TY - JOUR

T1 - Danish university faculty perspectives on student learning outcomes in the teaching laboratories of a pharmaceutical sciences education

AU - Agustian, Hendra Yusup

AU - Pedersen, Maja Ingerslev

AU - Finne, Laura Teinholt

AU - Jørgensen, Jonas Tarp

AU - Nielsen, Jan Alexis

AU - Gammelgaard, Bente

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - In this study, 31 professors teaching laboratory courses in pharmaceutical science deliberated student learning, using findings from a systematic review of learning outcomes associated with laboratory work at university level as a frame of reference. In breakout and plenary groups, they made meaning of substantiated educational constructs and related those to their own extensive teaching experience in the laboratory. Thematic analysis was used to elucidate the professors’ thinking about whether and how their students developed competences pertaining to experimental work, viz. experimental competences, conceptual learning, affective outcomes, higher-order thinking skills, epistemic learning, and generic competences. Analysis results demonstrated that the constructs were to various degrees relatable and observable in practice. The professors characterised learning in the laboratory as encompassing several dimensions, centred on experimental competences. Their discussions pointed to the importance of open-ended investigations in the laboratory curriculum. Accordingly, prescribed, more structured laboratory courses may still be relevant, to scaffold students’ competence development, especially with regards to basic experimental competences. Some directions for future research and teachers’ professional development are proposed.

AB - In this study, 31 professors teaching laboratory courses in pharmaceutical science deliberated student learning, using findings from a systematic review of learning outcomes associated with laboratory work at university level as a frame of reference. In breakout and plenary groups, they made meaning of substantiated educational constructs and related those to their own extensive teaching experience in the laboratory. Thematic analysis was used to elucidate the professors’ thinking about whether and how their students developed competences pertaining to experimental work, viz. experimental competences, conceptual learning, affective outcomes, higher-order thinking skills, epistemic learning, and generic competences. Analysis results demonstrated that the constructs were to various degrees relatable and observable in practice. The professors characterised learning in the laboratory as encompassing several dimensions, centred on experimental competences. Their discussions pointed to the importance of open-ended investigations in the laboratory curriculum. Accordingly, prescribed, more structured laboratory courses may still be relevant, to scaffold students’ competence development, especially with regards to basic experimental competences. Some directions for future research and teachers’ professional development are proposed.

U2 - 10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c00212

DO - 10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c00212

M3 - Journal article

VL - 99

SP - 3633

EP - 3643

JO - Journal of Chemical Education

JF - Journal of Chemical Education

SN - 0021-9584

IS - 11

ER -