Volume 7, Issue 4 - ECRICE 2024 Special Issue

Experimental activities have historically been an integral part of chemistry education. However, researchers have highlighted the limited empirical evidence supporting their effectiveness. This study provides a systematic review of tools available for experimental activities’ assessment. A review of 68 studies indexed in the Web of Science database revealed several available tools which, however, may not comprehensively address all educational aspects satisfactorily. Most assessment tools target higher education, with limited focus on primary and secondary levels. Strong emphasis is placed on cognitive outcomes, while affective, psychomotor or other domains remain underrepresented or poorly integrated. The review also highlighted emerging trends, such as virtual labs and interdisciplinary approaches, emphasizing the need for specialized assessment tools to evaluate these innovations effectively. These findings resulted in the development of a comprehensive table that offers educators and researchers valuable insights into available assessment tools. This resource enables the selection of appropriate tools based on criteria such as activity type, chemistry subdiscipline, assessed domain, and tool type, with the option to apply filters for more targeted searches. The review also highlights a greater emphasis on comprehensive, validated tools is essential for enhancing experiment-based learning in chemistry education.

The ability to solve problems is considered a key competence in today’s society. However, solving domain-specific problems, such as those in chemistry, places high demands on students. Effective problem solving requires metacognitive strategies and their corresponding ‘cold’ executive functions, namely working memory and cognitive flexibility, which many students struggle with. To support students, we developed a web-based tool, ChemApro , designed to scaffold problem-solving processes by providing content-independent metacognitive prompts. The tool was used over several weeks in seven schools with N  = 153 participating students ( M age  = 15.63, SD  = 0.79) in grades 10 and 11. Among other things, the study focuses on ChemApro ’s effect on students’ general problem-solving skills, and on how students perceive the tool in terms of its attractiveness and usability. In line with the study results, the use of ChemApro was descriptively associated with greater improvements in the treatment group’s problem-solving skills compared to the corresponding baseline, particularly among those students with a lower cognitive level. However, the mixed ANOVA did not reveal significant interaction effects between group and time, although trends in the low cognitive level group approached significance. Additionally, students rated the tool’s attractiveness and usability as moderate.

This study examines the relationship between self-regulated learning (SRL) and learning transparency in digital learning environments. Using a digital learning environment on the topic of chemical equilibrium as an example, the study examines how to promote the planning, execution, and self-reflection of learning processes in line with Zimmerman’s SRL model by making the learning objectives explicit to secondary school students. The aim is to support learners in SRL within digital learning environments, on the one hand, and with complex chemistry topics, on the other hand, as both pose significant demands on (meta-)cognitive abilities. An initial practicality check with first-year primary school teacher trainees showed that structured learning objectives can help learners organize themselves and assess their own learning. At the same time, potential for optimization was identified concerning the design of the learning environment and its functionality. The results highlight the potential of learning objectives as a central tool for fostering metacognitive, cognitive, and motivational strategies in digital chemistry education. In the next step, the study will be conducted with a larger sample of students to comprehensively evaluate the effects of the learning objectives.

Behavioral science research highlights that knowledge alone does not ensure behavior change, since decision-making is influenced by cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions. To address the knowledge-behavior gap and foster knowledge-based decision-making and agency in high-school chemistry students during the COVID-19 pandemic, we developed a nano-chemistry learning unit contextualized in public health. It was designed using neuropedagogical instructional principles to support conceptual and personal meaning-making processes by considering the cognitive, affective, and social aspects of learning. After its implementation in high-school chemistry classrooms (10th-12th grades), the unit was evaluated through structured interviews conducted with six students 8–12 months after its completion. Students found the learning experience engaging, interactive, and much different from traditional lessons. They highlighted chemistry’s relevance to real-world challenges, particularly COVID-19. Retention was evident; students accurately recalled nano-chemistry concepts, visual representations, and mechanistic explanations related to mask functionality months after the intervention. Students’ perceptions shifted from viewing mask-wearing as mere compliance to recognizing its role in preventing infection. Some students proactively shared their knowledge. Findings from this evaluation suggest that neuropedagogy-based strategies that integrate active learning and contextualization might be a suitable approach to foster agency and participation. Further research should explore the role in supporting meaningful educational outcomes.

This study presents results from the IUPAC Teacher Survey on Practical Activities in Hungary. In this article, we focus on issues related to the frequency of use of green and sustainable chemistry experiments, what promotes their use and what barriers inhibit it. The sample had a size of 169, representing ∼5 % of Hungarian chemistry teachers. The majority of participants had a bachelor’s or master’s degree and were experienced. Most of them reported using hands-on activities in their work once a month or a few times a year, which was less frequent than the global average, and they also used green and sustainable chemistry experiments less frequently than the global average. The most frequently reported barriers were lack of time and lack of laboratory equipment and chemicals, similarly to the European results. Other barriers mentioned were fear of accidents and overcrowded classrooms. Critical thinking and problem-solving skills were reported as the main reasons for choosing GSC activities, while their connection with local environmental issues was considered less important by the respondents. These results will help us to improve our teacher training and modify its priorities to encourage high school chemistry teachers to use more experiments in their practice.

Since the late twentieth century, global sustainability and greener chemistry have become essential human goals. Education is crucial in driving this change by enhancing scientific knowledge and literacy. Since the early 2000s, the Portuguese chemistry curriculum for middle and high school has included mandatory laboratory activities to increase student enrollment in science courses, but also scientific skills, learning outcomes, procedural knowledge, and understanding in chemistry while fostering communication, attitudes, and reasoning abilities essential for scientific literacy. An IUPAC survey, aimed to enhance understanding of practical work in chemistry, focusing on the application of green and sustainable chemistry principles, was applied among Portuguese chemistry teachers. Data were collected through online dissemination nationwide. Results indicate that most participants incorporate laboratory activities into their teaching, following the chemistry textbook and curriculum guidelines, and conduct green chemistry activities. Teachers believe that curricula for middle and high school, as well as teacher training in higher education, should include more practical work and focus on sustainability and green chemistry.

Green Chemistry (GC) offers new contexts for teaching established chemical concepts in chemistry education as well as fostering informed practice for navigating environmental challenges. However, there is a research gap regarding the integration of GC into educational contexts. Additionally, there is a lack of empirically validated teaching material and education programs for teachers. Our group addresses these challenges by developing, piloting and disseminating a teaching and learning sequence (TLS) on wood biorefineries using synergies from science education researchers, teachers and experts in the field of wood biorefinery. We introduce a TLS that was designed and piloted in two secondary classes ( N  =   25). Students’ conceptions were evaluated using an association-mapping approach and situational interest was assessed using Likert-scale items. Throughout the measurement points, students’ associations with GC shifted from vague keywords to references aligned with the Principles of GC. Situational interest remained consistently high throughout the units. Our findings indicate a growth of conceptual knowledge about GC after the TLS. The constantly high situational interest highlights the need for research into motivational factors when teaching and learning about GC. Our contribution underscores the importance of collaborative efforts to develop and implement GC educational material, fostering scientific literacy and environmental responsibility among students.

Learning chemistry involves comprehension of chemical phenomena through practical activities. Chemistry teachers generally take various factors, including conditions and context, into consideration when integrating practical activities. In recent years, with the aim of having a more sustainable world, there has been a notable shift towards the adoption of green and sustainable chemistry (GSC) in practical activities. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the experiences and views of chemistry teachers in Türkiye, regarding the practical activities, in general, and the ones focusing on GSC. In this mixed-method study, 206 chemistry teachers working at various types of high schools completed the International Teacher Survey on GSC Practical Activities. Subsequently, focus group interviews were conducted with teachers employed at the same school type. The survey responses were analyzed descriptively, and the focus group interviews were subjected to content analysis for further comparison. The findings indicated that chemistry teachers at science and private high schools implement practical activities more frequently than teachers at other schools. The challenges teachers face when conducting practical activities were categorized as infrastructural, systemic, teacher-based , and student-based . Finally, most teachers lacked knowledge and skills regarding GSC, and adopted environment-centered, economy-centered and belief-centered perception views in choosing GSC activities.

This study examined chemistry teachers’ attitudes toward incorporating environmental education into high-school instruction and its potential to strengthen scientific literacy and sustainability awareness. It aimed to characterize teachers’ attitudes toward addressing environmental issues, identify environmental education topics perceived as suitable for the chemistry curriculum, and explore how seniority and graduate education relate to willingness to teach this content. Semi-structured interviews with 33 Israeli Arabic-sector high-school chemistry teachers were conducted. Despite broad acknowledgment of the importance and relevance of environmental education, integration into chemistry was found to be curtailed by the rigid curriculum, instruction time, and the pressure of standardized assessment. The teachers reported greater readiness to address topics with explicit chemical grounding such as air and water pollution, atmospheric chemistry, and global warming, but more hesitancy toward interdisciplinary themes such as biodiversity and consumption patterns. Willingness was higher among teachers with greater seniority, master’s degrees, and men. These findings help delineate the prerequisite conditions for embedding environmental education within subject-specific chemistry curricula and can inform the design of supportive policies and teacher learning. Recommendations include curricular adjustments, targeted professional development, and pedagogical guidance.

Laboratory courses in chemistry education inherently involve cognitive and sensorimotor tasks that demand substantial cognitive resources. Using a Directed Acyclical Graph (DAG) approach coupled with Bayesian multi-level modeling, we investigated the impact of an AI-driven voice assistant system on high school students‘ ( N  =   55) prior knowledge (PK) and intrinsic cognitive load (ICL)’ during an acid-base titration experiment in a real classroom setting. The voice assistant, specifically designed for lab environments, aims to reduce cognitive overload via hands-free, step-by-step instructional support, thus potentially reducing the effect of switching back and forth between lab work and instruction on cognitive load, leveraging students’ prior knowledge. While synthetic data simulations based on theoretical assumptions confirmed a negative relationship between PK and ICL, empirical data revealed more variability and an unexpected positive association. Notably, participants experienced in lab settings consistently reported lower cognitive loads, suggesting that prior practical exposure significantly influences how technology-assisted instructions impact cognitive load. The findings underscore the necessity of considering institutional contexts, instructional complexity, and individual differences in practical experience when integrating advanced digital tools into chemistry education. Future research should expand on these insights, exploring diverse experimental contexts and larger student populations to optimize the integration of AI-driven assistance in educational laboratories.

This study is part of a project presented at ECRICE 2024 to investigate problems with chemical mathematics. Research in chemistry education has repeatedly shown that students at school and university have problems applying their mathematical skills correctly in chemistry. As one possible trigger, we can identify the cognitive load that arises during chemical mathematical tasks. Elementary arithmetic tasks are of particular interest here, as these are rarely examined in the problems with chemical mathematics, although they build the basis of all advanced mathematical topics in chemistry (stoichiometry, laboratory work, kinetics, …). This study investigates the cognitive load during elementary chemical and mathematical arithmetic tasks as one possible trigger for the problems with mathematical tasks. For this purpose, we use both eye-tracking and self-reports with N  = 31 students from our university. The central result is that although the students subjectively perceive more cognitive load during typical chemical arithmetic tasks, the cognitive load measured by eye-tracking does not indicate this. This mismatch of physiological and subjective cognitive load measurements shows that learners perhaps have more subjective stress with chemical calculations but their working memory still has capacities. Consequently, educators could work more on the conceptual understanding of chemical units.

This study investigates pre-service chemistry teachers’ ability to interpret data in graphs and tables, justify their responses, and reflect on their performance using a multi-tier diagnostic Graphs and Tables Engagement (GATE) test. A mixed-methods approach involved 55 pre-service teachers from four Czech universities at the start of their studies. The instrument comprised nine tasks across four tiers: content questions, explanation justifications, and associated confidence judgments using a 100 mm visual analogue scale. It showed strong psychometric properties, including high reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.93), satisfactory discrimination indices, and appropriate item difficulty. Students demonstrated moderate data extraction skills (mean Content Score = 0.66) but struggled more with justifications (mean Explanation Score = 0.51), resulting in a Total Score of 0.48. Confidence judgments illuminated cognitive and metacognitive processes: students generally exhibited high confidence in simpler tasks involving direct data retrieval but displayed notable miscalibration in more complex inference-based tasks. Significant differences in confidence between successful and unsuccessful respondents underscored the value of confidence data in distinguishing understanding from guessing. The multi-tier test effectively assessed students’ data interpretation skills but revealed the need for additional qualitative methods – such as eye-tracking, think-aloud protocols, and interviews – to comprehensively understand students’ strategies and guide instructional improvements.

The development of socioscientific decision making (SSD) is essential to enable learners to make well-founded decisions in social and scientific contexts. At the same time, self-regulated learning (SRL) is a key competence that supports learners in independently managing their cognitive and metacognitive processes. The study investigates how SSD and SRL can be promoted integratively in a teaching setting. The socio-scientific issue (SSI) “Vapes – a sustainable alternative to cigarettes?” was assessed as a SSI as part of an intervention setting. The setting is based on the PAAWD R model for structured evaluation and combines metacognitive guiding questions with an AI-supported adaptive feedback tool as implicit SRL interventions. While one experimental group (EG-NO) worked without AI support, a second group (EG-KM) received individualized AI feedback to improve reasoning quality and metacognitive guiding questions. A control group (CG) did not take part in the intervention. A pre-post pilot study with questionnaires to measure SSD and SRL was used for the first evaluation. The results show that both EG-NO and EG-KM showed significant increases in SSD and SRL competence. In particular, metacognitive reflection and argumentation skills benefited from AI support.

Social media is increasingly recognised as having the potential to assist with science learning. However, despite the abundance of science-related content online, many students do not actively engage with such content during their leisure time, which limits its potential as an educational tool. This paper explores factors that influence young people’s exposure to and consumption of scientific content on social media. We used the World Café method to engage students in collaborative discussion to identify these factors. Key factors influencing exposure to content include social networks, algorithmic filtering, and individual behaviours. Many students reported not following scientific accounts, which limits their exposure to scientific content. Furthermore, algorithmic filtering often leads to a decrease in scientific content in their feeds, as students intentionally avoid such material. Furthermore, students indicated that the complexity and repetitive nature of scientific content led to feelings of overwhelm, boredom and disengagement, which in turn heightened fatigue with regard to science communication. Possible implications for teachers and school settings are discussed at the end of the article.