Navigating the observational, symbolic, and theoretical knowledge domains of chemistry is crucial for chemistry sensemaking. However, this has been shown to be particularly challenging for students of chemistry. In order to reach government standards for sensemaking in the chemistry subject, it is important to investigate how chemistry teachers…

In this study, we analyzed how general chemistry students generated experimental designs corresponding to general chemistry questions such as the ones typically found in general chemistry textbooks. We found that students were very successful in including experimental design aspects that were explicitly mentioned in the general chemistry…

This study explored how continuous diverse reflective exercises embedded in a Community Service Learning chemistry lab support science students' meaningful learning. The findings of this study are intended for those involved in teaching natural science in higher education, as well as those interested in Community Service Learning, self-directed…

Students' expectations for their laboratory coursework are theorized to have an impact on their learning experiences and behaviors, such as engagement. Before students' expectations and engagement can be explored in different types of undergraduate chemistry laboratory courses, appropriate measures of these constructs must be identified, and…

The laboratory is a complex environment where the three levels of the chemistry triplet coincide. As the laboratory environment places a large demand on the working memory of students, cognitive load theory can address overload which causes barriers to learning. Breaking down barriers requires iterative phases of analysis/exploration,…

Previous research on student argumentation in the chemistry laboratory has emphasized the evaluation of argument quality or the characterization of argument structure (i.e., claims, evidence, rationale). In spite of this progress, little is known about the impact of the wide array of factors that impact students' argumentation in the undergraduate…

A national survey on chemistry instructional laboratories was administered to faculty members at four-year postsecondary institutions in the United States for the purpose of exploring levels of inquiry-based instruction implemented in laboratory courses. Respondents were asked to rate the level of choice their students had in deciding six key…

Recently, scholars have suggested a co-design collaboration with instructors and students to effectively implement formative assessment (FA) practices because it ensures a high-quality design that considers users' needs, values, and goals in a specific learning context. This study examines the effect of co-designed FA practices, in which…

The Beer-Lambert law is a fundamental relationship in chemistry that helps connect macroscopic experimental observations (i.e., the amount of light exiting a solution sample) to a symbolic model composed of system-level parameters (e.g., concentration values). Despite the wide use of the Beer-Lambert law in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum…

Research on student argumentation in chemistry laboratories has mainly focused on evaluating the quality of students' arguments and analyzing the structure of such arguments ("i.e." claims, evidence, and rationale). Despite advances in these areas, little is known about the impact of activity framing on the nature of student…

In the undergraduate student laboratory teaching, one of the most common goals is developing improved conceptual understanding linking theory and practice. This study presents a phenomenographic analysis of pharmacy students' conceptions of the theory--practice relation in the laboratory. Through semi-structured interviews with pharmacy students…

The first purpose of this study was to introduce a laboratory modelling activity focusing on teaching the concepts of radioactive elements/atoms, radioactive decay, and half-life. The second was to investigate pre-service chemistry teachers' understanding of these concepts. Fifteen pre-service chemistry teachers who had enrolled in a Physical…

In this study a survey was developed to investigate students' engagement during general chemistry laboratory sessions. Aspects of engagement surveyed included cognitive, behavioral, and emotional engagement, and the survey items were focused on activities during the pre-laboratory introduction, laboratory procedures, and data collection.…

Student-generated videos are growing in popularity in education generally, and in chemistry education there are several reports emerging on their use in practice. Interest in their use in chemistry is grounded in the visual nature of chemistry, the role of laboratory work in chemistry, and a desire to enhance digital literacy skills. In this…

This case study demonstrates teaching and learning activities in the school laboratory, and employs talk moves for the direct assessment of practical task effectiveness. By adopting a sociocultural linguistic approach (SCLA), learning chemistry is understood to be a discursive process in which knowledge is constructed through social interaction…