General Chemistry Course Research Articles

Assessing Student Teachers’ Motivation and Learning Strategies in Digital Inquiry-Based Learning

Over the past two decades, teachers have adopted several teaching and learning strategies for motivating students to learn chemistry. Learning chemistry in context enables students to develop richer crosscutting learning experiences relevant to contributing to solving problems. A qualitative case study method was adopted to examine student teachers’ experiences in digital inquiry-based learning. Questionnaires with closed-ended and open-ended questions were used to evaluate student teachers’ motivational orientations and learning strategies during a general chemistry course for one month. The results show that student teachers utilized varied perspectives such as self-efficacy, task value, and intrinsic goals to elaborate their learning for knowledge construction and application when performing collaborative tasks. The approach enables students to receive maximum support and feedback from instructors who use pedagogical styles to self-direct them during class discussions, which enhances their active participation in learning with the learning materials. The findings provide a practical insight into instructional strategies in delivering chemistry concepts when students are motivated to use and adopt varied learning strategies.

A computer-based evaluation system: Its design, implementation and results obtained on a general chemistry course

Using multiple evaluation methods and systems give a comprehensive assessment. A computer-based multiple-choice assessment system was designed, implemented, posted online, and used to assess students as part of their final evaluation marks for a discipline. The online system of evaluation was intended to be used multiple times for evaluating the assimilation degree of a specific course at the end of the course. The data recorded for the period 2017–2023 with about 1400 distinct users were used to analyze the performance of the evaluation system. The system worked fine and a slight modification of it served well on remote evaluation during COVID-19 period. However, the upturn of mobile phone applications requires the creation of a system adapted to the new virtual reality.

Research and Practice on the Construction of General Chemistry Curriculum in Applied Universities under the Background of "New Agricultural Sciences"

This paper, guided by the OBE (Outcomes-Based Education) philosophy of "New Agricultural Sciences," oriented by talent cultivation goals, and based on the construction of general chemistry courses in applied universities, elaborates on the construction ideas of general chemistry courses in applied universities. It discusses the diversified construction of general chemistry courses from aspects such as teaching syllabus, teaching model, and assessment methods. Data on students' overall achievement and course goal achievement under different teaching models are analyzed. The results show that the construction of general chemistry courses under the background of "New Agricultural Sciences" has achieved good practical effects.

Misconceptions of Intermolecular Forces in General Chemistry Courses

The misconception is the most topic in chemistry learning that is important to analyze. There are many advantages for lecturers and students to know about misconceptions. This research aims to describe misconceptions in general chemistry courses, especially intermolecular forces (IMFs) topic. The two-tier multiple-choice tests have played an important role in helping researchers determine students’ level of understanding and in identifying specific misconceptions. The project used a convenience sample of 88 students (76 female and 12 male) chemistry education program that studied IMFs as participants. Misconception knew from the test’s second tier, which is the student’s reason for the answer. Surprisingly, 29 misconceptions were acquired from the test about IMFs concepts. This needs to be a special concern for lecturers of basic chemistry courses in order to evaluate the learning process that has been carried out. Students misconceptions in basic chemistry courses will have an impact on organic chemistry courses because the concept of intermolecular forces will be studied in depth in organic chemistry courses. The success of students in organic chemistry courses is highly dependent on the initial knowledge of students, especially in basic chemistry courses

The Impact of Emotions on Students’ Learning in a General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry Course

The Impact of Emotions on Students’ Learning in a General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry Course

Bridging the Worlds of Art and Science

Integrating theoretical concepts into practical applications is crucial, especially in specialized fields like art conservation science. Bridging this gap between chemistry pedagogy and practical application is essential in developing students' skills in applicable contexts. This article aims to introduce a novel pedagogical methodology for enhancing learning in chemistry. This strategic assignment focuses on conserving cultural heritage artifacts, emphasizing the practical application of chemistry concepts. The article seeks to explore the potential benefits of this approach and provide insights into how to implement such assignments in general chemistry courses. The assignment requires students to select and analyze artwork of cultural significance while applying central chemistry concepts from the course curriculum to the conservation process. The students will then prepare written reports following a pre-established template. The student reports will serve as a valuable educational resource for future students. This approach creates a conducive environment for immersive learning by showcasing the practical application of course concepts within art conservation science. From the assignment, students demonstrated a nuanced understanding of chemistry's integral role in preserving cultural heritage, acknowledging the interplay between environmental conditions, material properties, and their impact on artifact longevity. They appreciated the necessity of chemical analysis in determining artifact composition, guiding the development of tailored conservation methodologies. Notably, students recognized the value of these preservation efforts in maintaining historical authenticity, serving as educational tools, and bolstering cultural pride.

Oral Examinations of Structure and Function in General and Organic Chemistry Courses

Oral Examinations of Structure and Function in General and Organic Chemistry Courses

Assessment of the effectiveness of an introductory general chemistry course in dentistry students enrolled in a biochemistry course.

As a strategy to carry out a better achievement in the Biochemistry course, undergraduate dentistry education manage a traditional course on the basic concepts of general chemistry necessary in the understanding of Biochemistry. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of learning outcome, we aimed to develop an evaluation tool that was applied to first-year dental students before and after receiving the general chemistry classes. Randomized trial consisted of 50 items distributed in 10 categories. The evaluation was applied to the students who took the Oral Biology course in the periods comprising 2020, 2021, and 2022 to a population of 109 students. Our results showed that after receiving the course the improvement rate was 20.71% with significant differences in each category. In conclusion, the introductory course allows students coming from different school systems to attend Biochemistry with similar knowledge of general chemistry.

Improving Student Motivation and Perception of Chemistry’s Relevance by Learning about Semiconductors in a General Chemistry Course for Engineering Students

Improving Student Motivation and Perception of Chemistry’s Relevance by Learning about Semiconductors in a General Chemistry Course for Engineering Students

Profile of The First Year Student’s Argumentation Skills on General Chemistry Courses at a Public University in West Sumatera: A Preliminary Study

Scientific argumentation is one of the key components of habits of mind, while habits of mind are one dimension of scientific literacy that should be developed in Indonesia. However, the student’s scientific argumentation ability in learning, which has been weak lately, has become a common problem that needs to be solved immediately. The solution can be related to how to evaluate the learning process, construct the problems found in learning, and design learning that can motivate students to argue. This is a descriptive study. It aimed to find out the profile of the early scientific argumentation skills of first-year students who took general chemistry courses at one of the public colleges in West Sumatra. Research instruments consist of four open and semi-closed essay questions. Those were given to 125 chemical education students involved in this study. Data was analyzed by evaluating the students’ written argumentation, which became the research samples by following the Toulmin Argumentation Pattern (TAP), consisting of claim, data, warrant, backing, and rebuttal. The study results show that most students (97.25%) have level 0–3 argumentations skills. While only 2.25% of students have level 4 argumentation skills and 0.5% are at level 5. This means that the early argumentation skills of chemistry students are still low, and only a few students are able to emerge with a rebuttal in the scientific arguments they build. These findings are further used as the basis for designing learning strategies that can improve students’ argumentation skills during the learning process, especially in general chemistry courses, so that their habits of mind and scientific literacy will also increase.

Factors Influencing the Students without Fundamental of Chemistry to Study General Chemistry Course

Students’ intake of September 2022 shows some enrolled in Diploma in Science program at UiTM Sabah Branch have no background in the core courses. The Malaysian Ministry of Education has announced the implementation of the Standard Secondary School Curriculum (Upper Secondary) and the introduction of subject packages, effective from 2020. Consequently, students opting for the STEM package are tend to favor the third criterion, which is less challenging as it excludes the study of any pure science subjects. Hence, a scientific workshop program was conducted to enhance student performance specifically in general chemistry course, particularly those without a prior background in chemistry. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to identify the factors influencing the students’ intention to study General Chemistry course through the scientific workshop. The workshop took place as a preparatory session before test. Surveys were administered to the students via a Google Form at the end of the workshop. A total number of 49 respondents out of 61 have completed the survey. Their feedback shows that their intention to study the General Chemistry course were influenced by their confidence levels and understanding. While not all respondents (65%) expressed agreement regarding the overall effectiveness of the workshop on their academic performance, every respondent agreed that the workshop should be conducted again as preparation for the next test.

Widening university participation in learning using students’ contextualised storytelling in general chemistry

Many students find introductory general chemistry courses difficult because they feel alienated by traditional approaches to teaching and learning. This can become particularly problematic in laboratory sessions where students simply follow processes and procedures that students can view as being mundane and lacking creativity. Contextualised storytelling offers a novel pedagogical approach to help students connect and make sense of chemistry ideas in the context of their own life experiences. The current study implemented the CLEAR (chemistry learning via experiential academic reflection) approach to contextualised storytelling as a sequence of four assignments across a laboratory course for first-year students. The research explored students’ experiences writing contextualised stories to make sense of and learn chemistry. Using hermeneutics as a methodology, the data collected included participants’ written contextualised stories, semi-structured interview recordings, and field notes. While the CLEAR approach differs from other approaches to storytelling in chemistry education, the current study suggests that CLEAR can make positive contributions to student learning. The findings showed that, although many students initially resisted or felt confused by the new approach, CLEAR helped students see the connection and relevance of chemistry concepts to their lives. Students also recognized the importance of self-directed learning while writing their CLEAR stories, which suggests that CLEAR engaged students in learning that was active and organic. Furthermore, writing CLEAR stories supported students in talking to people about scientific concepts they learned in class, which suggests that writing the CLEAR stories: (a) helped students find the relevancy of the ideas to the degree that they felt they could share the ideas in their own words outside of class and (b) increased students’ interest in the course and what they were learning to the degree that they wanted to share it. Implementing CLEAR as multiple assignments across the course appears important and valuable because students refined their thinking and writing skills through iteration within and across CLEAR stories.

Exploration and Practice of the “Four-Level, Three-Linkage” General Chemistry Course System

Exploration and Practice of the “Four-Level, Three-Linkage” General Chemistry Course System

Using Soapnut Extract as a Natural Surfactant in Green Chemistry Education: A Laboratory Experiment Aligning with UN SDG 12 for General Chemistry Courses

Green chemistry education has gained significant momentum, with its emphasis on sustainable practices and the 12 principles of green chemistry. These principles aim to reduce waste, use safer solvents, and...

Factors affecting individuals’ cognitive engagement during group work in general chemistry: timing, group size, and question type

Understanding how individual students cognitively engage while participating in small group activities in a General Chemistry class can provide insight into what factors may be influencing their level of engagement. The Interactive–Constructive–Active–Passive (ICAP) framework was used to identify individual students’ level of engagement on items in multiple activities during a General Chemistry course. The effects of timing, group size, and question type on engagement were investigated. Results indicate students’ engagement varied more in the first half of the term, and students demonstrated higher levels of engagement when working in smaller groups or subsets of larger groups when these groups contained students with similar levels of knowledge. Finally, the relation between question type (algorithmic versus explanation) and engagement depended on the activity topic. In an activity on Solutions and Dilutions, there was a significant relation where algorithmic items had higher occurrences of Interactive engagement. The implications of this work regarding teaching and research are discussed.

Impact of fill-in-the-nodes concept maps on low prior-knowledge students learning chemistry: a study on the learning achievements and attitude toward concept maps

Numerous studies have proven the learning benefits of concept maps in science subjects, particularly for students with low prior knowledge. There is a scarcity of research dedicated to the examination of chemistry courses at the university level, and the findings pertaining to academic performance in that subject exhibit a lack of consistency. This study examined the impact of concept maps on students of a General Chemistry course who had low prior knowledge. The study applied a quasi-experimental design to collect data on two topics: uncertainties of measurements (Topic 1) and acid–base (Topic 2). Fill-in-the-nodes concept maps were developed and served as learning materials. ANCOVA and Johnson–Neyman techniques were used to analyze the scores of concept tests of Topic 1 and Topic 2, respectively. In both Topics 1 and 2, the results showed that the treatment group outperformed the control group. However, the aforementioned finding was limited to the subset of students whose pre-test scores were below 30.7 out of a total of 47. From the analysis of the attitude questionnaire, the authors concluded that the students appreciated the usefulness of concept maps. However, they might hesitate to engage in using this new learning tool. The study's findings strengthen the evidence of the learning benefits of concept mapping. Moreover, using concept maps in teaching is feasible because of their low cost and minimally invasive modification to instructional design. The practices for implication of concept mapping are also discussed.

Exploring factors within an introductory course that influence students’ perception of chemistry

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.

Development and implementation of chemistry mindset modules in two general chemistry courses at a hispanic-serving institution: an exploratory study

Retention and underrepresentation of diverse ethnic groups have been and continue to be problematic in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines in the United States. One foundational course that is required for all STEM majors is general chemistry. One way to increase retention and diversity in STEM majors is by targeting students’ social-psychological beliefs about their academic success through the implementation of social-psychological interventions. These short impactful exercises aim to change students’ thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about their academic success and affective characteristics. In this exploratory study, we designed and implemented two chemistry specific growth-mindset modules (GMMs) in two first-year chemistry courses (general chemistry 1 (GC1) and general chemistry 2 (GC2)) at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Students worked on the GMMs asynchronously at two specific time points throughout the semester. Using a mixed-methods approach, we assessed students’: (i) changes in mindset beliefs, chemistry self-efficacy (CSE), and chemistry performance, (ii) perceptions towards failures and challenges, and (iii) perceptions on growth-mindset modules (GMM) after participation in GMMs. Overall, GC2 students shifted towards a growth mindset and away from a fixed mindset, with small to medium effect sizes detected. No statistically significant changes in GC1 students’ mindsets were detected throughout the study period. For both courses, students increased in CSE by the end of semester. Furthermore, GC1 students who participated in any portion of the GMM intervention achieved higher scores on the ACS exam compared to those who didn’t participate. Additionally, students’ written responses highlighted an improved attitudinal change towards failures and challenges after participating in GMMs. For both courses, over 95% of the students agreed that the GMMs were valuable, over 95% students indicated they developed more positive attitudes and perspectives towards challenges, and over 96% students believed they could learn challenging topics with effort, determination, and persistence. While these results show differences in performance, CSE, mindset scores, and attitudinal change after participation in GMMs, it is also important to acknowledge that self-selection into the study may be one of the factors for explaining such differences. Results and implications for practice are discussed.

HClO4 BONDING CHARACTERISTICS AGAINST FORMAL CHARGE PREDICTION AND HYPERVALENCE CONCEPT. SHOULD THESE CONCEPTS BE TAUGHT?

Chemical bonding is a central topic in general chemistry courses. Lewis (1916) published a fundamental paper where he proposed a model based on localized electron pairs and as a consequence, gave rise to the octet rule. However, the discovery of xenon fluorides and compounds such as SF6 gave rise to the concept of “hypervalence” involving d orbitals in hybridization schemes. Currently, it has been demonstrated that d orbitals have a negligible participation in the bonds of such molecules and, in some cases octet rule is not violated. This article proposes a discussion about the concepts we use in introductory chemistry lectures. Some models are useful and valuable from a pedagogical point of view, nevertheless, others are unnecessary and far from reality causing misconceptions and lack of interest, since it is hard to rationalize inconsistencies found. HClO4 molecule was selected to demonstrate that hypervalence concept, molecular structure selection based on formal charge rules and participation of d orbitals on bonds are not appropriate approximations. Bond orders and atomic charges determined through Natural Bond Orbital calculations indicate bonds between Cl and O atoms are mainly simple with a high ionic character.

Implementing an interactive online platform in a large undergraduate general chemistry course and its impact on student learning and perceptions

The rise of technology and online approaches has challenged the traditional learning and teaching model for first year chemistry of formal face-to-face lectures and in-person laboratory sessions. The COVID-19 pandemic since 2020 has created a rapidly changing environment in assessment and learning experiences for students and led to rapid adoption of online technology within chemistry courses. This study, during 2019–2021, examined the implementation of an active learning platform in a large undergraduate chemistry course. This study was informed by constructivist theories of learning and of relevance was the 5E framework, with learning phases of engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate. A combination of post-survey data and coursework data were analysed. Post-survey results indicated that students positively perceived that the interactive online platform helped them to learn. User statistics data for learning and self-assessment activities affirmed that students gave priority to the self-paced interactive online approach, in preference to conventional social learning activities. Modernization of delivery of the curriculum to replace unstructured independent private study with structured learning and revision activities was of greatest benefit to student learning for lower performing students that were typically mature age students, with significant differences observed for online quiz and final exam results for this cohort of students. Overall, student learning was supported with the introduction of digital technologies in the course. The findings revealed that the self-paced learning activities for chemistry, delivered with an interactive online platform, combined with conventional learning activities can be effective in creating a culture of learning in students and maintaining academic outcomes.