This study describes students’ experiences in project-based learning (PjBL) incorporated as part of a revised undergraduate analytical chemistry laboratory course. We examined which phases were the easiest as well as the most challenging and what student skills developed during the research project. The research data were collected between 2016 and 2018 via two questionnaires. They were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. One questionnaire focused on the whole course (in 2016–2018, n = 127) of which only the answers on the research project questions were analyzed. The other questionnaire focused on only the research project (in 2018, n = 42). Based on the results of our study, students felt that the research project was useful for their future laboratory experiments. Several sets working life skills as well as self-assessment skills were also developed during the project. These included skills related to laboratory work, group working, planning the research, problem solving and data collection. The students named the easiest phases to be the concrete laboratory experiments, making the seminar presentation, drawing up the research plan and reporting the results. As the most challenging phases, they named the design phase of the project, challenges related to experimental works and data collection. For example, students experienced uncertainty when gathering information and the whole project appeared challenging during the design phase. However, when students started to work, they saw that the work progressed smoothly if they had designed it well. When students have an opportunity to create their own research project, they acquire meaningful learning experiences.
This study introduces the Kitchen Chemistry (KC) course and its influences on chemistry education as a whole. KC is considered to be a life-relevant learning environment that engages learners in science through the pursuit of personally relevant and meaningful goals. KC, as a form of interdisciplinary learning, aims to develop boundary-crossing skills and to support the development of pupils’ scientific thinking. The purpose of this research was to determine how KC as a context-based teaching approach applies to chemistry education and what it offers to chemistry teaching and teacher education. We found that KC gave lower secondary school pupils the opportunity to understand the chemical phenomena in a familiar context. Teachers of visiting groups saw that integration is the challenge: pupils often see the subjects of chemistry and home economics as separate entities. The chemistry education students highlighted real-world connections to chemistry concepts and contexts. They also found KC to be an interesting form of teaching chemistry. According to the KC course teachers, the students were motivated and excited, and provided positive feedback on the course. These findings suggest that teachers and teacher education students need to be guided in actively using integration.
During recent years, the Department of Chemistry at the University of Jyväskylä has made an extensive effort to support chemistry students’ first study year. The first-year curriculum includes enhanced study counselling course, intensive orientation course and support for academic study skills via a specific course. In this study, the effects of the revisions were studied by exploring the chemistry students study continuation and what factors contributed to it. In 2015 to 2017, data were collected from first-year chemistry students (n = 106), who completed a questionnaire at the beginning and at the end of their first semester. The results show that the percentage of dropout rates after the first year decreased. Students’ current challenges are different than they have been previously, thus putting new demands on their guidance. The results of the study indicate that students value guidance and study counselling especially at the beginning of their studies.
This study was carried out to determine adolescents’ perception of scientific inquiry (SI) in nature and the effect of a science camp on those perceptions. Eleven science campers (14 to 16 years old) participated in this research during a science camp. Pre- and post-test included open questions and drawing tasks. The campers’ drawings were analyzed to assess their out-of-school perceptions related to SI. The aim was to clarify what phases and factors the campers associated with SI in nature, and how their perceptions differ after participating at a science camp. The findings suggest that the phases of SI were well known before the camp, but minor developments in campers’ perceptions of the phases of SI did occur. In the drawing analysis, symbols from a range of areas were identified. The symbols most frequently referred to the natural environment. The drawings in the post-test were generally more detailed than those in the pre-test. In particular, symbols of technology and laboratory equipment appeared more frequently after the science camp.
A chemistry concept inventory (Chemical Concept Inventory 3.0/CCI 3.0), previously developed for use in Norwegian universities, was tested and evaluated for use in a Finnish university setting. The test, designed to evaluate student knowledge and learning of chemistry concepts, was administered as both pre- and posttest in first year general chemistry courses at the University of Jyväskylä. The results were evaluated using different statistical tests, focusing both on individual item analysis and the entire test. Some individual questions were found to be not discriminating or reliable enough or too difficult, yet the results, as a whole, indicate that the concept inventory is a reliable and discriminating tool that can be used in the Finnish university context.
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