Course code:
664P2		 Course name:
Research in Chemistry Education

Academic year:

2024/2025.

Attendance requirements:

601P2 + 602P2

ECTS:

7

Study level:

integrated basic and graduate academic studies

Study program:

Chemical Education: 5. year, summer semester, compulsory course

Teachers:

Dragica D. Trivić, Ph.D.
full professor, Faculty of Chemistry, Studentski trg 12-16, Beograd

Vesna D. Milanović Maštrapović, Ph.D.
assistant professor, Faculty of Chemistry, Studentski trg 12-16, Beograd

Assistants:

—

Hours of instruction:

Weekly: six hours of lectures + two hours of exercises (6+2+0)

Goals:

1. Equip pre-service chemistry teachers with the skills to identify inclusive, culturally responsive, and sustainable research questions and formulate hypotheses within the field of chemistry education, addressing diverse learners’ needs and promoting equitable teaching practices. 2. Foster mastery of action research methodology to enable pre-service chemistry teachers to systematically investigate and address educational challenges. 3. Cultivate a mindset of reflective practice based on the national and international research results, encouraging pre-service chemistry teachers to critically evaluate and refine their teaching approaches based on their own research findings, taking into account different cultural contexts and global perspectives.

Outcome:

Pre-service chemistry teachers will be able to: 1. identify inclusive, culturally responsive, and sustainable research questions or formulate hypotheses related to chemistry teaching and learning; 2. design research projects that address educational challenges in chemistry, incorporating both local and global perspectives; 3. apply appropriate research methodologies, including action research; 4. develop and prepare valid and reliable research instruments, such as tests, questionnaires, interview protocols, and observation tools; 5. collect data systematically, perform statistical analyses, and interpret results to derive meaningful conclusions and implications for inclusive and sustainable teaching practices; 6. reflect critically on their own teaching practice, using research findings to inform and improve their approaches; 7. write detailed research reports that effectively communicate findings and recommendations.

Teaching methods:

Lectures, theoretical exercises

Extracurricular activities:

Homework: 1. literature review (national and international reports and scientific papers); 2. writing a project proposal and developing research instruments; 3. analyzing the results; 4. preparing a report on the conducted research.

Coursebooks:

Main coursebooks:

1. M. G. Lodico, D. T. Spaulding and K. H. Voegtle: Methods in Educational Research: From Theory to Practice (second editon), Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 2010.

2. J. K. Gilbert, O. de Jong, R. Justi, D. F. Treagust, J. H. van Driel (editors): Chemical Education: Towards Research-based Practice, Kluwer academic publishers, London, 2002. 

 

Supplementary coursebooks:

Diane M. Bunce, Renée S. Cole (editors): Nuts and Bolts of Chemical Education Research, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 2007.

Additional material:

—

  Course activities and grading method

Lectures:

5 points (6 hours a week)

Syllabus:

1. The impact of research in the domain of chemistry education on teaching practice.

2. Types of research in chemistry education.

3. Research questions and hypotheses.

4. Research project.

5. Quantitative research.

6. Instruments in quantitative research.

7. Qualitative research.

8. Observation and interview protocols.

9. Presentations of students' projects.

10. Overview of research in chemistry education.

11. Statistical analysis of results.

12. Organization and analysis of qualitative data.

13. Support for preparing reports on conducted research.

14. Action research.

15. Students' reports on conducted research.

Exercises:

10 points (2 hours a week)

Syllabus:

1. Selection of the research topic in chemistry education.

2. Formulating research questions and hypotheses.

3. Research project.

4. Preparation of tests.

5. Preparation of questionnaires.

6. Preparation of observation and interview protocols.

7. Improving the project proposal.

8. Implementation of research in schools.

9. Implementation of research in schools.

10. Statistical analysis of results.

11. Organization and analysis of qualitative data.

12. Preparation of the research report. 

Homework:

10 points

Written exam:

25 points

Oral exam:

25 points

Projects:

25 points