We have developed a guided-inquiry laboratory exercise in which students perform viscosity measurements to infer the structure of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in aqueous solution. The activity combines both experiments and modeling. In the experimental portion of the exercise, students measure the viscosity of several solutions of PVA with differing…

Water electrolysis, a well-known and simple experiment, confirms that a water molecule comprises hydrogen and oxygen atoms. In this experiment, hydroxide or hydrogen ions generated from each electrode were identified using an indicator based on the assumption that electrodes, electrolytes, and indicators do not participate in the water…

Background: The adoption of virtual laboratories (VLs) has experienced a significant surge, catalysed by the global changes in the educational landscape, notably influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally supplementary to traditional in-person laboratory experiments, VLs swiftly transitioned into a primary source of hands-on laboratory…

This study evaluates the experimental tasks of the Ethiopian grade 12 chemistry textbook vis-à-vis coverage of the essential components of science process skills (SPSs) using content analysis. All the procedures in an experiment were analyzed using rubrics of the inquiry-based task analysis inventory (ITAI) instrument. This instrument was based on…

A problem-solving experiment is a learning activity that uses experimental design to solve an authentic problem. It combines two evidence-based teaching strategies: problem-based learning and inquiry-based learning. The use of problem-based learning and scientific inquiry as an effective pedagogical tool in the science classroom has been well…

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…

Measuring permeability in a high school physics course has long been a hard task. However, with the advent of using smartphones in the classroom, it is not only possible but even easily done. This paper offers detailed instructions on how to measure permeability using a smartphone's magnetometer, starting with experimentally discovering the…

This study was conducted with a student who is visually impaired and questioned the force of gravity. The different stages encountered in the process were specified as steps in the study and it was shared what kind of inquiry form was needed at each step. There are different activities such as waiting for a week and thought experiment in the…

This study investigates the effectiveness of using a REACT strategy instruction enriched with guided inquiry-based experiments to improve 7th-grade students' understanding of mixtures compared to conventional teacher-centered instruction. A convergent parallel mixed-method design was used, and 39 middle school students were divided into…

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Instructional labs: Improving traditions and new directions.] This paper presents a historical analysis of the development, implementation, research, and assessment of an evidence-based introductory algebra-based physics course. The course is laboratory based and taught with an inquiry-based…

This paper presents an innovative teaching approach that integrates photoelectric technology with analytical chemistry instruction through inquiry-based learning (IBL), using cerium as a selected analyte. With the advancement of science and technology, a strong foundation of basic knowledge and methodologies is crucial in analytical chemistry…

There has been dramatic growth in interest and research regarding organic photochromism in recent decades. Despite this, the topic is seldom addressed in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. Herein, we present a straightforward and robust experiment for the second semester organic chemistry laboratory curriculum which combines multistep…

There have been growing calls for inquiry, a practice-oriented way of engaging students in authentic scientific work, yet research has shown some challenges that might impede inquiry practices in educational settings. In this study, we proposed an approach that blends educational gaming with physical experiments. We developed an educational game,…

We describe a guided-inquiry laboratory experiment for instrumental analysis in which our students test an improved protocol for the recycling of silver chloride to produce nontoxic waste. Students are provided with samples of silver chloride that they created as waste products in a previous lab experiment and tasked with performing a stepwise…

The recent Next Generation Science Standards recommend students have increased opportunities engaging in modeling work scientists do. Science classroom tasks include simple inquiry compared to more complex authentic inquiry that closely resembles authentic science. Science fair participation presents students with the opportunity to engage in…