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Engaged Student Learning and Inclusive Teaching Practices in Higher Education Chemistry

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A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102). This special issue belongs to the section "Curriculum and Instruction".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2025) | Viewed by 11727

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jack F. Eichler

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Guest Editor

Chemistry Department, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
Interests: undergraduate education; active learning; flipped classroom environments; conceptual learning; growth mindset practices

Dr. Oluwatobi Odeleye

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Guest Editor

Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, VA, USA
Interests: undergraduate students; chemistry education research; attitudes towards STEM; learner-centered; inclusive learning environments

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to submit an article to a Special Issue of Education Sciences that will be devoted to chemistry education. As you all know, the retention of students in STEM degree pathways continues to be a problem in higher education, particularly for students from minority groups. Addressing this problem is of utmost importance in recruiting and retaining high-quality individuals for the 21st century STEM workforce, and perhaps, more importantly, helping all students who have a passion for STEM to achieve their career goals. It is in this context that this Special Issue of Education Sciences will have the theme “Engaged Student Learning and Inclusive Teaching in Higher Education Chemistry.”

We hope this will attract articles from both chemistry education researchers and classroom practitioners who engage in the scholarship of teaching and learning, but ultimately the goal is to publish reports that will help chemistry instructors from all backgrounds make their classes more inclusive. This, in turn, will hopefully help instructors to improve equity gaps and improve interest and retention in STEM pathways for all students.

We thank you in advance for considering this request to submit an article to this Special Issue.

Most sincerely

Prof. Dr. Jack F. Eichler
Dr. Oluwatobi Odeleye
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

active learning
inclusive teaching
contextualized learning
growth mindset
undergraduate
chemistry

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 128 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Summary of the Special Issue from the Guest Editors

by Jack F. Eichler and Oluwatobi Odeleye

Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(4), 509; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15040509 - 18 Apr 2025

Viewed by 142

Abstract

We are excited to bring you this Special Issue of Education Sciences titled “Engaged Student Learning and Inclusive Teaching in Higher Education Chemistry” [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Engaged Student Learning and Inclusive Teaching Practices in Higher Education Chemistry)

Research

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29 pages, 755 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Factors Influencing Students’ Academic Success in Introductory Chemistry: A Systematic Literature Review

by Jessica Chestnut and Carla C. Johnson

Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(4), 413; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15040413 - 25 Mar 2025

Viewed by 652

Abstract

Undergraduate introductory chemistry is a gatekeeping course preventing students from persisting in STEM degree programs. It is important to understand students’ experiences of introductory chemistry and better support students as this course traditionally has high attrition and failure rates. This systematic literature review examines the factors of academic success for undergraduates in introductory chemistry courses and aims to understand how these factors differ for varying student groups. A meta-analysis of 35 articles uncovered three emergent themes for promoting students’ academic success: course design, instructional tools and resources, and student learning and characteristics. Most notably, active learning environments, metacognitive assessments, and student affective variables such as identity and motivation emerged as significant predictors of students’ academic success. Additionally, this review demonstrates how differences in student demographics, achievement levels, affective variables, and participation in chemistry affect the extent to which students succeed in this course. Student demographics were most frequently reported to cause disparities in course performance, with students from historically underrepresented populations exhibiting the most disadvantages in overall course performance. These findings signify the importance of creating effective learning environments in introductory chemistry for students from diverse backgrounds to achieve equitable outcomes and sustain STEM interest. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Engaged Student Learning and Inclusive Teaching Practices in Higher Education Chemistry)

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13 pages, 223 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Students’ & Faculty Members’ Attitudes Towards Learning and Teaching Reaction Mechanisms in Organic Chemistry

by Oluwatobi Odeleye and Nghiem Tieu

Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(3), 357; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15030357 - 13 Mar 2025

Viewed by 445

Abstract

Organic Chemistry has typically been identified as a difficult course for many undergraduate students and has a notoriously high failure rate. The part of the subject dealing with reaction mechanisms is considered the most challenging area, and several papers have been published on how to facilitate students’ understanding of mechanisms. During Fall 2022 and Spring 2023, we surveyed 127 students, and interviewed 3 students and 5 faculty members about their opinions towards teaching and learning Organic Chemistry, especially reaction mechanisms. The students’ attitudes were surveyed through the Attitude towards the Subject of Chemistry Inventory (ASCIv2), and its relationship with grades was also investigated. The results show that most students have negative attitudes towards Organic Chemistry; however, those with more positive attitudes performed better in the course. Students mostly viewed Organic Chemistry as a course required for their major/degree or professional exams without knowing the actual applications of the subject in their respective fields. Professors were able to relate organic chemistry to other fields besides chemistry (Health Science) but found it difficult to give examples of where else reaction mechanisms would be used outside of Organic Chemistry. A suggestion for a change of Organic Chemistry course is discussed in the conclusion of this study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Engaged Student Learning and Inclusive Teaching Practices in Higher Education Chemistry)

16 pages, 1249 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Nature and Role of Students’ Peer-to-Peer Questions During an In-Class Collaborative Activity

by Tarah M. Dahl, Krystal Grieger, Soren Miller and James Nyachwaya

Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(2), 229; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15020229 - 13 Feb 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1190

Abstract

During group activities, instructors expect that students will ask each other questions. Therefore, in this study, we looked at the nature and role of peer-to-peer questions during an in-class activity. During the activity, students worked collaboratively to respond to five prompts about an acid–base neutralization reaction. We examined the questioning behavior in groups and the nature and types of questions asked. We then looked specifically at the content questions, analyzing how they varied by prompt, as well as the level of those content questions using Bloom’s taxonomy. Finally, we looked at the role that the peer-to-peer questions played as the students completed the activity. The results revealed that the students broadly asked each other social questions, process questions, and content questions, with content questions being the most frequently posed. The prompts that required students to make a prediction, sketch a graph, and explain their reasoning elicited most of the content questions asked. Furthermore, most of the peer-to-peer content questions asked across the five prompts ranked at the two lowest levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. Finally, the posed peer-to-peer questions were found to play many roles in the discussion, including initiating and sustaining conversations, seeking consensus, challenging each other, and promoting social metacognition. The implications for instruction and research are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Engaged Student Learning and Inclusive Teaching Practices in Higher Education Chemistry)

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15 pages, 749 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Putting Inclusion into Practice: Five Commitments Toward Equity in Teaching

by Brittland DeKorver

Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(1), 84; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15010084 - 14 Jan 2025

Viewed by 925

Abstract

Instructors make day-to-day decisions grounded in their own experiences, and this practice may be appropriate for the students who share similar experiences and backgrounds. But for students who come from a different socioeconomic status, nationality, racial or ethnic identity, gender or sexual identity, or ability status, the instructor’s experiences may be insufficient to provide guidance for how to create an inclusive space for all learners. This manuscript describes interviews collected with students with disabilities regarding their experiences having their disability accommodations implemented in their courses. From these interviews and personal reflections on teaching, the author piloted and refined several teaching practices to improve the accessibility and inclusion in her own classroom. The author summarizes the principles underlying these pedagogical decisions as five commitments toward equity in teaching. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Engaged Student Learning and Inclusive Teaching Practices in Higher Education Chemistry)

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23 pages, 1154 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Who Learns from Reading Texts in General Chemistry?

by René W. Buell and Samuel Pazicni

Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(12), 1287; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14121287 - 25 Nov 2024

Viewed by 897

Abstract

Understanding how student characteristics affect learning in General Chemistry can influence the pedagogical strategies employed by instructors. Previous studies have investigated the effects of characteristics including prior knowledge, math ability, and motivations on course performance. Student characteristics can also influence study strategies employed by students. Few studies, however, have focused on the role of language and reading comprehension skill in learning in chemistry. This work explores the effects of prior knowledge and reading comprehension skill on learning from reading texts about two chemistry concepts. Linear regression analyses were utilized to establish relationships between predictors and test scores after reading to determine whether reading comprehension skill influenced learning gains after reading texts. A meta-analysis of four large-scale studies showed that prior knowledge and reading comprehension correlated with post-test scores and that an effect called expertise reversal may help low prior knowledge students close the post-test score gap if they read texts with certain readability characteristics. However, our findings also suggest that texts with similar readability characteristics can hinder the learning of those with higher prior knowledge. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Engaged Student Learning and Inclusive Teaching Practices in Higher Education Chemistry)

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14 pages, 594 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Implementing Mastery Grading in Large Enrollment General Chemistry: Improving Outcomes and Reducing Equity Gaps

by Joshua D. Hartman and Jack F. Eichler

Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(11), 1224; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14111224 - 7 Nov 2024

Viewed by 1311

Abstract

Specifications and mastery grading schemes have been growing in popularity in higher education over the past several years, and reports of specifications grading and other alternative grading systems are emerging in the chemistry education literature. The general goal of these alternative grading approaches is to reduce the reliance on high-stakes exams and give students a more transparent pathway to achieving the course learning outcomes. More importantly, relying less on infrequent high-stakes exams may help reduce historical equity gaps in introductory gateway STEM courses. Herein, we describe the implementation of two versions of mastery grading systems in large enrollment general chemistry courses at a public R1 institution. Class-wide course outcomes, equity gaps in performance on a common final exam, and student feedback on their experience navigating these grading schemes are presented. We show that combining mastery grading with interactive courseware tools improved the average performance on a common final assessment for under-represented minority (URM) students by 7.1 percentage points relative to an active control course that used infrequent high-stakes exams. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Engaged Student Learning and Inclusive Teaching Practices in Higher Education Chemistry)

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15 pages, 2337 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Lifting the Gate: Evaluation of Supplemental Instruction Program in Chemistry

by Duyen Pham and Li Ye

Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(11), 1196; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14111196 - 31 Oct 2024

Viewed by 953

Abstract

College-level introductory chemistry has a high impact for predicting students’ early success and long-term academic outcomes. Students from traditionally underserved communities are disproportionately held back in this course. To improve student success, the Supplemental Instruction (SI) program at a public four-year Hispanic-serving institution was revamped from a voluntary option to a co-requisite for the introductory chemistry course. The study evaluates the effectiveness of the new format of SI program and explores associated factors contributing to the impacts of the program. Students with or without SI were compared through multiple quantitative metrics, including course GPA, final exam score, DFW rate, and pass rate. Data analysis showed that students who completed SI with credit obtained 0.9 higher average course GPA than their counterparts and performed significantly better on all the other metrics. More importantly, the equity gaps between underserved and better-served students were narrowed down. Furthermore, students who took introductory chemistry with SI still obtained 0.3 higher average course GPA in their subsequent General Chemistry I course than those without it. The findings suggested that incorporating the SI into introductory chemistry as co-requisite is necessary and effective to improve students’ success and narrow down the equity gaps in gateway chemistry courses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Engaged Student Learning and Inclusive Teaching Practices in Higher Education Chemistry)

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Review

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28 pages, 1451 KiB

Open AccessReview

Delving into the Design and Implementation of Specifications Grading Systems in Higher Education

by William J. Howitz, Kate J. McKnelly and Renée D. Link

Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(1), 83; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15010083 - 14 Jan 2025

Viewed by 1443

Abstract

Specifications grading is an alternative grading system that has been used with increasing frequency in higher education. Since first introduced by Linda Nilson in 2014, more than 90 publications on the design and implementation of specifications grading systems have been published. This work presents a systematic review of the current literature to analyze the variety of ways specifications grading systems are executed, including the diverse design and implementation considerations, as well as to present and discuss emergent themes. We analyzed 90 publications and present their relevant findings in the results. The following databases were last searched on 5 October 2024 for publications: IEEE Xplore, ACS Publications, ASEE PEER, PER, Scopus, ERIC, ACM, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science. All peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, and book chapters that implemented at least two structural features of specifications grading in an undergraduate or graduate course were included in this review. Theses, dissertations, conference abstracts, posters, workshops, blogs, opinion pieces, social media exchanges, and content provided on websites were not included. Additionally, reports of specifications grading systems in K-12 courses or those that only presented the design and/or implementation of less than two structural features of the grading system were similarly excluded. Our findings from the literature reveal that the following themes emerge from educators who use specifications grading: instructor commentary on time investment, academic performance, and student reactions to specifications grading. This review provides a resource for those interested in exploring this alternative grading system, and the emergent themes indicate that there are ripe opportunities for future study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Engaged Student Learning and Inclusive Teaching Practices in Higher Education Chemistry)

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12 pages, 6129 KiB

Open AccessReview

Using Simulations and Screencasts in Online Preclass Activities to Support Student Building of Mental Models

by Deborah G. Herrington and Ryan D. Sweeder

Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(2), 115; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14020115 - 23 Jan 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1793

Abstract

As online learning and flipped classes become more important in chemistry instruction, the development of learning materials that can be used to support students’ independent learning of conceptual chemistry content is critical. This paper summarizes the key findings from an eight-year investigation of effective practices for using simulations in preclass introductions to core chemistry concepts with a focus on supporting students’ development of particulate-level models. Student learning gains for six core chemistry concepts were compared for students’ independent use of a simulation using scaffolded instructions versus students’ viewing a screencast of instructors modeling the use of the simulation to answer a series of questions. Though both approaches resulted in student learning gains and provided a solid foundation for subsequent instruction, the screencast approach provided additional benefits. These included avoiding potential simulation limitations and the ability to add instructional content to support student learning. Additionally, studying many iterations of assignments for several different topics yielded an assignment design framework that provides guidelines for instructors looking to create or use simulation-based preclass activities in the classroom to support student learning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Engaged Student Learning and Inclusive Teaching Practices in Higher Education Chemistry)

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Other

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15 pages, 875 KiB

Open AccessEssay

Re-Envisioning Classroom Culture in an Introductory General Chemistry Course: Description of a Course Redesign Project

by Song Wang and Thomas J. Bussey

Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(3), 307; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15030307 - 2 Mar 2025

Viewed by 829

Abstract

In the U.S., the retention of students in STEM degree pathways has been an issue that many higher education institutions have and continue to face. Many of us in the chemistry education community have been reflecting on our own roles and responsibilities to create a more inclusive learning environment for all students in chemistry. Culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) and culturally responsive teaching (CRT) are two influential frameworks that informed efforts in promoting inclusivity in chemistry classrooms. However, the current literature focuses primarily on isolated interventions, highlighting a need for theoretical development that articulates the synergy between the two frameworks and synthesizes them in the context of chemistry education. In this essay, we present a framework for re-envisioning chemistry classroom culture consisting of four tenets: culturally relevant chemistry knowledge, cultural validation, collectivist cultural orientations, and humanized chemistry learning environments. We identified five course redesign entry points: amplifying student voice, emphasizing group work, contextualizing content knowledge, scaffolding technical language, and revising assessment structures. We hope to present both a framework and a set of course redesign entry points for chemistry educators interested in re-envisioning their classroom culture. We will also discuss the evaluation plan of this project and future work to sustain student cultural assets in chemistry classrooms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Engaged Student Learning and Inclusive Teaching Practices in Higher Education Chemistry)

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