Kitchen chemistry course for chemistry education students: influences on chemistry teaching and teacher education – a multiple case study

Abstract

This study introduces the Kitchen Chemistry (KC) course and its influences on chemistry education as a whole. KC is considered to be a life-relevant learning environment that engages learners in science through the pursuit of personally relevant and meaningful goals. KC, as a form of interdisciplinary learning, aims to develop boundary-crossing skills and to support the development of pupils’ scientific thinking. The purpose of this research was to determine how KC as a context-based teaching approach applies to chemistry education and what it offers to chemistry teaching and teacher education. We found that KC gave lower secondary school pupils the opportunity to understand the chemical phenomena in a familiar context. Teachers of visiting groups saw that integration is the challenge: pupils often see the subjects of chemistry and home economics as separate entities. The chemistry education students highlighted real-world connections to chemistry concepts and contexts. They also found KC to be an interesting form of teaching chemistry. According to the KC course teachers, the students were motivated and excited, and provided positive feedback on the course. These findings suggest that teachers and teacher education students need to be guided in actively using integration.

Students’ Attitude toward STEM Project-Based Learning in the Fun Cooking Activity to Learn about the Colloid System

“…The active participation of students and the use of familiar materials can increase understanding, as well as opportunities for entrepreneurial potential (Nja & Neji, 2013). As with the results of this research, previous research has also shown that through cooking activities, students were motivated and enthusiastic, and provided positive feedback (Nuora & Välisaari, 2019). Students consider the implementation of STEM PBL in groups as a positive thing.…”

“…Other findings suggest that educators should help students synthesize multiple disciplines because interdisciplinary thinking does not emerge on its own. Cooking activities create a challenging integrative context for teaching chemistry, and offer new possibilities for teaching chemistry in a new learning environment, which goes beyond the chemistry laboratory (Nuora & Välisaari, 2019). One of the topics of chemistry that are closely related to cooking and food activities is the colloid system.…”

Upper Secondary School and University Level Students’ Perceptions of Extractions in Context: Experiences from a Simple Laboratory Experiment

“…This is also in line with the regular usage of kitchen as a context for chemistry studying (e.g. Nuora & Välisaari 2019). When reflecting this against views of "use of context" in chemical education as described by Gilbert (2006), it is evident that themes of environmental chemistry are often not as tightly connected with the lives of students as e.g.…”

Hands-On Laboratory Experience Using Adhesives for Remote Learning of Polymer Chemistry

“…Adhesives are readily available and packaged for safe and convenient use at home; however, many do not understand the complex organic chemistry behind these materials. Many students have used adhesives in everyday life, and research has shown that conducting chemistry experiments in a way that students can connect to real life improves their motivation and development of chemistry skills. , …”

“…We have chosen several readily available adhesives for students to study: epoxies, caulk, wood glue, white glue, and cyanoacrylates. These commonplace adhesives will aid students’ grasp on chemistry because of tangible and memorable results that students can connect with personal experience. , We present background information, and an experimental procedure for each material, along with pre- and postlab questions with sample answers for instructional aid. This educational tool kit provides the details necessary to teach organic and polymer chemistry concepts including the basics of arrow pushing mechanisms, polymer mechanics, and viscoelasticity to remote learning students.…”