Bridging the Science Practices Gap: Analyzing Laboratory Materials for Their Opportunities for Engagement in Science...

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry Education
• Science Pedagogy

Background:

• Laboratory courses are crucial for developing scientific skills.
• Inquiry-based learning enhances student engagement and skill development in science.
• Analytical chemistry laboratories offer unique opportunities for scientific practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the level of inquiry in analytical chemistry laboratory experiments.
• To assess the opportunities for engaging students in scientific practices within these labs.
• To evaluate changes in inquiry and scientific practice engagement before and after implementing inquiry-based labs.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of laboratory experiments from participants in the MICRO project.
• Characterization of experiments based on their level of inquiry.
• Assessment of prompted opportunities for student engagement in scientific practices.
• Comparison of lab materials used before and during the implementation of inquiry-based experiments.

Main Results:

• An increase in the level of inquiry in laboratory materials was observed.
• There was no corresponding increase in prompted opportunities for students to engage in all scientific practices.
• Certain scientific practices were more frequently prompted in specific sections, like pre- and post-laboratory questions.

Conclusions:

• Increasing the inquiry level of laboratory materials does not automatically enhance engagement in all scientific practices.
• Strategic design of laboratory components, such as pre- and post-lab questions, is essential for prompting specific scientific practices.
• Further research is needed to optimize inquiry-based laboratory design for comprehensive scientific practice development.