Database of Publications

Date: 2014.09.29

Posted by Ines Alonso (Spain)

Message: The poster introduces a background of the problem: the difficulties for Chemestry students at second and third level to learn science. It has been identified that Organic component of the Leaving Certificate Chemistry is an area of difficulty for Chemistry students at second and third level, particularly important, because it plays a major role in the study of Chemistry at third level. If pupils experience a different teaching approach that will encourage them to take up Chemistry at third level in preparation for employment in the Irish Chemical Industry, given that Organic Chemistry is a significant domain in the development of drug and medicinal products in particular.
Also the poster summarises the Research Project and the development of the Organic Chemistry in Action intervention programme.
The paper suggests different teaching methods for organic chemistry:
1. The use of different visualization tools,
2. Practical experimentation and guided enquiry, for example.
There is an important contribution, and it is the fact that through the creation of an international platform where teachers can share experiences and exchange views on the teaching and learning of organic chemistry with Irish teachers as well with teachers from other countries.
The objective of this application is to improve teaching practices and implement the new ways of teaching and new methodologies.

Date: 2014.03.30

Posted by Luiza Wezyk (Poland)

Message: The poster presents very interesting project to improve teaching and learning of Organic Chemistry. In very pleasant and legible form it introduces a background of the problem - difficulties in teaching the subject. In the first part, methodology of the project is discussed. Next, design criteria for the Organic Chemistry in Action! program are presented. The most interesting part is \"Findings\" where advantages and disadvantages, mentioned by teachers are listed. The list is supported by well-developed evaluation and its visualisation. As a conclusion the authors emphasize the role of the inquiry-based research. The poster is a good example of the information material, very concise and concrete. It can be a template for other papers of this type.

Date: 2013.11.25

Posted by Gamze Özbek (Turkey)

Message: This article illustrates a research project for the implementation and assessment of an educational program at upper secondary education level in Ireland. The main goal of this program was the enhancement of teaching and learning of organic chemistry.
Which parts of this article put emphasis on current topics for chemistry teachers?
At the first stage of this article, an effort was paid for figuring out the main issues of Organic Chemistry which compose the most problems to the students. The second stage was mainly associated with the results of the first stage and other research findings in the current literature and thought of the style and improvement of the educational program “Organic Chemistry in Action”, which has the aim of the facilitation of teaching and learning of organic chemistry. According to the writers, the program style was mainly associated with in 10 key criteria which were combined with various instructional and learning strategies, the focus of which is the issues which had been turned out to create more disadvantages to the students. But, there is no detailed presentation of the instructional and learning strategies which were followed and there is just a very general reference to the main principles on which the project design was associated. The article suggests the teachers to use different visualization tools, pupils’ practical experimentation and so on. But, as I have just mentioned above, the paper does not provide the readers with enough information as to how these approaches were implemented. For my opinion, this would be more beneficial. Maybe some examples could be shown in order that the reader can figure out better so as to estimate the impact of the program to the students’ comprehension does not have very strong validity. Perhaps, it would assist if a pre-test was also administered so as to test if the two groups of students are equivalent.

Date: 2013.11.25

Posted by Süleyman Seren (Turkey)

Message: This paper is relevant as it gives detailed information about a research project for the application and evaluation of an educational program at upper secondary education level in Ireland. The foci point of this research is the improvement and teaching of organic chemistry.
The first phase of the research contains the identification of the main problem areas of ‘Organic Chemistry’ which concern students while the learning and also the lecturers while the teaching process. The second phase contains the results of the first phase and the from additional research detections in the related literature containing the improvement of the educational program ‘Organic Chemistry in Action’ with the purpose of relieving the teaching and so is the learning process of organic chemistry. The last phase is followed by the implementation and evaluation of the program in secondary schools in Ireland. The program concept is based on a 10 key criteria which are combined with different instructional and learning strategies, focusing primarily on the topics which cause more problems to the students.
The paper suggests different teaching methods for organic chemistry such as the use of different visualization tools, practical experimentation, guided enquiry etc. Another point is that this paper refers to a creation of an international platform in which teachers can share experiences and exchange views on the teaching and learning of organic chemistry with Irish teachers as well with teachers from other countries. This application leads to a collaboration in order to improve teaching practices and implement the new ways of teaching and new methodologies.
To sum up, this research is gives clear information about the aim and the results are based on statistical facts which are readable and easy to understand. Future teachers have access to positive approaches and a pleasant atmosphere in the classroom.

Date: 2013.06.05

Posted by Maria Smrekova (Slovakia)

Message: This publication presents a research project for the application and evaluation of an educational program at upper secondary education level in Ireland. The phase one of this research was made for identifying the main topics of Organic Chemistry that create the most problems to the students. The second phase was based on the results of the first phase and other research findings in the relevant literature and consisted of the design and development of the educational program “Organic Chemistry in Action”, aiming at the facilitation of teaching and learning of organic chemistry. . Phase Three involved the implementation and evaluation of the programme in Irish Second-Level schools.The program design was based in 10 key criteria which were combined with different instructional and learning strategies, focusing mainly on the topics that had been proved to create more difficulties to the students. The importance of this work in chemistry education is the creation of an international platform in which teachers can share experiences and exchange views on the teaching and learning organic chemistry with Greek teachers as well as with teachers from other countries. In this way, instructors of organic chemistry can collaborate in order to improve teaching practices and implement the new ways of teaching and new methodologies.This publication is clear, readable and research results are useful very positive is approach to prospective teachers and very good atmosphere during classes and laboratories is essential.

Date: 2013.05.25

Posted by Theodoros Vachliotis (Greece)

Message: Why is this paper relevant?
This publication presents a research project for the application and evaluation of an educational program at upper secondary education level in Ireland. The main aim of this program was the improvement of teaching and learning of organic chemistry.

Which parts of this paper underline relevant issues for chemistry teachers?
In the first phase of this research, an effort was made for identifying the main topics of Organic Chemistry that create the most problems to the students. The second phase was based on the results of the first phase and other research findings in the relevant literature and consisted of the design and development of the educational program “Organic Chemistry in Action”, aiming at the facilitation of teaching and learning of organic chemistry. According to the authors, the program design was based in 10 key criteria which were combined with different instructional and learning strategies, focusing mainly on the topics that had been proved to create more difficulties to the students. However, there is no detailed presentation of the instructional and learning strategies that were followed and there is only a very general reference to the basic principles on which the project design was based. In this way, I personally did not manage to understand which are the specific characteristics of this program that make it different from a traditional teaching approach and could perhaps have a large influence to students’ performance and interest towards organic chemistry.

Does the paper suggest and encourage to experience different approaches and methods for teaching and learning chemistry?
The article proposes the use of different teaching approaches for organic chemistry like for example the guided enquiry, the use of different visualization tools, students’ practical experimentation etc. However, as also noted above, the paper does not provide sufficient information on how these approaches were applied. In my opinion, this would be more useful. Perhaps a few examples could be given so that the reader understands better what the authors mean. In addition, I believe that the research design followed in order to estimate the influence of the program to students’ understanding does not have very strong validity. Perhaps, it would help if a pre-test was also administered in order to test whether the two groups of students (control group and experimental group) are equivalent. Subsequently, the differences between the two groups before and after the intervention could be compared and statistically tested.

Date: 2013.05.23

Posted by Bernard Leyh (University of Liège) (Belgium)

Message: Teaching organic chemistry at the secondary level is a difficult task. It too often degenerates in a formal, abstract presentation of nomenclature, properties, reactions and mechanisms. The latter (mechanisms) should foster the understanding and the emergence of connexions between the different families of compounds and reactions; they are, however, the source of many difficulties for the students. Any attempt to improve the situation is welcome. The contribution of O’Dwyer et al., entitled ‘Organic Chemistry in Action’ is in this sense very interesting. First, the identification of ten ‘key design criteria’ is an excellent idea. I would like to emphasize the following ones: identification and addressing misconceptions, spiral curriculum, variety of teaching approaches, integration of practical work (essential in my eyes), context-based chemistry, guided inquiry learning, use of visual aids. The statistical analysis performed (performance in a test for understanding, interest for, and confidence about, organic chemistry) indicates that the advantages outweigh the drawbacks (which seem to be partly practical constraints). It would be interesting to compare this approach with the ‘PIN-Konzept’ approach (Phänomenologisch-Integratives Netzwerkkonzept = Phenomenological – Integrating Network Concept) developed by Günther Harsch (University of Münster, Germany) and Rebekka Heimann (University of Leipzig, Germany) , described in detail in their book \'Didaktik der Organischen Chemie nach dem PIN-Konzept\' (Springer Verlag, Berlin, 1998), which also emphasizes the experimental and inquiry-based approaches. Information in English can be found at the following link: http://www.uni-leipzig.de/~pinkon/

Date: 2013.05.16

Posted by Eva Krchová (Czech Republic)

Message: The article is good example of training teachers. The idea of the creation of an international platform in which teachers can share experiences and exchange views on the teaching and learning chemistry, is needed.
Very interesting is the partition of the project into three phases. Phase One of the project involved an investigation. But there is not specialized how the investigation will take place. Because this is the base of the project. From this investigation a number of key topics were identified as difficult.
The Phase Two involved the development of an intervention programme. But also there is not any detailed process containing this. Phase Three involved the implementation and evaluation of the programme in Irish Second-Level schools.
This article is clear, readable and research results are useful. Positive approach to prospective teachers and pleasant atmosphere during classes and laboratories is essential.

Date: 2013.05.16

Posted by Papatheodosiou Kalliopi (Greece)

Message: The importance of this work in chemistry education is the creation of an international platform in which teachers can share experiences and exchange views on the teaching and learning organic chemistry with Greek teachers as well as with teachers from other countries. In this way, instructors of organic chemistry can collaborate in order to improve teaching practices and implement the new ways of teaching and new methodologies.

Using the possibilities offered by this project promoted and encouraged a different approach in organic chemistry from the students. Via this project, teachers can identify the difficulties students face in learning and understanding different aspects of organic chemistry and provide means, equipment and strategies to overcome difficulties and interpretations. A subsequent assessment of implementation of the methods proposed evaluated the effectiveness of the application of new techniques and methods. The results of the evaluation lead to adaptation of the methods used. The statistical results derived from the methods proposed in the project, indicated that the problems associated with teaching and learning of organic chemistry can be decreased.