Journal of Chemical Education最新文献

Capillary-column gas chromatography (GC) is a commontopic introducedin second-year analytical lecture courses. However, crafting an effectiveGC laboratory exercise for students at this curricular level presentsmany barriers. Most important among them is a novice understandingof chromatography concepts (e.g., analyte migration), a natural unfamiliaritywith GC method parameters that must be fixed or controlled in thelaboratory (e.g., column type and length, carrier flow rate, and columntemperature), and physical limitations imposed by the larger classsizes often encountered in second-year courses, such as the smallnumber of high-quality GC systems typically available for teachingand the limited amount of course time to use them. We describe herea week-by-week sequence of online prelab exercises (webinar followedby simulation) that provides better incremental preparation for thesestudents to tackle the challenging hands-on learning objective ofGC temperature programming. Students submit independent reports followingeach exercise to demonstrate their level of engagement. Our evaluationof these reports showed the webinar not only helps students improvetheir conceptual understanding of GC temperature programming, butit also helps them learn about key method parameters (e.g., temperatureramp rate and ramp hold) and prepares them to tackle the simulationand hands-on exercises that follow. In the simulation exercise, studentsfamiliarize themselves with GC parameters that closely match the methodconditions of the hands-on GC system they will use in lab the followingweek. They can quickly model chromatograms that yield retention timesvery similar to experimental chromatograms, usually within 10–20%.Students noted that the close correspondence between simulated andexperimental chromatograms is a useful tool for optimizing the finalexperimental temperature program. Also important to our approach,and ultimately to students learning this method in the lab, is thecareful choice of the capillary column (nonpolar and relatively shortlength) and the test mixture composition (10 components includingsolvent). Both choices help decrease physical barriers to learningnoted above by decreasing the time per injection and yet providinga challenging temperature program to optimize.

This Commentary examines publication and citation patternsamongestablished researchers in chemistry, biology, and physics educationresearch using data collected from Google Scholar profiles. Comparisonsacross career stages reveal similar patterns in the accumulation ofscholarly visibility and recognition alongside some notable differencesacross fields. Chemistry education research exhibits relatively consistentrelationships between seniority and publication and citation metrics,while biology and physics education research shows greater variabilityand higher levels of visibility among some researchers. These patternsare discussed in relation to differences in historical development,scholarly contexts, research agendas, and publication venues acrossfields. The analysis offers a perspective on the distinctive characterof chemistry education research and highlights opportunities for reflectionon its future development within a broader DBER landscape.

This laboratory experiment introduces a natural volatileproductanalysis experiment for undergraduate students majoring in chemistryand pharmacy, helping students to gain a deeper understanding of chromatographicmethods in natural-product analysis. It involves the use of gas chromatography–flameionization detector (GC-FID) and GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in thequantitative and qualitative analysis of allergenic components ina commercial formulated essential oil product (Feng You Jing). Theexperiment was divided into two parts, each lasting 4 class hours.In the first part, the GC-FID method was employed to qualitativelyanalyze five known inherent allergenic components in Feng You Jing(eucalyptol, camphor, menthol, methyl salicylate, and eugenol), basedon the retention time. The component menthol was selected for quantitativeanalysis using the internal standard method; in the second part, theGC-MS method was used to qualitatively analyze the five inherent allergeniccomponents through MS signals. Meanwhile, a potential prohibited allergeniccomponent (6-methylcoumarin) was qualitatively identified. By comparingthe performance characteristics of GC-FID and GC-MS in qualitativeand quantitative analyses, students gained a deeper understandingof the complementarity between the two techniques, providing practicalexperience for subsequent professional learning and research practice.

Microplasticsare ubiquitous particulate contaminantsof concernthat are found in all environmental media. While the global reachof this pollutant is well-documented, most monitoring involves denselypopulated urban areas or remote, pristine locations. Few studies trackmicroplastic abundance and accumulation in everyday, suburban, orresidential landscapes where most people live. The identificationand quantification of microplastic pollution in a nearby retentionpond, neighborhood creek, or popular recreational lake can be an effectivemeans of illustrating the pervasiveness of this contaminant. Thisactivity, designed for high school students, expands awareness aroundmicroplastic pollution and also offers participants an authentic hands-onscience experience. Pilot tests demonstrate accessibility for thisrigorously validated standard operating procedure. In addition todemonstrating fidelity, the activity gives students the opportunityto improve specific laboratory techniques, troubleshoot unexpectedproblems, consider bias and limits of detection, and develop futurescientific questions. Survey questions administered to students pilotingthis activity demonstrate that it encouraged participants to considerhow scientific findings about microplastic pollution could shape behaviors,attitudes, and policies in their local communities.

Developing problem-solving competency is a central goalof undergraduatechemistry education, yet many students struggle to engage productivelywith complex, multistep problems. At the same time, the rapid adoptionof large language model (LLM)–based tools by students in STEMcourses raises concerns about over-reliance and uncritical use, potentiallyundermining learning. In this work, we present the design, implementation,and evaluation of STEPS (STEM Tutor for Effective Problem Solving),an AI tutor particularly designed to guide students in creating aproblem-solving plan without divulging solutions. The tutor was deployedin an introductory chemistry course at an R1 university, and its impactwas examined using performance data, Likert-scale survey responses,and qualitative analysis of student reflections. Students demonstratedhigh performance on STEPS-assisted problems and reported strong confidencein their solutions. Survey results indicated consistently high perceptionsof helpfulness. Qualitative analysis revealed that students valuedthe tutor’s guidance in organizing their thinking and checkingreasoning without giving away solutions. These findings suggest thatcarefully designed, task-specific AI tutors can promote productiveengagement with problem solving while mitigating risks associatedwith uncritical AI use in chemistry education.

Science memes have emerged as an increasingly commonand popularteaching resource, leveraging humorous, ironic, or satirical tonesto convey scientific topics. This engaging and culturally relevantlanguage offers a compelling tool for enhancing student engagement,dynamizing lessons, and facilitating conceptual understanding in chemistry.However, a significant gap persists in the literature regarding concretepedagogical strategies for effectively integrating these resourceswith clear didactic intent. To address this gap, this paper presentsand analyzes practical didactic strategies for chemistry teachersto incorporate memes into their lessons, supported by classroom implementationand qualitative evidence. These strategies are grounded in establishededucational theories, particularly the Conceptual Change Model andDavid Ausubel’s Meaningful Learning, which provide a robustframework for their pedagogical application. Evidence from classroomimplementations conducted by preservice teachers with first-year highschool students demonstrates the feasibility of these strategies andtheir role in formative assessment. By presenting a structured approachto meme utilization, this work offers valuable insights and guidancefor chemistry educators, supporting the intentional integration ofpopular culture into teaching practices that foster meaningful learning.

This study investigates how inorganicchemistry studentsand facultydiscuss electrical conductivity differences between a metal and asemiconductor using an open-ended question with temperature-dependentconductivity data. The question was deployed across seven foundation-levelinorganic chemistry courses in different institutional contexts. Fouroverarching categories of ideas emerged from the responses: conductivity,doping, band structure, and the effects of temperature. Responseswere analyzed on the basis of these categories. The majority of studentsdiscussed conductivity and doping, with fewer discussing the bandstructure and temperature. Students enrolled in courses with a physicalchemical prerequisite referenced more ideas, including more submicroscopicideas, in their responses compared to students in a course that didnot have this prerequisite. Instructor responses included ideas fromall four categories as well as more ideas derived from submicroscopicmodels. This pattern is consistent with experts referring to moreresources than novices. Generally, these results provide further evidenceof the impact that increased exposure and practice have on learningand development of knowledge. These findings reveal that, althoughstudents use ideas from the four overarching categories, they do notfully use those concepts to explain the electronic behavior of solids,which suggests the need for instruction that helps students make connectionsbetween macroscopic data and submicroscopic explanations. The resourcesused by inorganic students and suggestions for how these ideas canbe surfaced and integrated during instruction are presented herein.

Practical experience with modern analytical instrumentsis an essentialcomponent of undergraduate chemistry education, yet access to advancedinstruments varies widely among institutions because of differencesin available resources. Although size exclusion chromatography (SEC)is extensively used in polymer characterization in both academia andindustry, undergraduate students at Montclair State University previouslyhad limited opportunities to gain hands-on experience to this technique.To address this need, a demonstration using a multidetector-equippedMalvern Panalytical OMNISEC system was developed and incorporatedinto a second-year organic chemistry laboratory course during the2025–2026 academic year. This activity engaged more than 300undergraduate students representing chemistry, biochemistry, biology,psychology, marine science, and exercise science majors and was furtherextended to 8 undergraduate researchers and 6 K–12 participantsthrough the Summer Polymer Research Program. Educational effectivenesswas evaluated using worksheets, pre- and postdemonstration assessments,and anonymous students surveys. More than 95% of participants (n = 169) correctly answered the Fall 2025 postdemonstrationworksheet questions, indicating a strong understanding of SEC conceptsand instrument operation. In Summer 2026, students (n = 18) completed conceptually equivalent pre- and postdemonstrationmultiple-choice assessments. Mean scores increased from 7.72 ±1.23 to 9.00 ± 1.03 (p < 0.001), demonstratingimproved understanding following the demonstration. These findingsshow that a guided SEC demonstration provides an effective and adaptableapproach for introducing advanced chromatographic instrumentationand polymer characterization to students from diverse scientific backgrounds.

Biochemistry occupies a unique positionat the intersection ofchemistry and biology, yet undergraduate biochemistry courses aretaught within a wide variety of institutional and disciplinary contexts.Because instructors’ disciplinary preparation may influencehow they conceptualize and teach foundational biochemical concepts,understanding where biochemistry is taught represents an importantfirst step toward examining how disciplinary background may shapeundergraduate biochemistry education. This article presents a nationallandscape of foundational biochemistry courses across the United Statesby examining four guiding questions: 1) which institutions shouldbe included in this landscape? 2) what types of courses should beincluded? 3) which departments are teaching biochemistry courses?and 4) which textbook(s) are associated with these courses?. Usingpublicly available information from 692 American Chemical Society-approvedinstitutions, we identified 1 063 foundational biochemistry courses.Although chemistry and chemistry and biochemistry departments collectivelyaccount for the majority of these courses, undergraduate biochemistryis taught across numerous departmental structures, with nearly one-thirdof institutions offering foundational biochemistry through multipledepartments. In addition, at least 28 different textbooks were identifiedamong courses for which textbook information was publicly available,suggesting considerable diversity in the curricular resources. Together,these findings demonstrate that undergraduate biochemistry existswithin multiple disciplinary contexts rather than as a single instructionalframework. This landscape provides a foundation for future researchto examine how instructors’ disciplinary backgrounds influencePedagogical Content Knowledge, curricular decisions, instructionalpractices, and student learning outcomes while informing broader conversationsabout shared learning goals for undergraduate biochemistry.

Photochemicalprocesses are important in nature and technologybut can be difficult for students to conceptualize and visualize.In this study, a visible-light-responsive photochromic system comprisingmethylene blue (MB+) and ascorbic acid (AsA) is used for classroomdemonstrations of photochemical reactions. The aqueous system operatesat room temperature and exhibits repeatable, reversible colorationunder 405 nm blue–violet light, followed by spontaneous decolorization.Four core demonstrations and one optional extension are presented:(1) basic color change, (2) two-dimensional pattern formation, (3)effects of light wavelength and shielding, (4) effects of chemicalconditions, and (5) visualization of solution flow using transientphotogenerated color.