Concentration Core: Discipline-based Educational Research
Chemistry Education Reading List
Learning: What does it mean to learn? Is learning chemistry different than learning
anything else?
Misconceptions: What do students know about chemistry?
Bodner, G.M. "I Have Found You an Argument. The Conceptual knowledge of Beginning
Chemistry Graduate Students." J. Chem. Educ., 1991, 68, pp. 385-388.
Driver, R. (1985). "Beyond Appearances: the Conservation of Matter under Physical and
Chemical Transformations." Children's Ideas in Science, Open University Press.
Nakhleh, M.B. “Why Some Students Don’t Learn Chemistry.” J. Chem. Educ., 69 (3), 1992, pp.
191-196.
Learning Theories: How do students learn chemistry?
*Bodner, G.M. "Constructivism: A Theory of Knowledge." J. Chem. Educ., 1986, 63, pp. 873877.
*Appleton, K. “Using Theory to Guide Practice: Teaching Science From a Constructivist
Perspective.” School Science & Mathematics, 1993, 93, pp.269-274.
*Bunce, D.M. “Does Piaget Still Have Anything to Say to Chemists?” Online Symposium:
Piaget, constructivism, and beyond. J. Chem. Educ., 2001, 78, 1107. Full text at
http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu.
Johnstone, A.H. “The Development of Chemistry Teaching.” J. Chem. Educ., 1993, 70, pp 701705.
Herron, J.D. "Piaget for Chemists." J. Chem. Educ., 1975, 52, pp. 146-150.
Nurrenbern, S.C. "Piaget's Theory of Intellectual Development Revisited." J. Chem. Educ.,
2001, 78, pp. 1107-1110.
Learning Theories: How do students learn chemistry? (continued)
Rickey, D.; Stacy, A.M. "The Role of Metacognition in Learning Chemistry." J. Chem. Educ.,
2000, 77, pp. 915-920.
Towns, M.H. “Kolb for Chemists: David A. Kolb and Experiential Learning Theory.” Online
Symposium: Piaget, constructivism, and beyond. J. Chem. Educ., 2001, 78, 1107. Full
text at http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu.
Wink, D.J. “Reconstructing Student Meaning: A Theory of Perspective Transformation.”
Online Symposium: Piaget, constructivism, and beyond. J. Chem. Educ., 2001, 78,
1107. Full text at http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu.
Why do students leave science?
*Tobias, S. (1990). They’re Not Dumb, They’re Different: Stalking the Second Tier. Research
Corporation: Tucson, AZ.
Teaching: What can we do to increase the probability that learning occurs?
*Overview:
Herron, J.D.; Nurrenbern, S.C. “Chemical education research: Improving chemistry
learning.” J. Chem. Edu., 76, 1999, pp. 1353-1361.
Gabel, D. “Improving teaching and learning through chemical education: A look to the
future.” J. Chem. Edu. 76 (4), 1999
Conceptual & Algorithmic: How do students solve problems in chemistry?
*Robinson, W.R.; Lyle, K.S. “Teaching science problem solving: An overview of experimental
work.” J. Chem. Educ., 78, 2001, pp. 1162-1163.
*Nurrenbern, S.C.; Pickering, M. “Concept Learning versus Problem Solving: Is There a
Difference?” J. Chem. Educ., 64, 1987, pp. 508-510.
Johnstone, A.H., “You can’t there from here.” J. Chem. Educ., 87 (1), 2010, pp 22-29.
Understanding vs. Memorization: What is the role of lecture?
*Leonard, W. H. “How do college students best learn science: An assessment of popular
teaching styles and their effectiveness.” J. of College Sci. Teach., May 2000.
*Lord, T.R. “Are we cultivating “coach potatoes” in our college science lectures?” J. of College
Sci. Teach., September/October, 1999.
Active Learning: How can lecture be active?
*Caprio, M.W.; Micikas, L.B. “Getting from here to there: Making the transition from
traditional teaching practices to those that are student centered.” J. of College Sci.
Teach., December 1997/January 1998.
Michael, J. “Where’s the evidence that active learning works?” Adv. Physiol. Educ. 30: 159167.
Klionsky, D.J. “Constructing knowledge in the lecture hall.” J. of College Sci. Teach.,
December 2001/ January 2002.
French, D.P.; Russell, C.P. “The lecture facilitator: Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” J. of College
Sci. Teach., October, 2001.
Oliver-Hoyo, M.T.; Allen, D. “Attitudinal Effects of a Student-Centered Active Learning
Environment.” J. Chem. Educ., 2005, 82, pp, 944.
Active Learning: What is the role of the laboratory?
*Domin, D.S. “A review of laboratory instruction styles.” J. Chem. Educ., 1999, 76, pp 543547.
*Jalil, P.A. “A Procedural Problem in Laboratory Teaching: Experiment and Explain, or ViceVersa?” J. Chem. Educ., 2006, 83, pp.159-163.
Coppola, B.P.; Lawton, R.G. “Who Has the Same Substance that I Have? A Blueprint for
Collaborative Learning Activities.” J. Chem. Educ., 1995, 72, pp. 1120-1122.
Burke, K.A.; Greenbowe, T.J.; Hand, B.M. “Implementing the Science Writing Heuristic in the
Chemistry Laboratory.” J.Chem. Educ., 2006, 83, pp. 1032-1038.
Assessment: How can we measure what students understand?
Bowen, C.W.; Phelps, A.J. "Demonstration-Based Cooperative Testing in General
Chemistry: A Broader Assessment-of-Learning Technique." J. Chem. Educ., 1997, 74,
pp. 715-719.
Bowen, C.W. & Bunce, D. “Testing for Conceptual Understanding.” The Chem. Educator, 2
(2), 1997.
Phelps, A.J.; LaPorte, M.M.; Mahood, A. "Portfolio Assessment in High School Chemistry:
One Teacher's Guidelines." J. Chem. Educ., 1997, 74, pp. 528-531.
Tobias, S.; Raphael, J. B. “In-Class Examinations in College-Level Science: New Theory, New
Practice.” J. Sci. Ed. Tech., 5 (4), 1996, pp. 311-320.
Lin, H.; Lee, S.T.;Treagust, D. “Chemistry Teachers’ Estimations of Their Students’ Learning
Achievement.” J. Chem. Educ., 2005, 82, pp 1565Bauer, C.F. “Beyond “Student Attitudes”: Chemistry Self Concept Inventory for Assessment
of the Affective Component of Student Learning.”, J. Chem. Educ. 2005, 82, pp1864
Chemistry Education Research: What is the scholarship of teaching & learning?
Bunce, D.M.; Robinson, W.R. “Research in Chemical Education—the Third Branch of Our
Profession.” J.Chem.Educ., 1997, 74, pp. 1076-1079.
Bowen, C.W. “Think-Aloud Methods in Chemistry Education." J. Chem. Educ., 71, 1994, pp.
184-190.
Bunce, D.; Gabel, D.; Herron, J.D.; Jones, L. “Chemical Education Research” J. Chem. Educ., 71,
1994, pp. 850-852.
Eybe, H.; Schmidt, H-J. “Quality Criteria and Exemplary Papers in Chemistry Education
Research" Intl. J. Sci. Ed., 23, 2001, pp. 209-225.
Metz, P.A. “Introduction to the Symposium.” J. Chem. Educ., 71, 1994, pp. 180-181.
Nurrenbern, S.C.; Robinson, W.R. “Quantitative Research in Chemical Education.” J. Chem.
Educ., 71, 1994, pp. 181-183.
Phelps, A.J. “Qualitative Methods in Chemical Education Research: Challenging
Comfortable Paradigms.” J. Chem. Educ., 71, 1994, pp. 191-194.
Pribyl, J.R “Using Surveys and Questionnaires.” J. Chem. Educ., 71, 1994, pp. 195-196.
Adams, J.P.; Slater, T.F. “Using action research to bring the large class down to size.” J. of
College Sci. Teach., November, 1998.
Bodner, G.M. “Twenty Years of Learning: How to do Research in Chemical Education.”
J.Chem. Educ., 2004, 81, pp 618.
Lewis, S.E.; Lewis, J.E. “The Same or Not the Same: Equivalence as an Issue in Educational
Research.” J. Chem. Educ., 82, pp 1408.