Despite the efforts from the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and from chemistry educators, misconceptions in the classroom and among professionals arise from the inherent complexity of chemical language and the remaining traces of the historical development of chemistry as a science. In order to improve the learning and…

Keto-enol tautomerization is paramount to understanding the mechanisms involved in many organic reactions and biochemical transformations. Isomerization of an enol to a carbonyl compound is typically introduced during the discussion of the acid-catalyzed electrophilic addition of water to alkynes. The tautomerization of carbonyl compounds to enol…

A simple, safe, and easy demonstration of the reaction of sodium peroxide with water is presented. The reaction is performed in a plastic bottle by adding water to sodium peroxide supported in a rubber "thimble"; oxygen is detected by the reignition of a glowing splint, while the generation of sodium hydroxide is indicated by…

Functional group analysis is an essential part of the curriculum for identifying unknown organic compounds. However, traditional methods of analyzing functional groups use excess reagents and generate a large amount of waste material that is difficult to dispose of. This work is focused on alternative methods for detecting functional groups such…

Interest in the gender gap in the physical sciences has been ongoing for a number of years. This study aimed to explore differences in gender based on self-perception. The use of a post-examination survey was used to examine the role of gender in grade perception in chemistry courses over a several-year period. This included courses for…

Entropy and the second law of thermodynamics have long been identified as difficult concepts to teach in the physical chemistry curriculum. Their highly abstract nature, mathematical complexity and emergent nature underscore the necessity to better link classical thermodynamics and statistical thermodynamics. The objectives of this systematic…

As science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education researchers continue to explore ways to increase college student persistence in STEM fields, the affective domain (e.g., attitudes, perceptions, and self-efficacy) stands out as an area that can significantly impact these efforts. Latent class analysis (LCA) and latent…

Often, eye-tracking researchers define areas of interest (AOIs) to analyze eye-tracking data. Although AOIs can be defined with systematic methods, researchers in organic chemistry education eye-tracking research often define them manually, as the semantic composition of the stimulus must be considered. Still, defining appropriate AOIs during data…

Urgent action is needed across the world to combat climate change and its impact on the social, economic, and environmental well-being of humans and the planet. This important topic is one that is a priority for integration into chemistry classrooms, laboratories, and outreach efforts. It connects strongly to foundational chemistry concepts and…

The study was carried out to determine the influence of visual, auditory, kinesthetics, tactile, group and individual learning styles on the study habits of senior secondary school chemistry students. These were with the view to examine the influence of learning styles preference on senior secondary school chemistry students study habits in Osun…

Representations are an integral component of organic chemistry education and practice. Learning how to visualize and reason effectively with a variety of representations is essential for learners to succeed. However, developing the necessary representational competence skills (e.g., the ability to interpret, translate between, and use…

Design activities are increasingly used in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Guiding students during these activities can be challenging for STEM teachers, who may be inexperienced in the field of design. In this study, we focused on a case of three chemistry teachers who implemented design projects in their…

To effectively demonstrate the transformation of ethanol into acetaldehyde, a simple, low-cost, and eco-friendly reaction demonstration was designed, in which a Y-shaped tube served as the reactor, condenser, and detector with the help of specific reagents. The ethanol was added via a transparent elephant nose spray bottle fixed to the top of the…

In the Next Generation Science Standards, energy is considered a "crosscutting concept" that bridges disciplinary boundaries and unites scientific disciplines. I examine how energy is represented in physics, biology, and chemistry contexts, using the reaction of molecular oxygen with sugar as an exemplar, and argue that disciplines…

This systematic literature review examines how experimental design is taught in chemistry education by using the PRISMA 2020 methodology. The review aims to identify research trends, analyze pedagogical approaches, and examine the pedagogical strategies and methods employed in this process, particularly concerning the preparation of future…