ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½

Dr Luke Delmas and Dr Jakub Radzikowski presented research at the Chemistry Teaching in Practice conference held at the University of Oxford

Luke and Jakub discussed their recent paper "" which investigates the impact of the Chemical Kitchen project on ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½' self-efficacy in practical chemistry, focusing on how it changes over the course of their early labs.

The researchers used pre- and post-course surveys, using a 5-point scale, to track changes in self-efficacy: how strongly someone believes they can successfully complete a particular task – in this case, practical chemistry work. They found that one group experienced a significant increase in self-efficacy, with their post-course self-efficacy rising to 3.85. Conversely, the other group saw a significant decrease in self-efficacy, with their post-course self-efficacy dropping to 3.45. This "leveling of the playing field" resulted in no significant difference in self-efficacy between the two groups post-course (pairwise Wilcoxon test p-value = 0.055).

These findings suggest that lower self-efficacy ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ gained confidence in their practical skills, while higher self-efficacy ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ adjusted their self-assessment in areas like organization and independent work. The Chemical Kitchen project effectively balanced confidence levels among ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½, fostering a more equitable learning environment and enhancing their practical chemistry skills.

Other talks at the CTiP meeting centered around AI ethics, OneNote e-portfolios, and preparing ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ for industry following their degrees. A huge thank you to the organizing committee at the Chemistry Teaching Laboratories at the University of Oxford.

(Phot credit: Dr Rebecca L. Jones, Department of Chemistry, ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½)