Search

Chemical bonding is central to explaining many phenomena. Research in chemical education and the Framework for K-12 Science Education (the "Framework") argue for new approaches to learning chemical bonding grounded in (1) using ideas of the balance of electric forces and energy minimization to explain bond formation, (2) using learning progressions (LPs) grounded in these ideas to support learning, and (3) engaging students in 3D learning reflected in integrating the three dimensions of scientific knowledge to make sense of phenomena. The dimensions include disciplinary core ideas, scientific and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. While the "Framework" describes the theoretical basis of 3D learning, empirical evidence for the development and validation of LPs for 3D learning is limited. This work addresses that issue for the topic of chemical bonding. We develop and validate a 3D construct map for chemical bonding grounded in the idea of balance of electric forces and energy minimization. A construct map represents a finer-grained LP spanning a shorter period and focusing on specific aspects of a larger-scale LP. An NGSS-aligned validated 3D LP has never been reported for the topic of chemical bonding. The LP is based on data from 9th grade Mid-Western and Western students who used the NGSS-aligned curriculum. Multiple validity evidence sources, including interview and item response theory analysis using an assessment tool developed to probe the 3D construct map levels, were used. We demonstrate the feasibility of using the assessment tool for assigning levels to individuals and groups of learners, which is essential for the practical applicability of the 3D construct map and provides teachers with information on how to promote learning. We hope that the 3D LP presented here will serve as a guide to develop instructional and assessment approaches for chemical bonding grounded in the fundamental scientific principles and aligned to NGSS.

As the technologies in the field of education are becoming more and more sophisticated, continuous professional development for teachers is gaining increasing importance. Therefore, teachers need to improve themselves to grow more competent professionally, to adapt to innovations in their field and to be aware of their competencies throughout their professional careers. A support for professional development can be given to teachers through in-service training programs or mentoring practices. This study aims to improve chemistry teachers' adaptation to the renewed curriculum with a group mentoring program and to determine the effects of this program on professional development of teachers by individually and as a group. The study group consists of four (three males, one female) chemistry teachers working in the central districts of the province of Trabzon in Turkey. A Course Evaluation Form developed by the researchers was used to examine the effect of the teachers' mentoring support experiences on their classroom practices. Each teacher was observed before, during and after the mentoring. Every one of the classroom teaching practices was video-recorded. The video recordings were analyzed according to the themes and codes in the course evaluation form. The findings show that there is a change in teachers' in-class practices before, during and after the mentoring, and while this change shows continuous improvement in some cases, it is variable or stationary in some others.

A large number of students across the globe each year enroll in general chemistry courses as an academic requirement to obtain their degree. Although many take chemistry courses, it is not a subject sought out by many as a potential career. In some instances, chemistry hinders students from achieving their career goals. A plethora of chemical education research has focused on improving student attitude, self-efficacy, and motivation to enhance academic performance and retention in chemistry. However, only a few reports focus on the factors that affect student perception and self-efficacy towards chemistry. These factors are important as they can help us implement targeted interventions to improve perceptions and self-efficacy as we seek to increase diversity in STEM fields. In this research study, the most influential factors that affect a student's perception of chemistry are uncovered, and whether these factors are related to gender identity, letter grade, or pursuit of chemistry as a career. For our study population, the "course instructor" and "course structure" are the two most influential factors in a student's perception of chemistry. In addition, academically low-achieving students (i.e., students who earned Cs or lower in a course) are more likely to list the "course structure" as an influential factor, and high-achieving students (i.e., students who earned Bs or higher in a course) are more likely to select the "course instructor" as an influential factor. The majority (66%) of students who selected the "course instructor" as an influential factor believed that they would perform well in future chemistry courses, while 47% of those who selected the "course structure" had the same belief in their future chemistry performance. Overall, less than 11% of the study population (51 of 447 students) were interested in pursuing chemistry as a career after completing CHEM 1. However, the answer to increasing the number of chemistry majors could be held within course design and teaching pedagogy. This research study seeks to highlight the relationship between gender and letter grade with factors that influence perception of chemistry, and we hope the results can guide instructors as they consider course structure and teaching pedagogy.

Electrochemistry, a key topic in introductory chemistry, is a topic that many students struggle with conceptually. Visual learning tools like concept maps allow the externalization of key concepts and the relationships between these concepts may aid in students' acquisition and retention of newly learned electrochemistry concepts. Partnering with a general chemistry instructor, this study explored the effectiveness of two concept map formats--fill-in-the-concepts and student-corrected maps, on electrochemistry outcomes with undergraduate general chemistry students. To examine students' engagement with these maps, we also explored the role of students' interest. Results indicated that prior knowledge and map condition were significant predictors of students' electrochemistry performance. Specifically, the fill-in-the-concepts condition resulted in better learning outcomes than the map correction condition. Furthermore, students with a higher interest in electrochemistry were more likely to perform well on their respective concept mapping activities, thus, scoring higher on the posttest. These findings suggested that concept maps can effectively represent key concepts of a challenging topic, and are beneficial for students' learning and retention of information. Importantly, instructors may further support learning by providing scaffolds in the form of fill-in-the-concept maps to help students better organize their mental structures and identify misconceptions.

The purpose of the study was to identify the - interventions that can be adopted for teaching chemistry disciplines to the graduates majoring in Pharmacy (Mpharm) in Ukraine. The study employed a systematic review methodology and a qualitative approach to synthesising the sources. The triangular assessment method was used to rate the short-listed instructional interventions for feasibility, transferability, and duplicability in the settings of teaching chemistry disciplines to pharmacy graduates in Ukraine. The review found seven eligible publications for the analysis. It was identified that the shortlisted instructional models were technology-mediated and positively affected students' skills and occupational knowledge. Three out of seven instructional models used chatbots and AI to automate the process of management of students learning activity which suggested that automation of the process of educational content delivery was becoming an emerging trend in instructional design. Having performed the triangular assessment method (TAM) analysis, three instructional models were given preference in terms of their use in medical education settings in Ukraine. These models were as follows: (a) PhET simulations-based model, (b) the model based on automated delivery of the course using the Smart Sender platform and (c) the model based on automation of the Moodle-driven e-course using Dialogflow chatbot.

The indispensability and vast career possibilities associated with Chemistry notwithstanding, there is a palpable growing decline enrollment in Chemistry in Nigerian universities, particularly the private universities. The paper interrogated the teaching and learning of Chemistry in Nigerian private universities with a view to re-awakening the students' interest for effective mastery of the subject. It relied on secondary sources and critical analysis and found out that major inhibiting factors include: Students' faulty foundation in Chemistry, syndrome of area of concentration, absence of competitiveness in the admission process, poor attitude of students and lecturers as well as the ambience for effective scholarship. The paper concluded that the current downturn in the students enrolment in Chemistry and the seemingly poor interest in the subject portend sufficient threat to the future of Chemistry, chemical-related industries and the replacement of ageing Chemistry lecturers in Nigeria. It recommended the following strategies to mitigate the vicious cycle: targeted tutorial system, adoption of digital modes of teaching and learning, problem-based learning, capacity building initiatives for Chemistry lecturers, quality assurance mechanism, overhauling science education at the primary and secondary school levels, need-based assessment and provision of quality materials as well as adequate funding.

Twenty-first century chemistry education researchers reported challenges in chemistry education pertaining to high school chemistry teaching-learning outcomes. Even though all studies intended to improve chemistry teaching-learning outcomes, unfortunately the impact of chemistry education research found not to be much encouraging. A few of these studies were compared to identify a possible missing link which is to be addressed under present context of chemistry education research (CER). The issue of students' attitude, perception and a link of performance in chemistry with attitude and perception drew the attention and found to be missing in the present CER studies. The need to address the issue within the context of existing school environment was felt. This communication is prepared based on an analysis of students' performance of eleventh grade students from a rural school of South Africa in a chemistry end-of- year test. [This study was presented at the International Conference on Science, Mathematics, Entrepreneurship and Technology Education.]

Chemistry teaching learning is considered as difficult and boring. The definition of play, based on authors such as Freud, Piaget and Vigotsky, is presented as a stimulating, pleasant and voluntary activity that in the student facilitates his learning and encompasses the different facets of his physical, psychic, social and emotional development. The recreational aspect is to attract attention, impress sometimes, and create the opportunity to make scientifically reflect. This type of teaching materials is especially effective in showing us properties or characteristics of matter that are difficult to visualize due to their nanoscopic nature and that their understanding requires the development of abstract thinking. The playful didactic materials are cheap, and their use is feasible within the teaching classroom. A playful-didactic material as an assistant to teach the topic of oxidation-reduction at High School is presented. The game was designed under the Trading Card Game mode in which 2 students face each other to oxidize the opponent's gearboxes with the help of the cards. The didactic sequence for teaching the topic redox reactions is shown which includes the didactic game, the analysis and the results obtained.

Concept mapping remains widely used in education. However, little is known about how self-constructed concept maps and peer feedback can improve student learning outcomes in chemistry. We investigated the effects of peer feedback on concept mapping and how it improves students' learning performance in a large second-semester, introductory chemistry course. Three hundred and twenty students were randomly assigned to one of two concept mapping conditions: self-constructed concept map with peer feedback and self-constructed concept map without peer feedback. Each group constructed concept maps that depicted the relationship between concepts on the topic of intermolecular force. The results showed that students in the self-constructed concept map with peer feedback condition outperformed students in the no peer feedback condition in chemistry learning outcome. Overall, this study demonstrates that peer feedback enhances the effectiveness of learning with generative concept maps. The implications and future directions are discussed.

The study sought to determine the relationship between problem-solving skills and measure of working memory and attention span of science students of low ability level. The study adopted correlational survey research design. The population for the study comprised all Secondary School I (SSI) that offered physics, chemistry and biology as school subjects in all the public senior secondary schools in the study area for 2017/2018 academic session while the sample was 450 science students from 24 Senior Secondary Schools in the study area. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) backward digit span task and Attention Lapses Clicker (ALC) were used for data collection. Multiple regression analysis was used to analyse data used to answer the research questions and test null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that low percentage variation in students' problem-solving skills in science can be attributed to measure of working memory and attention span. There exist no significant relationship between measure of working memory, attention span and the combination of working memory and attention span of students. It was recommended among others that science teachers should vary concentration spans of science students by inherently mimicking the same kind of cognitive gear shift in the activities that require creative problem-solving skills and thinking, Also interventions and accommodation need be designed by school administrators to help science teachers differentiate instruction with explanations on how techniques or strategies can address students with working memory difficulty and attention deficits in the classroom.

The questions in the practice assignments given to students in the form of worksheets or other formats are often grouped by chapter, topic, or concepts. There is a great emphasis on categorization. Most of the end-of-chapter problems in chemistry textbooks are organized by sections. Although this was done with the intention of helping students navigate the assignments more easily and practice in order, it is not what they are expected to do during the tests. There is a mismatch between what they practice on and how they are tested. The goal of this study is to examine the influence of the structure of the assignments on students' problem-solving performances. Two groups of students from chemistry classes were recruited to participate in this study. Each group had the same length of practice and identical questions with only one difference. The experimental group had assignments with mixed organization of questions, while the control group had traditional assignments with the questions organized around chapters and topics. Students completed three two-hour long problem-solving sessions during the weekends. Evaluation of their progress consisted of their solutions obtained from one pre-test and three post-tests, with one given after each problem-solving session. The study revealed that students in the experimental group increased their problem-solving success more than those in the control group starting from the first intervention. The achievement gap widened as the study progressed. It is recommended that educators and textbook publishers create and utilize assignments that contain more mixed questions on different topics and chapters.

Apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP or abasic) sites are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) lesions that result from the loss of a nucleobase by hydrolysis of the "N"-glycosyl bond. AP sites are the most frequent lesions in cells and are caused by environmental and cancer therapeutic genotoxins. Herein, the bicinchoninic colorimetric assay, typically used to quantify proteins, is used to quantify abasic sites within DNA nucleotides. The abasic sites can be quantified using either a traditional colorimeter to measure absorbances at 562 nm or using hand-held cameras to measure the color change (e.g., green value). Having a rapid colorimetric method for quantifying abasic sites within DNA nucleotides would be beneficial within undergraduate teaching laboratories to introduce students to DNA structures and how DNA lesions are produced structurally.

E-learning is not a new concept to the American University of Nigeria (AUN); however, it has always been applied to the lectures but not in the laboratories for the chemistry courses before and during the first phase of the COVID-19 lockdown. The sudden disruption of learning caused by the forced lockdown issued by the government authority in an attempt to curb the spread of the pandemic left most institutions of learning with unfinished syllabi as it occurred in the middle of the spring semester. Although some universities attempted to provide students with the lessons via remote classes, it was not without challenges, as the issuance met everyone unprepared. Hence, before the resumption of the Fall 2020 semester, the Petroleum chemistry department of AUN made it a point of duty to modify lab sessions to wedge against unforeseen circumstances such as pandemics that can cause an interruption to physical meetings. Herein we report a hybrid lab implementation in which physical lab meetings and virtual laboratories were combined alternately to cover a section of the lab scheme assigned for an analytical chemistry course. It aided our understanding of student reception and preference to the different learning styles and provided insight on alternatives to sustain learning amidst disruptions in normal learning structure by circumstances like the pandemic.

Discussions on decolonizing the curriculum are common in Humanities and Social Science Faculties but still rare in the Physical Sciences. In this commentary, we describe the work we have conducted to begin decolonizing and diversifying our undergraduate chemistry curriculum. We also discuss what it means to decolonize chemistry and reflect on why it is an important thing to do. Finally, we discuss a number of different strategic approaches that could be followed to decolonize an undergraduate chemistry curriculum.

The development, testing, and classroom implementation of a low-cost, reproducible, desktop sized, highly visual double-pipe heat exchanger are presented. Quantitative measurements with the module reveal its usefulness for demonstrating basic and advanced convective heat transfer theory while worksheet-guided inquiries promote student engagement. Results from students' conceptual and motivational assessments show the module and associated activities improve student conceptual understanding and student confidence and engagement.

There is an increasing need for research chemists and biochemists to have a basic familiarity with computer programming. Adding programming content to already crowded STEM undergraduate curricula, however, can be challenging. When programming content is introduced within the chemistry curriculum, it is most often incorporated into upper division courses, but students could benefit from earlier exposure. Here, we describe incorporating Python programming, using Jupyter notebooks, into a lower division analytical chemistry course in support of the existing learning outcomes of the course. By linking lab experiments with specific course learning outcomes, quantitative topics, and computer programming concepts, we have created a series of analytical chemistry lab modules that introduce students to Python coding without losing any of the traditional content of the course. Additionally, we show that this curriculum can be successfully implemented by faculty with limited coding experience. Assessment indicates that the Python-enhanced course makes students more positive about the applicability of quantitative skills in many areas, and increases their self-perception of their level of preparation for future careers.

This experimental lab set is for students taking college chemistry courses. It includes four laboratory works and completely illustrates the important parts of chemical kinetics, namely the determination of the rate constant and the determination of the factors influencing its value. They can be used in a laboratory set for a physical chemistry laboratory course, or separately, using only one or two of the four laboratory exercises for general, colloid, and organic chemistry laboratory courses, as well as biological and industrial catalysis. The experiment forms an understanding of the possibilities of controlling the reaction rate and an understanding of intermolecular interactions in solutions. The classical effects of the rate constant are considered, such as the effects of salt and solvent, as well as micellar catalysis. The main focus is on the following factors: increasing polarity of the medium or ionic strength decelerates there actions between Dye[superscript z+] and HO[superscript -] and accelerates that of Dye[superscript z-] with HO[superscript -]; solubilization of reagents by micelles of cationic, nonionic, and zwitterionic surfactants accelerates the reactions between Dye[superscript z+] and HO[superscript -] and decelerates the reaction of Dye[superscript z-] with HO[superscript -]; anionic micelles decelerate both of them. Interest in micellar effects is due to both theoretical application in the study of reaction mechanisms, structure and dynamics of nanosized aggregates in solution, and practical application, for example, inorganic synthesis, in industry. Quantitative data processing was carried out according to the Brønsted-Bjerrum and Scatchard equations, as well as linear dependences of solvation energies. The experiment also provides students with practical experience in using the spectrophotometer, as well as graphical and numerical analysis of the data obtained. A new anionic triphenylmethine dye 3,3'-dinitrophenolsulfonephthalein (nitrophenol violet, NPV) was proposed for the study of chemical kinetics. NPV reacts with alkali faster than anionic dyes such as bromophenol blue and phenolphthalein. This property of NPV reduces laboratory practice time.

Trace metals when present in crude oil or fuels are of economic significance in refining and to the combustion engines that use them. Herein, we develop a laboratory activity that trains students on how to analyze crude oil samples for ash and trace metal content while giving them the opportunity to acquire skills needed as a quality control analyst in the industry. Students were divided into three groups and were trained on sample preparation, standard preparation, and quantificational and operational use of the flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Each group after preparing their samples quantified the concentration of Pb, Cu, Ni, Zn, and Mn in crude oil samples. The discussion over the results enabled the students to draw inferences on the sampling methods, and ways to improve precision and accuracy in instrumental analysis.

Writing instruments, such as pens, are ubiquitous in the classroom, but their functionality is largely for one purpose: they are used to represent ideas and record information on paper. However, by replacing the conventional ink in a pen with easy-to-synthesize conducting polymer-based inks, it is possible to change a simple writing utensil into a materials processing tool that can create circuits, sensors, and potentially other optoelectronic devices. The Polysketch pen is a modified ballpoint pen that contains a conductive polyaniline ink that can be synthesized safely by high school and undergraduate students in a 1-3 hour laboratory setting. The synthesis and formulation of the ink and the construction of the pen expose students to nanomaterial synthesis, chemical/material purification, and functional design with a specific goal: producing an appropriately viscous, fast-drying ink with a suitable loading level of polyaniline for conductive properties. The Polysketch pen leaves conductive traces on paper, which can be used to draw simple circuits or construct sensors responding to mechanical strains or ambient chemical species. This activity has the objective of introducing materials-relevant polymer synthesis into high school and undergraduate laboratories while introducing concepts in conductive polymers such as doping/dedoping and percolation in conductive networks. The activity is constructed such that students have the opportunity to explore processing-structure-properties-performance relationships by optimizing ink formulation. Most importantly, students will ultimately arrive at a tangible, versatile product and tool that enables them to explore other types of interactive devices and art to "trace a line of their creation".

1000 Future Scientists (1000FSc) is a university extension project developed at the Department of Chemistry in Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). Conducted by the Higher Education Administrative Technicians and Professors, it presents the university to the community by proposing an engaging experience for elementary and high school students. In this work, we discuss the process to develop chemical experiments for the 1000FSc project. This process aims to show how innovative technological research in chemistry can be applied to solve social problems, after being adequately adapted to laboratory experiments. Since laboratory practical science lessons are not a reality in the majority of Brazilian public schools, the 1000FSc project allows sharing the UFMG laboratory infrastructure with these students. Simultaneously, undergraduate and graduate students work as volunteers and are engaged in this production process that is a valuable contribution to their extension experience.

Science education should help develop student's interest in science as today's society depends largely on output of science and technology. Chemistry is one of the branches of science. Chemistry education helps to expand the pupil's knowledge of the universe and of his/her position in it. It helps in the appreciation and enjoyment of nature and life. Chemistry also prepares learners for professional careers in such fields as medicine, biotechnology, agriculture and pharmacy. Despite the importance attached to Chemistry, students' performance in the subject at the national examinations in many countries Kenya included has remained poor. The poor performance can be attributed to type of teaching method among others factors. Computer-based instruction may help address this problem of teaching method. However there is little information on how computer-based learning as a teaching method in chemistry would affect learners' achievement by gender. In an attempt to address this issue this study therefore aimed at finding out effects of Computer-Based Simulations on secondary schools students' achievement in Chemistry in Kenya. The study involved quasi-experimental research in which the researcher used Solomon Four Non- Equivalent Control Group Design. Four co-educational schools in Nakuru East Sub-County were purposively selected and a sample size of 175 students participated in the study. In this study data were collected using instruments Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT) to assess the students' achievement level. The findings of the study were there was statistically significant difference in Chemistry achievement of students who are taught through CBS teaching approach and that of those taught through regular teaching method. There is no statistically significant difference in Chemistry achievement between boys and girls taught through CBS teaching approach. It was therefore concluded that CBS has a positive and significant contribution to the understanding of chemistry concepts and principles as reflected by the higher performance of students taught using CBS than their counterparts taught using RTM. Gender has no effect on students' achievement in Chemistry when they are taught through CBS.

Service learning is a community-based educational approach where college students are connected to academic content through active participation in planned community experiences. Therefore, service learning is the form of civic engagement that we have used to connect Chemistry undergraduate students with K-12 students, teachers, and parents in our community. We have developed several outreach programs and hands-on experiences to use the knowledge and skills learned in Chemistry courses and laboratories to motivate more precollege students toward a positive attitude about Chemistry and science courses in general. Undergraduate students from the Department of Chemistry at California State University, Stanislaus have worked on several hands-on activities with fifth-eighth grade students at university laboratories and with second-fourth grade students at elementary school classrooms. Undergraduate students have learned to simplify difficult Chemistry concepts for the general audience, while they have encouraged young students to develop a positive attitude toward science and the pursuit of higher education in the STEM fields. In addition, undergraduate students involved in these activities are more motivated to succeed in their own academic career. This article explains how we have accomplished the development of Chemistry outreach activities and how undergraduate students are involved in the preparation of these events.

This article describes the educational and public engagement outcomes of an activity called the "ChemClout Challenge" that was implemented in a general chemistry course at UC Riverside. Students worked in groups to make chemistry-themed videos, posted them to social media platforms, then voted on their favorite videos. The majority of students elected to make videos where they anthropomorphized general chemistry concepts, physically acting out principles such as ideal gas law relationships and electrolyte solubility. Students reported enjoying these anthropomorphized videos most. These types of videos received over one million views worldwide within the first month of posting on the social media platform, TikTok. After the course was over, 75 students completed voluntary Likert scale surveys to assess the educational and outreach impact of the ChemClout Challenge. Eighty-eight percent of students reported that the activity made chemistry more relatable, whereas 76% of students noted that the activity helped them retain course concepts two months after the course was completed, indicating the activity benefitted student learning. Moreover, 84%of students reported that their friends and family members outside of UC Riverside watched the videos, with 72% of students reporting that they explained the chemical concepts of their videos to their friends. These studies indicate that student-created social media videos that anthropomorphize chemistry are highly effective vectors for student-centered learning and public engagement in chemical concepts. This activity may find particular utility for educators during the COVID-19 pandemic, as it is compatible with distance learning.

Powder diffraction is one of the most widely used analytical techniques for characterizing solid state materials. It can be used for phase or polymorph identification, quantitative analysis, cell parameter determination, or even full crystal structure analysis using the powerful Rietveld refinement method. As with much of modern crystallography, the software used for Rietveld refinement is frequently treated as a "black box" that produces often poorly understood outputs. This paper shows how it is possible for students to perform a full Rietveld refinement against experimental powder diffraction data from scratch using a simple spreadsheet like Excel. It starts by reviewing the basic ideas of least-squares fitting a straight line, develops these into fitting simple functions to peaks in simulated experimental data, and then combines these ideas with crystallographic equations to enable Rietveld refinement of the structure of an inorganic material (rutile, TiO2). At each stage, students can self-learn different fundamental aspects and pitfalls of data analysis that are widely reapplicable. The ideas can be taught as an online learning exercise or could be incorporated in a laboratory class where students collect and analyze their own experimental data.

Over 40 years of research, concept maps have shown that they are beneficial for learning. However, much of this research has been conducted in laboratory settings. Although there are a few studies conducted in the classroom, there is little understanding of the instructional efficacy of using different types of concept maps. In a between-subjects design, the present study investigates the effects of learning chemistry in a large undergraduate classroom with three concept mapping activities: static, fill-in-concepts, and fill-in-labels. Students reviewed a static map or completed a fill-in-the-blank concept map. Results show that students studying static concept maps outperformed those who engaged with the fill-in-the-blank concept maps. Further, prior knowledge was found to be a significant predictor of learning performance. Additional findings show that the accuracy of completing partial concept maps mediates the influence of concept map format on learning. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

The study investigated the effects of Lecture Method Supplemented with Music (LMM) and Computer Animation (LMC) on senior secondary school students' retention in electrochemistry in Makurdi metropolis. Three research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. The design of the study was quasi experimental, specifically the pre-test, post-test non-equivalent control group design was adopted. One hundred and sixty five (165) Senior Secondary Two (SS2) Chemistry Students drawn from 4 schools were purposively sampled from seventy six (76) accredited secondary schools in Makurdi Local Government Area. The first experimental group were electrochemistry with LMM while the experimental group 2 were taught using LMC. The LMM group consisted of 80 students while those in LMC consisted of 85 students. An instrument known as Electrochemistry Achievement Test (EAT) which had 50 questions adopted from WAEC, NECO and UTME past question papers were used for the study. Reliability (KR[subscript 20]) estimate of 0.876 was obtained for EAT. LMM and LMC were used to treat the experimental groups 1 and 2 respectively. Scores on achievement tests were collected at the beginning of the study as pre-test and after the treatment (3 weeks) as post-test. The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation, while hypotheses were tested using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at 0.05 level of significance. Findings showed that Students taught electrochemistry using LMM had higher retention score (41.55 ± 3.74) than their counterparts taught using LMC (40.00 ± 3.69). There was a statistically significant main effect (p < 0.05) for instructional methods on mean retention score of students in electrochemistry. Females had higher retention score (41.75 ± 3.43) than their male counterparts (39.74 ± 3.87). There was statistically significant main effect (p < 0.05) of gender on students' retention. Male students taught with LMM had higher retention score (39.84 ± 4.19) than males taught with LMC (39.67 ± 3.68). Female students taught with LMM had higher retention score (42.74 ± 2.87) than the females taught with LMC (40.44 ± 3.69). The results further revealed that there was no significant interaction effect (p < 0.05) of the instructional strategies and gender on retention.

The study investigated the effects of Lecture Method Supplemented with Music (LMM) and Computer Animation (LMC) on senior secondary school students' academic achievement in electrochemistry in Makurdi metropolis. Six research questions and six hypotheses guided the study. The design of the study was quasi experimental, specifically the pre-test, post-test non-equivalent control group design was adopted. One hundred and sixty five (165) Senior Secondary Two (SS2) Chemistry Students drawn from 4 schools were purposively sampled from seventy six (76) accredited secondary schools in Makurdi Local Government Area. The first experimental group were electrochemistry with LMM while the experimental group 2 were taught using LMC. The LMM group consisted of 80 students while those in LMC consisted of 85 students. The groups were compared on achievement toward electrochemistry. An instrument known as Electrochemistry Achievement Test (EAT) which had 50 questions adopted from WAEC, NECO and UTME past question papers were used for the study. The EAT, LMM, LMC and lesson plans were validated by experts in chemistry, science education, measurement evaluation, music and computer science. Reliability (KR[subscript 20]) estimate of 0.876 was obtained for EAT. LMM and LMC were used to treat the experimental groups 1 and 2 respectively. Scores on achievement tests were collected at the beginning of the study as pre-test and after the treatment (3 weeks) as post-test. The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation, while hypotheses were tested using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at 0.05 level of significance. Findings showed Students taught electrochemistry using LMM had higher achievement score (40.35 ± 3.86) than their counterparts taught using LMC (39.44 ± 3.88). The results of the study revealed that there was no statistically significant main effect (p > 0.05) for instructional methods on mean achievement score of students taught electrochemistry. Females taught electrochemistry had higher achievement score (40.45 ± 3.42) than their male counterparts (39.29 ± 4.25). The results revealed that there was no statistically significant main effect (p > 0.05) of gender on students' achievement. It is suggested that chemistry concepts should be taught using LMM and LMC, or lecture method should be supplemented with other student-centred approaches; text writers and curriculum developers should adopt LMM and LMC as teaching strategies. It was also recommended that artists in the music industry should be encouraged to write and produce music that has cognitive meaning.

The aim of this study was to investigate the perception of students on the causes of their poor performance in external chemistry examinations in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State. Descriptive survey design was used for the study. Two hundred and forty (240) students were selected through simple random sampling for the study. A self-constructed questionnaire titled investigation of Perceived Causes of Poor Performance of Students in Chemistry was used to collect data. Three research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. Descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage and mean as well as Pearson Product moment correlation was used. The findings revealed that teachers' poor qualification, poor method of teaching, lack of teaching experience, and failing to use the instructional materials were some of the perceived causes of students' poor performance. Based on the findings, it was recommended that attempts should be made by the government and private school proprietors to ensure that qualified and experienced teachers should be recruited for the Senior Secondary Schools in the area. In addition, teachers are implored to teach with adequate teaching aids and instructional materials, when they are available, to improve their methods of teaching and where they are not available the government and private proprietors' of schools should endeavor to purchase instructional materials for the teachers' use in schools.

Students and instructors bring varying levels of experience and expectations to online learning. This became even more apparent in March 2020 when the pandemic disrupted face-to-face instruction and required rapid conversion to remote teaching. In this study, mixed methods were used to understand how students perceived these instructional changes and to examine the effects of remote learning on their approach to subsequent coursework and faculty interactions. First, open-ended survey data collected from students enrolled in a summer 2020 nonmajors asynchronous laboratory course were analyzed to learn more about students' spring 2020 remote learning experiences. The questions directly addressed remote learning experiences and emphasized study strategies learned, faculty communication modes, and students' perceived ability at taking online courses. Second, four consecutive years of survey data--including both Likert-type scale surveys and open-ended questions--were analyzed to identify core themes and to measure variations between cohorts. These data present a unique opportunity in that they allow for critical analyses and document differences in online learning experiences for student cohorts pre- (2017-2019) and post- (2020) the COVID-19 disruption. The findings from the survey data can be used to inform how faculty may better focus their teaching efforts while promoting student learning and engagement during a time of continued teaching disruption and uncertainty. The overall results of this study are applicable to all levels of chemistry courses. In addition, the established nonmajors online laboratory course model presented in this study provides a strong example for others who are developing new online or hybrid chemistry courses.

A two-week summer camp for high school students focused on sustainable polymers was developed and implemented. Students took part in experiments and interactive lessons that demonstrate polymer chemistry fundamentals alongside associated sustainability challenges and opportunities. For example, polymer concepts related to chemical properties (reactivity, structural architecture, molecular weight) and physical properties (density, tensile strength, thermal properties) were discussed, as well as how these properties affect materials' recyclability and degradability. Teaching these important concepts to students is especially timely given the global plastic waste dilemma. Responses to postcourse surveys suggest that students were intellectually engaged while gaining practical laboratory and research skills, broadening their understanding of polymer chemistry and sustainability, and becoming prepared for post high school studies.

Use of online learning systems, such as learner dashboards, is increasing in university chemistry courses. Learning analytics can support student learning by providing feedback on concept mastery. This paper investigated how student use of a chemistry learner dashboard might be increased through class structure, instructor practice, and dashboard design changes across three iterations in a general chemistry course. Once acceptable levels of student dashboard use were achieved, further investigation of how students interacted with the dashboard, including accessing the variety of available resources, was conducted. Survey data and clickstream data from the dashboard were collected and analyzed in a convergent mixed methods design. This study found that changes in course structure, teacher practice, and dashboard design increased use of the dashboard and utilization of the variety of materials offered in it. Recommendations for instructors to effectively utilize a learner dashboard and increase student trust in the system are provided.

Protein PEGylation refers to the covalent binding of polyethylene glycol (PEG) moieties to a protein and has been increasingly applied, mainly in the biopharmaceutical industry. This technique may increase bioavailability and stability by decreasing immunogenicity and proteolytic attack. Given the industrial interest and the relevance of this technique, an example of a common PEGylation reaction is herein proposed, using lysozyme as a model protein. This class is divided into three parts: the first one is composed by the PEGylation reaction "per se," the second one aims at the analytical quantification of the PEGylation yield, and the third aims to understand the effects of PEGylation on protein activity. Students should gain skills in comprehending this type of chemical reaction, calculating reaction yields, and realizing the benefits of protein PEGylation. This experimental class comprises two lab classes with the expected duration of 2 h each and is intended for students in the third and fourth years of courses such as pharmaceutical sciences, biochemistry, chemistry, biotechnology, and correlated areas.

The purpose of this study was to do a SWOT analysis and compare performances of male and female students in chemistry. Four research questions and four null hypotheses guided the study. Two boys', two girls' and two coeducational schools involving 1319 males and 1831 females, were selected by a stratified, deliberate sampling technique. A descriptive survey research design, percentages and means were used for answering research questions. The z- and t- tests were used to test hypotheses at (p<0.05). The SWOT of male and female performances were identified. Strengths, Opportunities and Weaknesses to the performances of males were higher than that of females. Threats to female performances were higher than males'. There is a significant difference in male and female performances in Chemistry, in favour of boys, generally; in urban; co-educational schools; Strengths; Opportunities and Weaknesses but in favour of females in single sex schools and in Threats to performances. It was concluded that males performed better than females. Recommendations include encouraging females to attend single-sex schools. Strengths and Opportunities to female performances in chemistry should be enhanced while their Weaknesses and Treats should be drastically reduced, as there can be no national or development without females.

Children can learn mathematics and sciences effectively even before being exposed to formal school curriculum if basic Mathematics and Sciences concepts are communicated to them early using activity oriented (Hands-on) method of teaching. Mathematics and Science are practical and activity oriented and can best be learnt through inquiry (Okebukola in Mandor, 2002) and through intelligent manipulation of objects and symbols (Ekwueme, 2007). The study tries to ascertain the impact of Hands-on-approach on the students' academic performance and the students' opinion about this activity-based methodology. The general objective is to assess the impact and provide another platform for students to display their understanding of what they have learnt other than the usual written tests with memorized formulae. The activity focuses on Mensuration and Geometry (with 25% questions in each area) and separation of mixtures (pure and impure substances). This paper includes the analysis of the feedback of the pre-test and post-test scores of the students before and after the Hands-on-approach was given as well as students' interview responses. The study showed positive improvement on both the students' performance and participation on mathematics and basic science activities and willingness on the part of the teachers to use Hands-on-approach in communicating mathematical and scientific concepts to their students.

Chemistry is one of the subjects that students sit for in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE). The attainment of students in chemistry in KCSE has been quite low. An analysis of the past Chemistry examination papers taken in KCSE reveals that the papers test students' competencies in various aspects of Cognitive Science Process Skill of Evaluation (CSPSE). It was hypothesized that school characteristics could be influencing students' acquisition of various aspects of CSPSE. The school characteristics investigated were social set up (single-sex and co- educational schools) and school location (rural and urban schools). The aspects of CSPSE investigated were: reformulation of scientific statements, evaluation of experimental procedures, evaluation of inferences from scientific data, and evaluation of scientific arguments. Cross- sectional survey research design was used in this study. Cognitive Science Process Skills Test (CSPST) was constructed and administered to a stratified random sample of 386 Form Three Chemistry students drawn from Public County Secondary Schools in Rift Valley Province of Kenya. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the data. Hypotheses were tested at a= 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study show that students from single-sex secondary schools performed significantly better than their counterparts from co-educational schools in all the categories of CSPSE that were investigated. The school location did not have a significant influence on students' performance on CSPSE. The findings of this study are expected to inform the education planners and teachers of the influence of school characteristics on students' performance on CSPSE.

This paper discussed the need to restructure STM (science, technology, and mathematics) education to reflect entrepreneurship. This is because the present STM education has not achieved its aim of making graduates self-reliant. Entrepreneurship education if introduced in the STM education will produce graduate who can effectively manage their personal businesses. Entrepreneurship education was explained and the advantages outlined. The paper gave an insight into what the chemistry education will look like when entrepreneurship education is included using secondary school chemistry. This situation applies to biology education and in the application of technology to teaching and learning.

We describe a novel experiment for high school students that uses gas chromatography (GC) equipment to demonstrate the principles of chemical quantitation in the context of fragrant compounds. A highlight of the work is the use of inexpensive equipment and tools accessible to the usual high school laboratory. The students use control samples, learn about functional groups and chemical separations, and are introduced to a commonly used chemistry instrument. We describe the protocols in detail and analyze student survey results to highlight the advantages of this experiment as well as possible routes for further improvement.

As 2019 is the 150th anniversary of the Mendeleev's Periodic Table, UNESCO has proclaimed this year the International Year of the Periodic Table (IYPT2019). One of the most important steps in the evolution of the Periodic Table is the concept of atomic number, established by Moseley. In this article, his work is commented on, and the emission of X-ray lines is interpreted on the basis of a one-electron transition using Bohr's theory. The agreement is very good for the Ka and Kß lines, which can be used in classes to reinforce the quantized model of atoms. It is also shown that inner-electron-screening effects play a significant role, especially in the L-series lines. In addition to the discussion based on Bohr's theory, the several different X-ray lines that are known for each element are also explained using LS spin--orbit-coupling spectroscopic terms. The presentation of X-ray data and discussion of the data using these two theoretical approaches in both undergraduate and graduate classes resulted in significant grade improvements on the topic of atomic theory.

The study was designed to develop and factorially validate an instrument for measuring teaching practice skills of chemistry student-teachers in University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Two research questions guided the study. The design of the study was instrumentation. All the chemistry student-teachers in the Department of Science Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, involved in teaching practice in November 2011 formed the population for the study. No sampling technique was used as all the population formed the sample for the study. The instrument known as TPEF (teaching practice evaluation form) was developed. It was used to collect data for answering the research questions. The instrument was face validated and subjected to factor analysis using rotated component matrix to establish the construct validity. FL (factor loading) range of 0.35 and above (Meredith, 1969) was used for the extraction of the valid items. Internal consistency reliability coefficient of the instrument was established using Kendall's coefficient of concordance. The result of the analysis shows that TPEF was valid and reliable. It also shows that there was agreement among the raters. Based on these findings, the educational implications were discussed and recommendations made including that teachers in tertiary institutions should use this instrument in assessing chemistry student-teachers during their teaching practice due to its validity and reliability in assessing teaching practice skills in chemistry. A Teaching Practice Evaluation Form for Chemistry Students is appended. (Contains 2 tables.)

This study investigated the relative effectiveness of three types of concept maps (hierarchy, flowchart and spider) on the performance of students in Chemistry. This is with a view to find out which of the concept mapping types is more superior in enhancing students' performance in the numerical aspect of Chemistry. The pre-test, post-test experimental design was used for the study. The population for the study comprised of all the Chemistry students in Senior Secondary School in Osun State of Nigeria. Students in Senior Secondary class two (SSII) in their intact classes from three schools in Ife-Central local government area of the state formed the sample of the study. The three schools were randomly assigned to the hierarchical, flowchart and spider concept mapping strategies. The instrument used for data collection was the Problem Solving Achievement Test in Chemistry (PSATC). Students in the three groups were taught using the three kinds of concept maps separately. The experiment lasted for five weeks after which a post-test was administered. The result of the study indicated that there was no significant difference in the performances of the students in the three groups with respect to the kind of concept map used. (F = 1.088; p > 0.05). This implies that the concept mapping strategies were not all that different in their superiority. They all produced a similar effect on the students with respect to their performance in Chemistry. However, it was found out that they enhanced the performance of students in their problem solving skills in Chemistry as already reported by research studies.

The major purpose of this study was to determine if gender influences grade points earned by university students who majored in biology, chemistry, and physics. The design of the study was ex-post facto, considering the academic records of science students admitted from 2003 to 2007. The total number of subjects used for the study was 637 biology, chemistry, and physics education students. The instrument used for data collection was the students' data cards. The major findings of the study included: (1) Females dominated enrolment in biology, males dominated enrolment in physics, and enrolment in chemistry was nearly equal for males and females; (2) Male students significantly out-performed the females on grade points earned in chemistry and physics, while there was no significant difference between males and females in biology; (3) There was no significant difference between males and females of high ability in chemistry and physics and of middle and low abilities in biology, while significant differences were found between males and females of middle and low abilities in chemistry and physics; and (4) There was significant difference in GPA (grade point averages) between males and females by discipline and level. (Contains 4 tables.)

This study aims to compare the effectiveness of a Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) model with that of traditional college instruction (TCI) in enhancing the conceptual understanding and reducing both the state anxiety and social anxiety of undergraduate engineering students in a general chemistry course in a quasi-experimental design. 128 engineering students taking the course participated in the study. One of the course sections was randomly assigned to the experimental group and the other section was assigned to the control group. Both sections were taught by the same instructor. The control group was instructed using traditional college instruction, while the experimental group was instructed using the PLTL model. Throughout this study, six peer-led chemistry workshops and leader training sessions were performed simultaneously. The General Chemistry Concept Test, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Social Anxiety Questionnaire for Adults were administered before and after the treatment to both groups. One-way Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) indicated that after controlling students' university entrance scores, trait anxiety scores and pre-test scores of both the General Chemistry Concept Test and state anxiety, the PLTL model was more effective in improving the conceptual understanding and reducing the situational anxiety of engineering students in undergraduate general chemistry. However, it was not so effective in lessening their social anxiety when compared to traditional college instruction.

Chemical safety management is an iterative process where reviews of safety deficiencies (e.g., inspection notes) and failures (e.g., injuries) guide improvement efforts. The present work investigates safety in the school chemistry laboratory through two substudies. First, we interviewed 10 Swedish middle and high school chemistry teachers about how they work with safety and accident prevention in the chemistry laboratory. Second, we analyzed the call records of the Swedish Poisons Information Centre (PIC) concerning 10-19 olds and reports regarding severe injuries and accidents submitted to the Swedish Work Environment Authority (SWEA). The interviewed teachers encounter problems with chemical safety related to deficiencies in organizational support, such as lack of time and resources for preventive risk management and assignment to groups that are too large. The major safety challenge was reported to lie in students' safety behavior. Although facilities were generally well-equipped we noted outdated safety data sheets and missing written risk assessments. For 2010-2014, the PIC records identified 637 cases of chemical exposures at schools; of these, 243 (38%) concerned laboratory chemicals at school. The PIC experts on call judged 70% of the cases involving laboratory chemicals to pose a risk to the exposed students, mainly due to acids and alkali. Inhalation was the most frequent exposure route, although skin and eyes were almost equally frequent. Strikingly, PIC data identified 10 times as many cases as the SWEA injury/incident data. Hence, PIC data can provide knowledge about chemical safety incidents at schools not otherwise available.

The knowledge and skills required of chemists in chemical-based industries were compared to those in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum in Nigeria to establish whether there were gaps between the two. In a questionnaire survey, 120 chemists in 20 chemical-based industries gave their views of the extent to which the chemistry curriculum reflected industry needs for knowledge and skills. The data generated were analysed using means and paired sample t-tests. The results indicate that the Nigerian university chemistry curriculum is broad-based and sufficiently relevant to meet the theoretical knowledge requirements of chemical-based industries, but that it fails to meet their minimal skills requirements. While chemistry graduates have greater knowledge than is required for work in chemical-based industries, their skills level is below the industry requirement. The curriculum therefore needs to be restructured so that its skills acquisition component is improved.

Despite the importance of scientific writing in a chemists' professional career, their development as scientific writers is often neglected in undergraduate and graduate curricula. Among the courses that do encourage students to generate written documents like proposals, lab reports, or essays, the scientific community rarely benefits from the resulting product. Here, we introduce an alternative graduate level writing class where the goal is for the students to generate a review article that is submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. This course structure allows students to build scientific reading and writing skills, learn about a new topic, and also enhance their resume with an additional publication and subsequent citations. Concurrently, the scientific community benefits from an additional resource. What follows is an outline of the review article writing course as well as the students' feedback of the course and writing experience. Overall, the students felt the course was a lot of work. Yet, they also reported a greater understanding of the topic, a broadened knowledge base, and a better ability to quickly read and process literature. Despite the challenges--which included compiling all of the papers for a given topic and managing the time to read and write--the students gained a new found appreciation for the amount of effort that goes into writing a review article, and they unanimously felt the results were commensurate with the work.

This article focuses on the impact of culturally relevant teaching and learning during a summer enrichment program for high school students. Culturally relevant science instruction and curriculum helped students to foster a more positive interest in science and STEM careers as it provided students the opportunity to do science in meaningful and relevant ways. Students were able to see themselves represented in the curriculum and recognized their own strengths; as a result, they were more validated and affirmed in and transformed by, their learning. We use this case to warrant increased support for summer learning programs focused on providing African American youth with access to high quality, culturally relevant/responsive science education.