Chemistry Education Research and Practice最新文献

{"title":"Development of enacted pedagogical content knowledge (ePCK) among pre-service chemistry teachers: the role of peer coaching enriched with content representation (CoRe) and teaching practice","authors":"Cansu Yildiz, Hulya Gizem Urlu, Kardelen Azra Ates and Yezdan Boz","doi":"10.1039/D4RP00329B","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4RP00329B","url":null,"abstract":"<p >This study investigated the development of enacted pedagogical content knowledge (ePCK) among pre-service teachers through teaching practice course, focusing on the influence of different factors on that development. The methodology involved semi-structured interviews, teaching observations, the use of CoRe representations, and peer coaching implementation and reflections to capture participants' perspectives and track changes in their ePCK over time. The findings highlighted an uneven development of PCK components among participants, indicating that while certain aspects like knowledge of instructional strategies improved, knowledge related to assessment showed limited progress. Furthermore, this research pointed out challenges in developing the components, such as assessment knowledge, compared to instructional strategies and learner understanding. The stability of science teaching orientation was noted for some participants, underscoring the persistence of core beliefs in chemistry instruction throughout the course. Additionally, various factors such as the use of CoRes, teaching experience and observation of peers’ instruction were effective in enhancing pre-service teachers’ PCK development. Moreover, peer coaching was found to be potentially a factor affecting PCK development of participants. Findings were discussed in terms of development of PCK components and factors influencing PCK components including the effect of peer coaching.</p>","PeriodicalId":69,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry Education Research and Practice","volume":" 3","pages":" 761-779"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144472756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perception and experience of heterosexism by non-heterosexual students in a chemistry classroom: an interpretivist study","authors":"Wing-Fu Lai and Sreekanth Reddy Obireddy","doi":"10.1039/D5RP00071H","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5RP00071H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >There has been increasing awareness of equality, diversity, and inclusion in scientific disciplines over recent decades. The aim of this interpretivist study is to understand, from the perspectives of non-heterosexual students, the prevalence and nature of heterosexism in the chemistry classroom. In-depth interviews were conducted with ten students who self-identified as non-heterosexual and had attended chemistry classes at a Russell Group university in the UK. Participants reported both overt and subtle forms of heterosexism, including assumptions of heterosexuality in teaching practices, exclusionary peer interactions, and a lack of visible non-heterosexual representation in teaching content. These experiences negatively affected students’ sense of engagement and passion for chemistry learning. The study highlights the need for chemistry educators to reflect on classroom language, teaching materials, and implicit assumptions about student identities. Key recommendations include using inclusive language and examples in teaching, avoiding heteronormative assumptions in classroom discourse, establishing formal support mechanisms to enable students to report incidents of heterosexism, and providing staff training to challenge heterosexist microaggressions. With collaborative efforts from educators, regulatory bodies, students, and institutional leadership, chemistry classrooms can become more inclusive, supportive, and conducive to learning for non-heterosexual students.</p>","PeriodicalId":69,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry Education Research and Practice","volume":" 3","pages":" 619-630"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144472743","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Examining student engagement in the organic chemistry laboratory","authors":"Devin Pontigon and Vicente Talanquer","doi":"10.1039/D5RP00063G","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5RP00063G","url":null,"abstract":"<p >This exploratory case study investigates the multifaceted dynamics of student interactions within an undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory. As efforts to improve curriculum design in this area continue, understanding how students engage with one another during lab activities is crucial. This study aims to offer insights into the intricate dynamics of student interactions within the laboratory environment. Observations were conducted in two laboratory sections, each during four distinct experiments. The content, depth, and extent of students’ interactions during lab activity were analyzed using content and interaction analysis. The analysis of student interactions during the experiments sought to generate insights into the relationship between different forms of engagement: behavioral, cognitive, social, and affective. Our findings reveal several factors that influence student engagement, including the nature and complexity of tasks and group composition and dynamics. Our results provide insight into how different types of engagement interact and affect the overall learning experience. While this study does not attempt to draw definitive conclusions, it provides a foundational understanding of the complex student engagement process within the laboratory setting. These insights can inform future investigations and support the development of more effective strategies to foster meaningful student interactions in organic chemistry labs.</p>","PeriodicalId":69,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry Education Research and Practice","volume":" 3","pages":" 780-793"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144472757","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A review of research on the teaching and learning of quantum mechanics","authors":"Slade C. McAfee, Field M. Watts and Jon-Marc G. Rodriguez","doi":"10.1039/D5RP00030K","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5RP00030K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >In this work, we review research on the teaching and learning of quantum mechanics in chemistry courses. This systematic review builds on previous reviews in chemistry education research that focused on the other highly quantitative, calculation-heavy topics covered in upper-level physical chemistry courses (kinetics and thermodynamics). We aim to provide a resource for both practitioners and education researchers. Based on the topics of the research conducted in our sample (<em>N</em> = 50), we grouped the articles into six categories: (1) students’ general challenges with quantum mechanics; (2) students’ conceptions of the atom; (3) students’ conceptions of bonding; (4) students’ conceptions of the quantum nature of light; (5) students’ conceptions of commonly used quantum mechanical models; (6) curricular materials and instruction. Relevant trends stemming from this work include that much of the research leans on education research in mathematics and physics to support the claim that students have difficulties with mathematics; however, these claims require further investigation within chemistry education contexts. Moreover, a suprising amount of research on quantum mechanics involved students sampled outside of upper-level chemistry courses (<em>i.e.</em>, secondary-level and general chemistry contexts).</p>","PeriodicalId":69,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry Education Research and Practice","volume":" 3","pages":" 578-593"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144472740","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Teaching chemistry as a creative subject","authors":"Marion E. van Brederode","doi":"10.1039/D5RP00068H","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5RP00068H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Chemistry is a creative field focused on exploring new possibilities. However, students rarely look at chemistry as a creative discipline. Therefore, it may be worthwhile to reconsider the way chemistry is taught to younger generations. In this Perspective Paper, creativity as a learning goal is explored and related to goals communicated in chemistry education research. A connection is made to related engineering STEM fields in which the call for creativity has been recognized more than in chemistry education. As in other fields, creative chemists stand out in alternating between creative – and critical thinking, coupled with their field specific knowledge and skills. These skills do not develop in tandem. Probably, it is often not possible, or wise, to address all three goals at the same moment. Assignments that steer to making comparisions are likely to initiatie critical thinking first, assignments aimed at proposing new solutions stimulate creative thinking first. Students' awareness of creative options in their assignments affects their creative learning experience. The mindset students have developed on how science – and their science assessments – should look like could influence their critical – and creative thinking. The creative learning possibilities educators offer, the way they build up their assignments and how they communicate explicitly and implicitly on goals and expectations, could be the key to stimulate chemistry students’ creativity.</p>","PeriodicalId":69,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry Education Research and Practice","volume":" 3","pages":" 594-602"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144472741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Examining the influences of peer and teacher support on chemistry learning satisfaction: an analysis of a serial mediation model","authors":"Qian Huangfu, Hanxi Wang and Liping Zhu","doi":"10.1039/D5RP00074B","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5RP00074B","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Given students' perceptions of the chemistry curriculum as abstract and content-heavy, a lack of passion and motivation, as well as a low level of learning satisfaction in chemistry, have become commonplace issues for students. Therefore, increasing students' chemistry learning satisfaction has drawn plenty of interest and attention. Yet, few studies currently exist that explain how to increase students' satisfaction with their chemistry learning from both personal (growth mindset and grit) and environmental angles (teacher and peer support). Thus, this research intends to investigate how these variables connect to students' chemistry learning satisfaction. A total of 1430 tenth graders were involved in the survey. The direct and indirect connections between these variables were evaluated adopting structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings demonstrated that (1) teacher and peer support, grit in chemistry, and growth mindsets in chemistry all held a significant positive effect on students' chemistry learning satisfaction; (2) both (a) growth mindsets in chemistry and (b) grit in chemistry acted as significant mediators between the associations of teacher and peer support with chemistry learning satisfaction; and (3) (a) growth mindsets in chemistry and (b) grit in chemistry held a chain mediating impact on the associations of teacher and peer support with chemistry learning satisfaction. This may help inform chemistry educational practices to develop effective teaching and learning strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":69,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry Education Research and Practice","volume":" 3","pages":" 734-747"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144472727","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sense of belonging in a large enrollment general chemistry course: change over a semester, gender and ethnic group differences","authors":"Abayneh Lemma, Keila Muller, Zamira Torres, Camila Senespleda and Tamra Legron-Rodriguez","doi":"10.1039/D5RP00031A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5RP00031A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Understanding students' sense of belonging across different demographics is crucial for supporting their learning and attracting and retaining students in STEM education. Studies show that sense of belonging in foundational courses like general chemistry is associated with academic achievement and success, highlighting the need to monitor and support early belonging variations. It was, therefore, aimed in this mixed-methods study to investigate how race and gender affect undergraduate students’ belonging and belonging uncertainty in a large-enrollment general chemistry course. The data were collected using a sense of belonging survey, which was administered to 141 students at the beginning and end of the 2023 spring semester. The end-of-semester survey comprised one more open-ended question where students reflect on their sense of relatability and underlying reasons. The Wilcoxon test was used to compare the beginning and end of the semester, while the Multivariate Kruskal–Wallis (MKW) test was employed to assess differences across gender and ethnic categories. Free responses from the end-of-semester survey were analyzed thematically to understand underlying concerns and reasons. The sense of belonging remained unchanged throughout the semester, but there was an increase in belonging uncertainty. While no significant difference was found across gender categories, the largest difference in belonging uncertainty was observed between the Hispanic/Latinx and Asian American/Asian ethnic categories. Course nature and students’ struggles, majors, career goals and interests, self-belief, classroom dynamics and settings were found to be associated with the overall sense of belonging as well as the increase in belonging uncertainty among the Asian American/Asian ethnic category.</p>","PeriodicalId":69,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry Education Research and Practice","volume":" 3","pages":" 748-760"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144472728","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Linking departmental climate to the sense of belonging of chemistry graduate students and postdocs: evaluation and insights from the DCaDEI survey†","authors":"Lu Shi, Christiane N. Stachl and Maia Popova","doi":"10.1039/D4RP00322E","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4RP00322E","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Students from historically marginalized communities are not well represented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. While efforts have been taken to increase their participation in STEM through a top-down administrative approach, these efforts often overlook the unique climate within individual STEM departments, leading to ineffective interventions for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within each distinct community. The Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, created a survey to measure climate around DEI, which we refer to as the Departmental Climate around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DCaDEI) survey. We evaluated the DCaDEI survey following the <em>Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing</em> and found that it can provide valid and reliable data for interpretation. Examination of the DCaDEI data revealed that graduate students and postdocs within the same chemistry department hold varying views about their DEI climate, ranging from slightly negative to very positive. It is very likely that these perceptions became more positive with continuous implementation of various DEI initiatives and interventions within the department. Furthermore, we found that a more positive departmental DEI climate leads to a higher sense of belonging among graduate students and postdocs, which is essential for their retention and success. The demonstrated validity and reliability of the data collected with the DCaDEI survey position it as a valuable instrument for assessing and longitudinally monitoring DEI climates in other chemistry departments. Leveraging DCaDEI data to inform data-driven DEI initiatives can help foster more inclusive academic chemistry environments that support the persistence and well-being of all students.</p>","PeriodicalId":69,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry Education Research and Practice","volume":" 3","pages":" 718-733"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144472726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"What beliefs do chemistry teachers have about instructional explanations? An exploratory investigation","authors":"Beate Fichtner and Katharina Groß","doi":"10.1039/D4RP00341A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4RP00341A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Instructional explanations in chemistry lessons are planned language products explicitly communicated by the explainer (teacher) to effectively convey specific subject matter (chemical content) to the addressees (students), aligned with didactic principles. The primary aim of these explanations is to enhance students’ understanding of the concepts presented. While previous studies have largely focused on establishing general quality criteria for subject-appropriate and audience-centered instructional explanations, limited research has explored chemistry teachers’ beliefs about instructional explanations in the classroom. This paper addresses this gap by presenting insights from an exploratory investigation into these beliefs within the context of chemistry lessons. Semi-structured, guided interviews were conducted with chemistry teachers (<em>N</em> = 13) from various types of German schools, with data analyzed using Kuckartz and Rädiker's qualitative content analysis methodology. Findings indicate that chemistry teachers hold complex and sometimes contradictory beliefs about the use of instructional explanations. On one hand, they recognize instructional explanations as essential due to the abstract nature of chemistry content (<em>subject matter perspective</em>) and as beneficial for student learning (<em>audience perspective</em>). On the other hand, they express concerns that instructional explanations may foster cognitive passivity among students and reinforce a transmissive approach to knowledge transfer. This insight suggests that teachers’ practical perceptions of instructional explanations differ in some respects from those emphasized in educational research. However, results suggest that teachers’ beliefs about instructional explanations evolve throughout teacher training, becoming more positive at advanced stages. Additionally, insights gained from teacher interviews into the interrelated and simultaneous beliefs about the advantages and disadvantages of instructional explanations highlight the nuanced perspectives that teachers bring to their practice. They demonstrate that teachers use instructional explanations in a deliberate and context-sensitive manner, balancing their effectiveness for specific learning goals with considerations of student autonomy and engagement. Finally, the findings provide relevant implications for teacher education and practice, as well as directions for future research.</p>","PeriodicalId":69,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry Education Research and Practice","volume":" 3","pages":" 660-681"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/rp/d4rp00341a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144472746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Aligning graduate chemistry training with diverse career paths: insights from student perceptions of valued skills†","authors":"Jherian K. Mitchell-Jones, Brandon J. Yik, Haleigh Machost and Marilyne Stains","doi":"10.1039/D4RP00317A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4RP00317A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Chemistry graduate programs have often been criticized for their perceived overemphasis on preparing students for academic research careers, overlooking the broad range of professional skills necessary in other career sectors. This disparity highlights a need to examine the alignment of skill development in chemistry graduate programs with the varied demands of different career sectors. Further empirical evidence is needed to understand how professional skills are currently being valued and developed in chemistry graduate programs. This study is guided by socialization theory, which serves as a framework for understanding how graduate students acquire the values, attitudes, norms, knowledge, and skills necessary to perform in a professional role. This qualitative investigation examines the perceptions and experiences of 33 chemistry doctoral students from 10 doctorate-granting institutions in the United States to identify how professional skills are valued and developed in chemistry doctoral programs. This study aims to understand not only why graduate students value certain skills, but also how they perceive these skills are valued within their programs. Additionally, this work explores the experiences that shape the professional skill development of chemistry doctoral students. Findings suggest that students personally value professional skills based on their perceived importance for success within their program or future careers. Students’ perceptions of the value of professional skills held by community members (group members and department members) were heavily influenced by the presence of formal development opportunities.</p>","PeriodicalId":69,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry Education Research and Practice","volume":" 3","pages":" 701-717"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144472725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}