What Faculty Interviews Reveal about Meaningful Learning in the Undergraduate Chemistry Laboratory

Forty chemistry faculty from American Chemical Society-approved departments were interviewed to determine their goals for undergraduate chemistry laboratory. Faculty were stratified by type of institution, departmental success with regard to National Science Foundation funding for laboratory reform,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of chemical education 2013-03, Vol.90 (3), p.281-288
Main Authors: Bretz, Stacey Lowery, Fay, Michael, Bruck, Laura B, Towns, Marcy H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Affective Behavior
Chemical Education Research
Chemistry
College Faculty
College Science
College students
Cooperation
Curricula
Domains
Educational Objectives
Interviews
Laboratories
Learning
Organic chemistry
Psychomotor Skills
Science Curriculum
Science education
Science Instruction
Science Laboratories
Science Process Skills
Teaching Methods
Undergraduate Study
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Summary:Forty chemistry faculty from American Chemical Society-approved departments were interviewed to determine their goals for undergraduate chemistry laboratory. Faculty were stratified by type of institution, departmental success with regard to National Science Foundation funding for laboratory reform, and level of laboratory course. Interview transcripts that were coded and analyzed using the lens of meaningful learning reveal the importance of cognitive and psychomotor goals relative to affective learning, particularly in organic chemistry and upper-division chemistry laboratory courses. This research reveals that the undergraduate chemistry laboratory offers multiple opportunities for faculty to articulate learning goals across the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. Furthermore, these goals are accessible across the undergraduate chemistry curriculum from general chemistry through organic chemistry and into a wide array of upper-division laboratories. In this study, faculty showed a decreasing emphasis on affective goals in organic chemistry and upper-division courses. Whether affective goals should be a part of the organic and upper-division chemistry curriculum remains a question for faculty to discuss.
ISSN:0021-9584
1938-1328
DOI:10.1021/ed300384r