Work

Difficulties of Undergraduate Students in the Organic Chemistry Laboratory

Year: 2012

Type: article

Abstract: Experimental work supposes a unique opportunity to learn procedural contents. However, the conditions and constraints to learn procedures have not been sufficiently discussed or investigated in a laboratory environment. Students` difficulties in organic chemistry laboratory at university are described and explained. A case study (n=15 undergraduate students) was performed. The study was carried out in an actual laboratory class, using different ways for data gathering: 1) A comparison between declarative knowledge of students about experimental work and observations of procedures in class. 2) An evaluation of the effect of laboratory work on the knowledge of students related with the assembly of the apparatus. This research suggests that students’ difficulties in performing experimental work are deeply related to a deficient interrelationship between conceptual and methodological frameworks. Key words: experimental work, learning difficulties, organic chemistry laboratory, procedural contents, university.

Source: Problems of Education in the 21st Century

DOI: 10.33225/pec/12.42.74

Authors: Maria Gabriela Lorenzo, Ana Maria Reverdito, Mercedes Blanco, Alejandra Salerno

Institution: Universidad de Buenos Aires

Language: English

Topic: Various Chemistry Research Topics

Subfield: Physical and Theoretical Chemistry

Field: Chemistry

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: Secretaría de Ciencia y Técnica, Universidad de Buenos Aires