The heart of teaching and learning chemistry is the ability of the teacher to provide experiences that share a conceptually abstract mathematically-rich subject with novice learners. This includes not only chemistry concepts, but also knowledge about how to learn chemistry. Students' expectations for learning chemistry in the university classroom impact their success in doing so.
Physics education research has explored the idea of student expectations with regard to learning physics, resulting in the development of MPEX (the Maryland Physics Expectation survey). We are adapting MPEX to develop a chemistry survey regarding student expectations for learning chemistry: CHEMX. In particular, CHEMX explores the role of laboratory in learning chemistry as shaped by Johnstone's work with the macroscopic, particulate, and symbolic representations of matter.
Data collection from university chemistry faculty, undergraduates and graduate students in chemistry programs approved by the ACS Committee on Professional Training allows examination of differences in expectations across the disciplines of chemistry. Data collection from high school chemistry teachers examines the environment in which entering undergraduates develop their expectations. Collaborations with the POGIL Project (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning, NSF Award 0231120) and the MORE Project (Model-Observe-Reflect-Explain, NSF Award 0208029) focus upon explicit efforts to shift student expectations and explore correlations with student achievement.
