subjects. In a laboratory-based discipline such as chemistry the problems encountered were especially daunting.  Moreover, writing mathematical equations, chemical reactions and reaction mechanisms posed their own difficulties.  The present communication provides a brief overview of how chemistry education at the University, the premier national university of Botswana, has been transformed during the last three semesters.  It is based on experience of the author and as judged by the feed-back received from colleagues and the students. Admittedly, the experience is limited and much discussion is still in progress to meet the unresolved challenges. Theory classes at undergraduate levels are now mostly taught online using packages such as Moodle and MS Teams. The tutorial and laboratory sessions have faced the greatest disruptions and the instructors continue to explore ways to conduct these virtually.  Online examinations were found to be limited in their effectiveness, especially in the assessment of drawing chemical structure and reaction mechanisms as well as the students’ ability in scientific writing.

scholarly journals How Undergraduate Students Learn Atmospheric Science: Characterizing the Current Body of Research

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-33
Author(s):  
Peggy McNeal ◽  
Wendilyn Flynn ◽  
Cody Kirkpatrick ◽  
Dawn Kopacz ◽  
Daphne LaDue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Education Research ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Atmospheric Science ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Science Education Research ◽  
Innovative Teaching ◽  
Education Literature ◽  
Literature Base

AbstractEducators can enrich their teaching with best practices, share resources, and contribute to the growing atmospheric science education research community by reading and participating in the scholarship of teaching and learning in atmospheric science. This body of scholarship has grown, particularly over the past fifteen years, and is now a sizable literature base that documents and exemplifies numerous teaching innovations in undergraduate atmospheric science education. This literature base benefits the entire atmospheric science community because graduates of atmospheric science programs are better prepared to enter the workforce. This literature base has not yet been examined, however, to see how well the evidence supports education practices in the atmospheric science education literature. In this study, we characterized that evidence and show that the majority of papers we reviewed share education innovations with anecdotal or correlational evidence of effectiveness. While providing useful practitioner knowledge and preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of numerous innovative teaching practices, opportunities exist for increasing readers’ confidence that the innovations caused the learning gains. Additional studies would also help move conclusions toward generalizability across academic institutions and student populations. We make recommendations for advancing atmospheric science education research and encourage atmospheric science educators to actively use the growing body of education literature as well as contribute to advancing atmospheric science education research.

Increasing student motivation and the perception of chemistry's relevance in the classroom by learning about tattooing from a chemical and societal view

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Stuckey ◽  
Ingo Eilks
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Chemistry Education ◽  
Lesson Plan ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Chemistry Teaching ◽  
Secondary Chemistry ◽  
Chemistry Learning ◽  
Tattoo Inks ◽  
Selection Of

This paper presents a study on tattooing as a topic for chemistry education. The selection of the topic was inspired by a newly suggested framework, which focuses on the question of relevance of science education. The aim of this case was to get evidence on how topics selected based on the suggested model of relevance of science education affect learners' overall motivation and perception of chemistry learning. For the purpose of the study a lesson plan was cyclically developed and tested within a project of Participatory Action Research. The lesson plan focuses both the chemistry behind tattoo inks and the societal perspectives surrounding tattoos. The study description first includes some background information about tattooing and tattoo inks. It then continues with a description of the lesson plan and ends with reporting experiences and findings taken from lesson plan evaluations at the lower secondary chemistry teaching level (age 14–15). The topic and lesson plan proved themselves to be very motivating for students. Indicators that this lesson plan can potentially contribute to positive changes in students' perceptions of learning chemistry were observed. Implications arising from this case are also discussed.

Student Success and the High School-University Transition: 100 Years of Chemistry Education Research

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Stone
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Education Research ◽  
Student Success ◽  
Chemistry Education ◽  
100Th Anniversary ◽  
University Transition ◽  
Excellent Opportunity ◽  
Chemistry Education Research

The 100th anniversary of the first article (published in 1921) examining student success and the high school to university transition in chemistry provides an excellent opportunity to consider what has...

Towards a theoretically sound measure of chemistry students’ motivation; investigating rank-sort survey methodology to reduce response style bias

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Wang ◽  
Scott E. Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Education Research ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Q Methodology ◽  
Chemistry Education ◽  
Academic Motivation ◽  
Survey Methodology ◽  
Likert Scale ◽  
Response Style ◽  
Chemistry Students ◽  
Chemistry Education Research

Prior research has demonstrated the important role of chemistry students’ affect in academic performance. Likert-scale surveys are the most prevalent tools to measure students’ affect within chemistry education research, however, data collected through a Likert-scale survey may exhibit response style bias which can hinder accurately measuring students’ affect. This study investigates the utility of a novel survey methodology, termed rank-sort survey, in understanding students’ academic motivation in a general chemistry course. Informed by Q methodology, in a rank-sort survey participants rank a set of statements in terms of level of agreement with limits in place on how many items can be assigned a particular rank. In this investigation, a rank-sort survey was developed by using statements from an existing Likert-scale instrument, the Academic Motivation Survey in Chemistry. Data collected from the rank-sort surveys, compared to Likert-scale surveys, showed a better alignment with self-determination theory, the underlying theoretical framework, and a better ability to predict students’ academic performance in chemistry. The study also discusses which surveys in chemistry education research are likely to benefit from adopting a rank-sort approach.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document