The Affordances of Fiction for Teaching Chemistry

Abstract

As science fiction has a way of capturing the human imagination that few other genres can rival, this study sought to investigate the effects of using science fiction on the performance and interest of high school chemistry students. An action research approach was used to guide the first author’s practice as she studied two college preparatory chemistry classrooms. One class was used as a control group and received traditional chemistry instruction through lecture and labs. The second class was provided with supplemental excerpts of science fictional reading and film. Student scores on a pre-assessment and post-assessment achievement test items were analyzed and supplemented with student interviews and field note observations, and a teacher reflective journal was used to complement achievement data and inform findings regarding the effectiveness of including fiction as a pedagogical choice. Implications for this study on teaching tools, methodologies, and curriculum development are discussed.

An Experiential Learning Chemistry Course for Nonmajors Taught through the Lens of Science Fiction

“…An internet search of nonmajors courses taught through the lens of science fiction reveals that this is not a course commonly found in the chemistry departments of higher education institutions. Even within literature that expounds on the scientific principles behind famous science fiction stories, there is a dearth of the chemistry at the heart of these stories, as many focus instead on the physics at the heart of the stories. − Due to the plethora of science fiction movies and television programs available to the casual consumer, I was eager to present chemical phenomena through the lens of science fiction.…”