Journal of Chemical Education最新文献

An early introduction to chemical hygiene and laboratory safety is essential for developing prepared graduates from STEM programs. Using the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry as a framework to approach the laboratory, students are also introduced to safety mindset and ACS RAMP before completing an experiment that demonstrates the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and effective methods of cleaning glassware for safe use. Students completed an optional survey following the experiment to gauge the experience and development of a safety mindset. 90% of students reported increased confidence in their abilities to perform laboratory practices safely after they performed this introductory chemical hygiene and safety experiment.

Extensive use of chemical pesticides in agriculture is an effective and economical way to improve food production. Meanwhile, adverse impacts of pesticides on environmental sustainability and public health have increasingly emerged, leading to widespread negative comments about pesticides. When it comes to pesticides, teenage students who know little about agricultural chemistry tend to view them as harmful. Nevertheless, they are also puzzled as to why pesticide applications have not been stopped despite countless negative comments. Hence, it is important to popularize pesticide science at different levels of chemical education to promote scientific understanding and social responsibility. However, education practices that provide scientific knowledge of chemical pesticides to young people and guide them on how to view pesticides rationally are rare. This study describes a project aimed at educating middle school students about pesticide science. This project included a series of activities to popularize pesticide science including a science lecture, a poster competition, and a pesticide residue detection experiment. Results from students’ ratings of these activities and related conceptual tests indicate that the project was well received. As a result of this project, the students gained a clearer understanding of the two-sided nature of pesticide chemistry: when pesticides are scientifically used, they can act as helpful guardians of food security, but if pesticides are abused or misused, they may become harmful pollutants. This project effectively strengthened students’ scientific understanding of the myths and facts about pesticides. Such a project-based teaching case provides an example of stimulating students’ interest in pesticide scientific research.

Precipitation titrations are fundamental techniques in analytical chemistry, offering simplicity and generating a large data set in a short time. This laboratory experiment introduced students to three widely used titration methods: Mohr, Fajans, and Volhard. The study was conducted in two sessions, each lasting 100 min, and included both standard and real-world samples. In the first session, students quantified potassium iodide (KI) in solutions with varying concentrations, where the variables were related. Parametric statistical analysis was performed using repeated measures ANOVA (RMANOVA), while Friedman’s test was applied as its nonparametric counterpart for data not meeting normality or sphericity assumptions. In the second session, KI and sodium chloride (NaCl) were quantified in syrup and saline solutions, respectively, using statistical methods for independent groups. ANOVA was employed for parametric data, while the Kruskal–Wallis test served as its nonparametric equivalent. Results revealed that the Mohr method consistently produced higher concentration values compared to the Volhard and Fajans methods. This experiment provided students with practical experience in precipitation titrations, statistical analysis, and the use of open-source software for data interpretation, thereby enhancing their understanding of analytical chemistry and its real-world applications.

Integrating the education of traditional Chinese culture with the teaching of chemical knowledge has become a significant focus of chemistry education. Home chemistry experiments, which use simple explorations with common household items, play a crucial role in enhancing students’ comprehension and application of textbook knowledge. This study explores the fusion of Chinese traditional culture with home chemistry experiments, focusing on integrating Peking opera facial makeup and paper-cutting culture into the anthocyanin’s color changing experiment. Peking opera facial makeup and paper-cutting are recognized as forms of traditional Chinese art that can be effectively integrated into the “A” (Art) component of the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) educational framework. Enhancements have been made to experiments involving homemade acid–base indicators and the electrolysis of saturated sodium chloride aqueous solution, promoting a synergistic blend of traditional cultural education and chemical knowledge. The students successfully extracted anthocyanins from purple cabbage and were delighted to master the skill of paper cutting. They also successfully completed the coloring of the Peking opera makeup. Through these home chemistry experiments, students engage in scientific exploration and deepen their understanding and appreciation of the Chinese traditional culture.

This study investigated the conceptual understanding and confidence judgment of first year preservice chemistry teachers, focusing on chemical concepts related to water. Six selected items from the Chemistry Concept Inventory (CCI) were adapted into a three-tier version and administered to 45 first-year preservice chemistry teachers. The research assessed students’ understanding of phase transitions, molecular behavior, and intermolecular forces. The three-tier diagnostic tool incorporated confidence judgments to measure both content knowledge and the accuracy of students’ self-assessments. The results revealed misconceptions formed during secondary education, particularly regarding molecular motion, the size of water molecules during phase changes, and the role of intermolecular forces. Overconfidence in incorrect answers underscores the need for instructional methods that develop metacognitive skills and increase students’ awareness of their knowledge gaps. The findings suggest that chemistry teacher training programs should address these misconceptions early, using diagnostic tools to promote both content mastery and accurate confidence judgments. Future research should explore integrating metacognitive training with concept inventories to further improve the conceptual understanding and confidence judgment.

Student-faculty engagement significantly contributes to students’ persistence in their academic journey. This is especially true in laboratory-based classes, where students work to acquire and demonstrate a mastery of laboratory techniques, scientific theory, and scientific inquiry. Many faculty shifted to online learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbated the difficulty students face in learning laboratory techniques and concepts. This work presents the design and evaluation of nongraded, supplemental laboratory training workshops to enhance student-faculty engagement and students’ self-efficacy in the chemistry laboratory. Responses from pre- and postworkshop surveys on students’ perceptions are presented. Our findings show an increase in students’ confidence in performing foundational general chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry laboratory skills. Also, our study emphasizes the continued need for no-stakes learning environments that build a multifaceted social network among faculty and students. Such a learning environment can increase opportunities for faculty to aid students in filling knowledge gaps and thus boost students’ self-esteem in the discipline.

Herein, we describe the results of a Flipped Classroom (FC) teaching approach implemented at a university to enhance the student learning of stereochemistry concepts across various academic programs. The academic activity research comprised three stages: design, implementation, and evaluation. During the first phase, we designed educational tools with Genially for preclass activities and Nearpod for in-class sessions, both as free access platforms. Subsequently, we engaged 106 students in the FC method for learning stereochemistry, conducting preclass and face-to-face activities. The impact of this approach was determined on both the operational and academic aspects. The operational assessment indicated a high level of acceptance with positive feedback on the interactive platform’s interface (72–95%), content relevance (41–90%), and student perception (44–91%). Through several activities, we evaluated students’ grasp of academic content and professional skills. Comparing the performance of the experimental and control groups, it was evident that students in the FC group achieved better results. The overall grades revealed that 100% of the experimental group passed the workshops, 87% passed the interactive activities, and 94% passed the knowledge test. In contrast, in the control group, only 72% passed the final evaluation test. Overall, the performance of the control group was consistently lower compared with the experimental group across all activities.

The global nuclear skills shortage requires a comprehensive investment in training at all levels of education. With focus on post-18 and vocational education, there is a lack of resource and awareness for teaching nuclear skills to students between the ages of 11 to 18 years of age. This age group is vital if interest in this industry is to be nurtured and the skills gap is to be addressed. Here, we report an interactive card game RAD Ratings to address this gap; a curriculum-enriching activity, teaching nuclear skills to pre-18 years of age. We emphasize curriculum linked and practical examples in everyday life to make it relatable to students. Student and teacher feedback demonstrated that >64% students enjoyed playing RAD Ratings, with >50% students saying that they would play the game again and all teachers surveyed stating that Rad Ratings improved student understanding of radionuclides and their uses. Our approach stands out as the sole UK study focused on the gamification of nuclear science and radiochemistry education, uniquely evaluating feedback from both students and teachers concurrently.

Mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions has become a hot topic in environmental chemistry and has garnered significant attention in both scientific research and industrial applications. That of particular concern is the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide, which has a global warming potential over 300 times higher than carbon dioxide. As such, efforts to mitigate anthropogenic nitrous oxide emissions are of the utmost importance in addressing climate change. There are a few known demonstrations of such greenhouse gas or pollutant mitigation in general environmental courses; therefore, we present a well-defined project about greenhouse gas removal. The main learning objective of this project is to help students solve a specific nitrous oxide mitigation problem using an adsorption-based separation technology. Theoretical knowledge about anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and porous materials for adsorption was introduced by the instructor. Then, a specific type of adsorbent, namely, transition-metal-exchanged chabazite, was used for demonstration. Students conducted experiments that involved the synthesis of the adsorbent, characterization of its properties, and measurements of its adsorption and separation performance. Based on the experimental results, students can learn basic knowledge about adsorption-related data analysis and discussion, such as isotherm model fitting and calculation of isosteric heat of adsorption. After reviewing the criteria for adsorbent design, students drew conclusions about whether this demonstrated zeolite material is an appropriate adsorbent for efficient nitrous oxide removal.

Although chemical kinetics is an essential branch of physical chemistry, observing kinetic processes typically demands sophisticated and costly equipment. Digital green chemistry experiments are an important experimental-teaching direction for undergraduates. This study introduces a portable, interactive, and educational microarray chip platform that visualizes chemical kinetics through clock reactions via dynamic mixing. The microfluidic chip consists of a 3D-printed substrate, modeled in Cinema 4D, and an acrylic glass cover. By precisely controlling variables such as the reactant concentration and temperature with digital coding, we successfully demonstrate two iodine clock reactions, KIO₃-KI-H⁺ and Na₂S₂O₃-I₂-(NH₄)₂S₂O₈, as well as anthocyanin discoloration. This platform enables the clear visualization of phenomena including radial diffusion and microscale interfacial reactions, presenting the reaction progress in a color-card format referred to as “chemical amber,” which enhances the understanding of abstract chemical concepts. Notably, the chip allows users to calculate key kinetic parameters, including reaction rates, activation energy, and analyte concentration, by measuring diffusion rates, color-change times, and grayscale values from digitally scanned images obtained using a low-cost mini USB-electronic microscope and smartphone. This provides an enriched understanding of reaction dynamics. Furthermore, the platform was successfully implemented in comprehensive experimental teaching applications, demonstrating notable effectiveness in classroom settings.