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Assessing experimental activities in chemistry instruction: a systematic review of available tools
Summary
This systematic review of assessment tools for chemistry lab activities found that most tools focus on cognitive outcomes in higher education, with limited attention to psychomotor skills or primary/secondary education levels. While not directly about microplastics, the review highlights gaps in how experimental science education is evaluated.
Abstract Experimental activities have historically been an integral part of chemistry education. However, researchers have highlighted the limited empirical evidence supporting their effectiveness. This study provides a systematic review of tools available for experimental activities’ assessment. A review of 68 studies indexed in the Web of Science database revealed several available tools which, however, may not comprehensively address all educational aspects satisfactorily. Most assessment tools target higher education, with limited focus on primary and secondary levels. Strong emphasis is placed on cognitive outcomes, while affective, psychomotor or other domains remain underrepresented or poorly integrated. The review also highlighted emerging trends, such as virtual labs and interdisciplinary approaches, emphasizing the need for specialized assessment tools to evaluate these innovations effectively. These findings resulted in the development of a comprehensive table that offers educators and researchers valuable insights into available assessment tools. This resource enables the selection of appropriate tools based on criteria such as activity type, chemistry subdiscipline, assessed domain, and tool type, with the option to apply filters for more targeted searches. The review also highlights a greater emphasis on comprehensive, validated tools is essential for enhancing experiment-based learning in chemistry education.
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