Acknowledgement of the limited learning outcomes in our first-year physics lab course, strikingly similar to the observed and reported issues in literature, incited renewal of the course with a focus on developing students' ability to engage in experimental physics research. The "procedural and conceptual knowledge (PACKS)…

Widely used in research laboratories, immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a transferable skill that prepares undergraduate students for a variety of careers in the biomedical field. We have developed an inquiry-based learning IHC laboratory exercise, which introduces students to the theory, procedure, and data interpretation of antibody staining.…

In this study, students' understanding of some important features of competitive elimination and substitution reactions of alcohols was examined based on their participation in a guided inquiry activity of two organic laboratory experiments: the dehydration of cyclohexanol and the conversion of tert-butyl alcohol into tert-butyl chloride. Students…

Measurement uncertainty is a key topic in the university physics laboratory curriculum. In this study, we investigate students' ability to draw conclusions from measurement data and reasoning about measurement uncertainty in inquiry labs. This investigation centres around a task where students conclude whether measurements from two experiments…

Previous research has shown that in prehigher education stages, inquiry-based teaching is not sufficient for forming a mature understanding of the nature of science (NOS). However, there is relatively little research conducted on colleges. Inquiry-based teaching should not overlook cognitive frameworks, as students' limited scientific reasoning…

This study sought to develop and evaluate an online module based on inquiry learning with digital laboratories, which was intended to address students' misconceptions in a science domain. In a quasi-experimental design, 171 first-year students in a higher education introductory physics course on circular motion were as their existing groups…

A two to three period analytical chemistry experiment has been developed which allows second year students to explore chemical color tests used to detect adulterated pharmaceuticals. Students prepare several paper analytical devices (PADs) to generate positive and negative controls antibiotics, along with cutting agents such as starch and chalk.…

This research developed learning activities for students to explore and connect the concepts of acid-base titration, equivalence points, pK[subscript a], and molar absorption coefficients. Polyphenolic compounds consisting of p-coumaric acid (CMA), caffeic acid (CFA), and 3,4,5-trihydroxycinnamic acid (3,4,5-THCA) were selected as study models.…

An inquiry-based learning approach was implemented into comprehensive organic chemistry experiments focusing on the formation process of N-phenylbenzamide from the reaction between N-benzylideneaniline and benzoyl peroxide in commercial dimethyl sulfoxide. Students conducted comparative experiments using alternative reagents or reaction conditions…

Surface chemistry is a challenging realm for most students because of its abstract nature and numerous associated mathematical equations. Herein we report a set of dedicated sequential inquiry-based learning (IBL) activities enriched with virtual laboratory learning and hands-on instructions. The activities were intended to help students grasp…

This three-part laboratory experiment investigates key aspects of the Buchwald-Hartwig amination cross-coupling reaction through guided-inquiry learning strategies. The first part of this experiment utilizes high-throughput experimentation techniques to reinforce, explore, and extend fundamental concepts that are represented in the classroom,…

Italian high school students carried out some activities within career guidance actions organized by the Department of Chemistry of Sapienza University (Rome) in order to promote enrollments in a chemistry Bachelor's course, thus remedying the shortage of professional chemists. Novel didactic sequences have been designed to facilitate the…

Polymer chemistry is an important subject in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. It is required for ACS-certified degrees and significantly connects to real world issues like the plastic waste crisis. While some concepts of polymer chemistry can be incorporated into lecture courses, students' understanding of material properties and…

Curriculum-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have been shown to increase student retention in STEM fields and are starting to become more widely adopted in chemistry curricula. Here we describe a 10-week CURE that is suitable for a second-semester organic chemistry laboratory course. Students synthesize small molecules and use…

The laboratory experiment regarding esterification of ethylene glycol with acetic acid to ethylene glycol diacetate using resin catalysts in a continuous flow was designed to carry out the reaction in a flow through an inquiry-guided approach. Incorporating the burgeoning field of continuous flow chemistry into the educational infrastructure, the…