Research on and Development of Inquiry‐Type Chemistry Laboratories in Israel

Abstract

AbstractOver a period of more than 60 years, the chemistry laboratory has been extensively and comprehensively researched and hundreds of research papers, reviews, and doctoral dissertations have been published, investigating the laboratory as a unique learning environment. However, there were challenges and pedagogical questions regarding its educational effectiveness and benefits for teaching and learning chemistry. At the beginning of the 21st century there was a call to rethink (and research) the goals for learning chemistry in the laboratory. This is especially applicable in an era in which we are trying to enhance the goal of teaching “chemistry for all students” and/or for the benefit of what is fondly called “future citizens”. Working for more than 15 years with colleagues and students, we researched the potential of establishing an inquiry‐type chemistry laboratory for developing high‐order learning skills, namely, skills for the future or skills for life, including metacognitive and argumentative skills, and the ability of students to ask relevant questions resulting from an inquiry‐type chemistry laboratory.