Talk 8, Session 3: Inquiry-Based Teaching and Learning in STEM

Development and Implementation of a Guided-Inquiry Laboratory Structure for an Introductory Chemistry Course

"Laboratory courses are often critiqued for being fragmented from week-to-week, having little application to everyday life, and failing to reflect authentic science practices. This presentation will detail the development a guided-inquiry laboratory structure for an Introductory Chemistry course involving a zoo narrative. The guided inquiry structure was compared with a conventional 'cookbook' laboratory structure for two semesters based on conceptual and motivational measures (n = 662).  Findings illustrate similar student conceptual gains for both structures, but the two conditions varied by motivational factors influencing students. This presentation considers the implications of these findings for undergraduate laboratory science courses."

Dermot Donnelly-Hermosillo and Eric Person, CSU Fresno