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Chemical education covers all aspects of teaching and learning chemistry. It encompasses methods used in devoted education institutes — including classroom lectures, demonstrations and laboratory activities — and also the broader topic of educating the public, whose misunderstanding of the topic can be detrimental to the progress of the discipline.
Despite the regular occurrence of high-profile accidents leading to serious injuries or deaths among lab personnel, the state of academic lab safety research has languished. Existing studies in this area are summarized and critiqued in this Review and suggestions are made for future research directions.
Addressing sustainability challenges requires attention to the material basis of society. This Perspective illustrates how a Systems Thinking in Chemistry Education framework could help to integrate knowledge about the molecular world with the sustainability of Earth and societal systems.
Chemistry education research is a well-established field that has the potential to inform chemistry teaching at all levels. But to the uninitiated, much of the work can seem descriptive while quantitative studies often suffer from a lack of reproducibility. Here I delve into these characteristics and explain why this should not deter chemistry teachers from engaging.
Pupils with vision impairment face significant challenges in learning science. Here, the authors discuss the impact of an inaccessible curriculum and new ideas that can improve accessibility.
Critical realism distinguishes the ‘real’ world from the ‘observable’ one, which scientists explore as actors rather than as passive, neutral observers. Through this lens, it is clear that a diverse community that interrogates the world from different angles is an asset to the practice of chemistry itself.
Critical race theory — an academic framework that serves to understand systemic racism in the USA and beyond — can help inform endeavours to advance justice and equity in the chemistry community.