Resumen de The Postsecondary Inorganic Chemistry Instructional Laboratory Curriculum: Results from a National Survey
Jeffrey R. Raker, Justin M. Pratt, Megan C. Connor, Sheila R. Smith, Joanne L. Stewart, Barbara A. Reisner, Anne K. Bentley, Shirley Lin, Chip Nataro
A national survey of chemists (n = 174) explored the self-reported format and focus of postsecondary inorganic chemistry instructional laboratory curricula. Multiple instructional laboratory course formats were observed, including stand-alone inorganic chemistry instructional laboratory courses, inorganic chemistry laboratory instruction as a component of a multidisciplinary instructional laboratory course, and the absence of an inorganic chemistry instructional laboratory experience. Additionally, the types of synthetic, characterization, and purification methods, as well as the professional skills addressed in the surveyed courses, varied greatly. The results of this work have direct implications as a “current state of the curriculum” description for inorganic chemistry educators designing and revising instructional laboratory courses. Additionally, these results speak to (1) the need for professional organizations to reinforce the importance of postsecondary inorganic chemistry in the chemistry major curriculum, (2) the demand for quality curricular materials that are easily adaptable to multiple instructional laboratory contexts, and (3) the call for further research on how the inorganic chemistry (and broader chemistry) instructional curriculum is enacted.
