Chemistry experiences that matter: understanding self-identified influential experiences at different academic stages

Abstract

This exploratory qualitative study examines the chemistry-related experiences that individuals at different academic stages describe as influential to their current academic and professional positioning within chemistry. Rather than eliciting predefined categories of experiences, participants were invited to share the moments, interactions, and contexts they deemed important, which were primarily situated within chemistry-related settings. Using these participant-selected narratives as the primary data source, transcripts were analyzed with a coding framework that characterized each experience by affective tone (positive, negative, neutral), role positioning (being a student or being a professional), and emergent experience type (curricular, co-curricular, extracurricular). Analysis revealed patterned differences in how participants described influential chemistry experiences across contexts, affective framings, and role positioning. Curricular experiences were more prominently described using frustration, challenge, or neutrality and were often framed through a student role, whereas co-curricular experiences, such as research and internships, were associated with mixed affective tones of uncertainty and empowerment and relatively more professional positioning. Extracurricular experiences were primarily described as sites of social connection and emotional support, particularly in early undergraduate stages, supporting persistence within coursework rather than disciplinary contribution. Taken together, these analyses trace how affective, contextual, and positional dimensions come together in the chemistry experiences participants interpreted as significant. By comparing participants within different academic stages, the study examines how chemistry-related experiences are framed as influential and highlight the importance of designing learning environments that account for differences in how participants engage with, frame, and prioritize chemistry-related experiences.