Conducting Qualitative Research Remotely: Investigating Conceptual Understanding of Chemistry Outreach Practitioners Justin M. Pratt & Ellen J. Yezierski Methods in Chemistry Education Research - Session 2 June 11, 2020
2 Getting on the Same Page – Let’s Talk about Terms • Outreach • Science Outreach • Informal Science Education • Chemistry Outreach • Informal Chemistry Education • Communicating Chemistry in Informal Environments • Working definition: Chemistry Outreach is any event that occurs outside of a normal classroom setting designed to increase interest, understanding, and/or involvement in chemistry. Targeted audiences are wide ranging and can include the general public, children/students, and/or teachers. Wang, L. Highlights from National Chemistry Week 2019. Chemical & Engineering News , 2019, 97(48). https://cen.acs.org/acs-news/programs/Highlights-National- Chemistry-Week-2019/97/i48
3 Examples of Chemistry Outreach • Public Lectures • Science Festivals • Informational Videos • Demonstration Shows (sometimes referred to as “magic shows”) • Afterschool Activities Wang, L. Highlights from National Chemistry Week 2019. Chemical & Engineering News , 2019, 97(48). https://cen.acs.org/acs-news/programs/Highlights-National- Chemistry-Week-2019/97/i48
4 Unique Population of Outreach Practitioners • College students involved in extracurricular student organizations that conduct outreach voluntarily during personal time • Two major collegiate chemistry organizations: • Student Chapters of the American Chemical Society • Collegiate Chapters of the Alpha Chi Sigma Fraternity • Reach approximately 1 million outreach event attendees each year • National Survey ( N = 206) • Goal: Audience Learning • Common Activities: Elephant Toothpaste, Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream, Making Slime • Unanswered Question: How accurate and in-depth is their chemistry content knowledge? Connelly, T. M. (2015) Why Is Chapter Community Outreach So Important? inChemistry , 24 (1), 3. Pratt, J. M. (2017) Alpha Chi Sigma and Chemistry Outreach: Promoting the Second Object. The HEXAGON , 108 (1), 8 – 9. Pratt, J. M., & Yezierski, E. J. (2018). Characterizing the landscape: Collegiate organizations’ chemistry outreach practices . Journal of Chemical Education , 95 (1), 7-16.
5 Qualitative Data Collection in an Online Environment • Need access to research participants Rapport • Gatekeepers Access Elicitation • Need to elicit desired data • Need to develop rapport with participants Pratt, J. M., & Yezierski, E. J. (2018). A novel qualitative method to improve access, elicitation, and sample diversification for enhanced transferability applied to studying chemistry outreach. Chemistry Education Research and Practice , 19 (2), 410-430.
6 Accessing Our Research Participants – Story of Flexibility • Goal of Maximum Variation Sampling • Multiple recruitment techniques with varied success • Gatekeepers were primary contacts • Email Faculty Advisor to student organization • Email Department Chair at institution • Testing for data saturation with targeted recruitment from awarded chapters Patton, M. Q. Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods , 3rd ed.; Sage Publications, Inc.: Thousand Oaks, CA, 2002. Pratt, J. M., & Yezierski, E. J. (2018). A novel qualitative method to improve access, elicitation, and sample diversification for enhanced transferability applied to studying chemistry outreach. Chemistry Education Research and Practice , 19 (2), 410-430.
7 Diversity of Sample 22 different universities School Type n Public School 17 Private School 5 Year in School Major Sex n n n Sophomore (Second Year) 5 Chemistry or Biochemistry 22 Males 17 Junior (Third Year) 11 Science (Non-Chemistry) 11 Females 20 Senior (≥ Fourth Year) 19 Non-Science 2 Graduate Student 2 Chemistry Graduate Student 2 Pratt, J. M., & Yezierski, E. J. (2018). A novel qualitative method to improve access, elicitation, and sample diversification for enhanced transferability applied to studying chemistry outreach. Chemistry Education Research and Practice , 19 (2), 410-430.
8 Eliciting Desired Data • Multimedia-based semi-structured interviews • Average duration = 1.5 hours • Transcribed verbatim Pratt, J. M., & Yezierski, E. J. (2018). A novel qualitative method to improve access, elicitation, and sample diversification for enhanced transferability applied to studying chemistry outreach. Chemistry Education Research and Practice , 19 (2), 410-430.
9 Eliciting Conceptual Understanding Research Question: For this sample of college student outreach practitioners, how accurate and in-depth is their chemistry content knowledge? Elephant Toothpaste
10 What is the Elephant Toothpaste Reaction? Elephant Toothpaste – Tulsa City County Library. Tulsa Children’s Museum Discovery Lab. https://events.tulsalibrary.org/event/83 253
11 What is the Elephant Toothpaste Reaction? 30% H 2 O 2 KI Dish Soap
12 What is the Elephant Toothpaste Reaction? 30% H 2 O 2 KI Dish Soap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1eG2y2mn54
13 Pilot Study Results Participants had prior experience facilitating the demonstration with an audience prior to the interview. What chemicals go into elephant toothpaste? “I don't remember exactly.” Barbara (Senior/PUI/Chem) “Hydrogen peroxide and…something else that you mix together” Marie (Senior/Large/Bio) “I don't remember that one.” Lois (Senior/PUI/Chem) Pratt, J. M., & Yezierski, E. J. (2018). A novel qualitative method to improve access, elicitation, and sample diversification for enhanced transferability applied to studying chemistry outreach. Chemistry Education Research and Practice , 19 (2), 410-430.
14 Developing a Novel Critiquing Task Oral Prompt: We’ve received different explanations from other students, and they contain a mixture of accurate and inaccurate ideas . We want you to go line by line and critique these explanations for: 1) accuracy of the content, is it correct or incorrect ? 2) age appropriateness for intended audience, is it appropriate or not? Pratt, J. M., & Yezierski, E. J. (2018). A novel qualitative method to improve access, elicitation, and sample diversification for enhanced transferability applied to studying chemistry outreach. Chemistry Education Research and Practice , 19 (2), 410-430.
15 General Chemistry Prompt: Elephant Toothpaste This reaction involves the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into water and hydrogen gas. This acid-base reaction is an exothermic reaction because bonds are broken and heat is released. A catalyst is used because the decomposition is not spontaneous. The catalyst allows the reaction rate to increase because the mechanistic pathway changes. The catalyzed mechanism has two steps with higher activation energies. Overall, the catalyst decreases the overall enthalpy change of the reaction. The reaction starts off slow because the first step is the rate limiting step. Soap is used to help break down the hydrogen peroxide. Once all of the catalyst is converted to the intermediate, the reaction dramatically speeds up as noted by the increase in foam being produced. Since the products are gas, the foam expands as the gas molecules inside the foam spread out. Pratt, J. M., & Yezierski, E. J. (2018). A novel qualitative method to improve access, elicitation, and sample diversification for enhanced transferability applied to studying chemistry outreach. Chemistry Education Research and Practice , 19 (2), 410-430.
16 General Chemistry Prompt: Elephant Toothpaste This reaction involves the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into water and hydrogen gas . This acid-base reaction is an exothermic reaction because bonds are broken and heat is released. A catalyst is used because the decomposition is not spontaneous. The catalyst allows the reaction rate to increase because the mechanistic pathway changes. The catalyzed mechanism has two steps with higher activation energies . Overall, the catalyst decreases the overall enthalpy change of the reaction. The reaction starts off slow because the first step is the rate limiting step. Soap is used to help break down the hydrogen peroxide. Once all of the catalyst is converted to the intermediate, the reaction dramatically speeds up as noted by the increase in foam being produced. Since the products are gas, the foam expands as the gas molecules inside the foam spread out. Pratt, J. M., & Yezierski, E. J. (2018). A novel qualitative method to improve access, elicitation, and sample diversification for enhanced transferability applied to studying chemistry outreach. Chemistry Education Research and Practice , 19 (2), 410-430.
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