JCE Online Journal of Chemical EducationDivision of Chemical Education, American Chemical SocietyAmerican Chemical Society
 | Subscriptions  | Software Orders  | Support  | Contributors  | Advertisers  | 

JCE Print
   Current Issue
 Previous Issues
 Supplements
 Search JCE Index

JCE Digital Library
   ChemInfo
 DigiDemos
 Featured Molecules
 LivTexts
 LrnCom
 QBank
 SymMath
 WebWare

JCE Software
   Latest Releases
 Software & Video
 Downloads
 Support

Only@JCE Online
   JCE Online Store
 JCE HS CLIC
 JCE Discussion Forums
   Biographical Snapshots
 ChemEd Resource Shelf
 Featured Molecules
 Hal's Picks
 Project Chemlab
 Reviewed WWW Sites
 "Web-Ed" Articles

About JCE
   Features
 Publications
 Operations
 Outreach
 Contact Us


  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2006  > September  >
Research: Science and Education
Chemical Education Research
High School Students' Perceptions of Their Laboratory Classroom and the Copying of Laboratory Work
Dawn Del Carlo
Department of Chemistry, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0423

Dana Mazzaro and Shanese Page
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ 07042

Cover
September 2006
Vol. 83 No. 9
p. 1362
Abstract
Many courses have been proposed in an effort to train future scientists to be ethical practitioners, yet little has been done to examine the ethical beliefs and practices that already exist in the laboratory classroom. This current research involves high school students in various types of chemistry classes, from general chemistry to honors level. Data from students responses to a partially open-ended survey were collected and analyzed, providing insight into students' perceptions of their laboratory classroom and subsequent feelings toward the copying of lab work. Results indicate that most students believe obtaining the "right answer" is the most important goal in a lab exercise. In fact, the data reveal that while the majority of students surveyed redo experiments when they go awry, nearly 15% of those surveyed said that they "copy another's data" to earn credit for the lab. This research also suggests that students' perceptions of group work and written lab work influence their decisions of whether to copy another's work or let others copy their work.
Supplement
A complete description of the study's methodology for data collection and data analysis is available.
*  Contents JCE2006p1362W.doc (Microsoft Word)
*  Download
JCE2006p1362W.pdf

JCE2006p1362W.zip
More Information
*  Citation
 Del Carlo, Dawn; Mazzaro, Dana; Page, Shanese. J. Chem. Educ. 2006 83 1362.
*  Keywords
 Chemical Education Research; Ethics; High School / Introductory Chemistry; Laboratory Management; Qualitative Analysis
*  History
 Created:
Last Updated:		 8/7/2006
8/14/2006
<< Previous Article Table of Contents Next Article >>
  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2006  > September  > Page 1362



Chemistry Teacher Connection

The "Chemistry Teacher Connection" (CTC) is especially for high school chemistry teachers. For only $40/year, it offers an online-only subscription to CLIC along with membership in the Division of Chemical Education, normally $65/year. CTC subscribers receive access to all articles and supplements from 1996 through the current issue.
More About CTC
Order the Chemistry Teacher Connection

C&EN CLICs

Through special arrangement with the ACS, JCE High School CLIC is now able to provide subscribers with online access to Chemical & Engineering News articles that have been selected specifically for secondary science instructors and their students. 
 C&EN CLICs

JCE Collections Available
Occasionally, collections of JCE back issues become available for donation to individual teachers, schools, or libraries. JCE matches collections with interested recipients. Recipients pay shipping costs or pick up the collection.
 List of available collections

Contributions Welcome
JCE welcomes your submission
 Contributors's Corner

Subscriptions
 Subscription Info
 Order Forms

Fishing for New Ideas
Always in the
process of
improving, CLIC
welcomes ideas and comments.

Email Us

Comments to
jceonline@chem.wisc.edu		 Copyright © Division of Chemical Education, Inc., American Chemical Society.
All rights reserved.