From observation to understanding: exploring student engagement through fluorescence experiments in general chemistry

Fluorescence experiments can serve as a spark for deeper understanding of fundamental chemical concepts. In this presentation, we share our findings from an analysis of interviews with students who completed all three fluorescence laboratory experiments in General Chemistry courses at an urban public commuter university. These interviews were analyzed through the lens of meaningful learning.
Meaningful learning occurs when students actively engage across three interconnected domains: affective, psychomotor, and cognitive. The data were coded using Galloway et al.’s 18-word affective matrix, with the addition of a new category, “enjoyed.” Interview transcripts were also analyzed for elements corresponding to the psychomotor and cognitive domains. Our analysis includes an examination of how interest and enjoyment, as part of the affective domain, influences students’ participation, thereby supporting more meaningful learning.
In addition to the three domains, we examined how students connected their observations to molecular-level processes and corresponding models. Research suggests that traditional laboratory experiments often fail to support students in linking all three representational levels. As a result, students frequently struggle to translate between different levels of chemical understanding, particularly between the macroscopic and submicroscopic levels. Furthermore, chemistry instruction often emphasizes the submicroscopic and symbolic corners of the triangle while neglecting connections to macroscopic phenomena. Consequently, there is a growing need for innovative curricula and pedagogical approaches to address these challenges.
This study explores how students explain their observations during the experiments and how they link these observations to other levels of understanding in General Chemistry. Our findings indicate that students primarily engaged with and appreciated the psychomotor domain and the visual aspects of the fluorescence laboratory, which enhanced their ability to connect their observations to the submicroscopic level.