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Organic Chemistry, Science Instruction, Flipped Classroom, Blended Learning, Introductory Courses, Group Activities, Nonmajors, College Science, Student Attitudes, Foreign Countries, Instructional Effectiveness, Student Experience, Homework, and Canada

The use of flipped classrooms has been gaining popularity across various disciplines as student-centered active learning pedagogy. In this study, an introductory organic chemistry course was delivered through flipped classroom methodologies, incorporating blended learning to deliver content and group work in the classroom. The learning experiences of non-chemistry majors students enrolled in the course are discussed. The majority of the students adjusted to the pedagogy and felt autonomy in their learning. These students also believed that most of the flipped classroom design components were a good use of their time in learning organic chemistry.

Instructional Effectiveness, Teaching Methods, Cooperative Learning, Preservice Teachers, Academic Achievement, Organic Chemistry, Problem Solving, Foreign Countries, and Ghana

The focus of this study was to find out the effectiveness of the jigsaw model on improving pre-service teachers' performance in selected functional group organic compounds. The study employed the quasi-experimental non-randomized pre-test/post-test intact class design. The sample was 144 pre-service teachers comprising 72 in the experimental class and 72 in the control class. The jigsaw model was implemented in the experimental class while the conventional teaching method was implemented in the control class. The "Organic Chemistry Concept Achievement Test" was used as the research instrument to collect the data. The instrument was pilot tested, and the reliability index was found to be 0.724. The findings of the study revealed that the jigsaw model was effective in yielding significantly better performance in the selected functional group organic compounds among the pre-service teachers in the experimental group than their counterparts in the control group who were taught through the conventional method. It was found that the jigsaw model laid a good foundation for the pre-service teachers to develop problem-solving skills and creative minds leading to their improved performance in the selected functional group organic compounds.

Foreign Countries, Science Instruction, Organic Chemistry, High School Students, Secondary School Science, Persuasive Discourse, Scientific Concepts, Concept Formation, Critical Thinking, Teaching Methods, and Turkey

Some students could not learn organic chemistry because of the difficulty of its submicroscopic nature. In this study, it was aimed to determine the effect of argumentation-based organic chemistry teaching on high school students' argument construction skills so on their meaningful concept learning. The study was conducted on 14 high school students at a vocational high school in Turkey on organic chemistry topics through 28 hours period based on the case study. The teaching guide's worksheets and students' observation notes were used as data collection tools. Through the application process, the students criticized each of the seven submicroscopic nature of organic chemistry concepts' paintings in big group discussions, then constructed their own arguments. Then the students evaluated the whole process. Content analysis was employed for the data analysis. Argumentation making students criticize the submicroscopic nature of organic chemistry resulted in a qualified student-constructed argument by making them understand the submicroscopic nature so become critical thinkers. Students' process evaluation also underlined that the process made students joyful, motivated, creative, criticizer, and meaningful learners with a differently constructed learning environment. For further studies, different argumentation-based organic chemistry teaching environments could be offered.

Plants (Botany), Gardening, Situated Learning, Secondary School Students, Student Motivation, Adolescents, Rural Schools, Public Schools, Problem Solving, Agriculture, Organic Chemistry, Wastes, Recycling, Soil Science, Medicine, Hazardous Materials, Local Issues, Foreign Countries, and Colombia

The main aim of this paper was to analyze how medicinal gardens in secondary schools can improve teaching-learning processes in rural settings. The sample comprised 179 students (69.3% girls) from a rural public secondary school in the province of Huila (Colombia). The age of the participants ranged from 15 to 17 years with a mean of 15.86 years (SD = 0.86). Seeking school motivation strategies for rural students from a rural institution in the municipality of Guadalupe, teachers of the natural sciences designed didactic-pedagogical alternatives employing situated learning that would allow them to contribute to solving school problems and environmental issues affecting rural areas. The environmental phenomena included the loss of fertile soils and the harmful effects of the use of agrochemicals. Medicinal gardens together with situated learning activities proved a useful teaching tool in formal rural educational settings.

Undergraduate Students, Late Adolescents, Preservice Teachers, Preservice Teacher Education, Secondary School Science, Organic Chemistry, Competence, Self Efficacy, Self Evaluation (Individuals), Science Process Skills, Thinking Skills, Problem Solving, Skill Development, Inquiry, Laboratory Experiments, Video Technology, Foreign Countries, and Germany

Developing scientific reasoning (SR) is a central goal of science-teacher education worldwide. On a fine-grained level, SR competency can be subdivided into at least six skills: "formulating research questions," "generating hypotheses," "planning experiments," "observing and measuring," "preparing data for analysis," and "drawing conclusions." In a study focusing on preservice chemistry teachers, an organic chemistry lab course was redesigned using problem-solving experiments and SR video lessons to foster SR skills. To evaluate the intervention, a self-assessment questionnaire was developed, and a performance-based instrument involving an experimental problem-solving task was adapted to the target group of undergraduates. The treatment was evaluated in a pre-post design with control group (cook-book experiments, no SR video lessons) and alternative treatment group (problem-solving experiments, unrelated video lessons). Interrater reliability was excellent ([rho] from 0.915 to 1.000; ICC (A1)). Data analysis shows that the adapted instrument is suitable for university students. First insights from the pilot study indicate that the cook-book lab (control group) only fosters students' skill in "observing and measuring," while both treatment groups show an increase in "generating hypotheses" and "planning experiments." No pretest-posttest differences were found in self-assessed SR skills in the treatment groups. Instruments and data are presented and discussed.

Student Motivation, Sense of Community, Large Group Instruction, Introductory Courses, Organic Chemistry, Chemistry, Distance Education, College Students, Gender Differences, Racial Differences, Science Achievement, and First Generation College Students

The rapid shift from face-to-face to remote instruction in 2020 has resulted in recalibration of lecture and laboratory pedagogy. This research analyzed the impact of remote learning on student motivation and sense of belonging in large enrollment chemistry courses. Student responses were parsed according to specific demographics including gender, academic standing, first-generation status, and ethnicity. Research objectives included the analysis of how remote learning impacted specific demographics to develop guidelines for best practices moving forward for hybrid or online courses. Our findings show that second year students (sophomores) were the most impacted of the academic standing cohorts. Sophomores reported a statistically greater change in motivation after the start of the semester and statistically lower satisfaction with their performance on assignments. Females reported statistically lower motivation and a statistically lower sense of belonging in the course and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Black/African students reported a statistically lower motivation for remote learning than Asian/Pacific Islander and White/Caucasian students. Finally, both White/Caucasian and Black/African students reported a statistically lower sense of belonging in the course and in STEM fields than Asian/Pacific islander students. Finally, statistical differences were not observed based upon first-generation status. The research indicates that students were differentially impacted by the shift to remote learning. From these findings, a stronger understanding of how specific demographics are differentially impacted by remote learning in STEM courses is provided, granting greater insight into best practices moving forward.

Educational Games, Teaching Methods, Student Attitudes, Organic Chemistry, College Science, College Students, Foreign Countries, Manipulative Materials, Science Instruction, Game Based Learning, Scientific Concepts, Concept Formation, and Turkey

Educational games can be used as an effective means of transferring knowledge in a fun way to complement education and training. The aim of the study was to develop a game and get students' opinions on the game that can be played in Organic Chemistry courses in order to teach the names of commonly used organic compounds with cyclic and aromatic structure. The game, which is called OrgChemGame can be played with at least 3 individuals, one of whom is the referee. The game set includes 48 pcs of 3 cm diameter styrofoam balls with structural formulas of organic compounds identified. OrgChemGame was played by 20 students taking the organic chemistry lecture and studying in the 2nd grade of the Science Education program at a state university in Turkey. The opinions of the students about the game were taken with the opinion form prepared by the researchers. As a result of the research, it was determined that the sizes and colors of the balls and cubes used in the game were appropriate, and the texts used were readable. As a result, OrgChemGame has been designed as an educational game having a purpose and rules. It aims to acquire target behaviors and appropriate to the level of the students, allowing the students to learn with fun, and having sufficient duration and comprehensibility.