Duquesne University Duquesne Scholarship Collection Electronic Teses and Dissertations Spring 5-11-2018 Efects of a Green Chemistry Laboratory Design on First- Semester General Chemistry Students' Transformative Experiences in Chemistry Lurea Joan Doody Follow this and additional works at: htps://dsc.duq.edu/etd Part of the Chemistry Commons, and the Curriculum and Instruction Commons Recommended Citation Doody, L. J. (2018). Efects of a Green Chemistry Laboratory Design on First- Semester General Chemistry Students' Transformative Experiences in Chemistry (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from htps://dsc.duq.edu/etd/1435 Tis Immediate Access is brought to you for free and open access by Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Teses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. For more information, please contact EFFECTS OF A GREEN CHEMISTRY LABORATORY DESIGN ON FIRST- SEMESTER GENERAL CHEMISTRY STUDENTS’ TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCES IN CHEMISTRY A Dissertation Submitted to the School of Education Duquesne University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Professional Doctorate in Educational Leadership By Lurea Joan Doody May 2018 Copyright by Lurea J. Doody 2018 EFFECTS OF A GREEN CHEMISTRY LABORATORY DESIGN ON FIRST- SEMESTER GENERAL CHEMISTRY STUDENTS’ TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCES IN CHEMISTRY By Lurea J. Doody Approved March 14, 2018 ________________________________ ________________________________ Amy Olson, Ph.D. Dr. Rick McCown, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Professor of Education Department of Educational Foundations Pierre Schover, C.S.Sp., Endowed And Leadership Chair in Mission Duquesne University Duquesne University (Committee Chair) (Committee Member) ________________________________ Marietta Wright, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Biology Department of Biology Waynesburg University (Committee Member) ________________________________ ________________________________ Cindy Walker, Ph.D. Connie Moss, Ed.D. Dean, School of Education Chair, Ed.D. in Educational Leadership iii ABSTRACT EFFECTS OF A GREEN CHEMISTRY LABORATORY DESIGN ON FIRST- SEMESTER GENERAL CHEMISTRY STUDENTS’ TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCES IN CHEMISTRY By Lurea J. Doody May 2018 Dissertation supervised by Amy Olson The purpose of this study was to understand if a green chemistry laboratory design facilitated students’ transformative experiences in a first-semester general chemistry course for science majors. The study population consisted of 18 college students enrolled in the course at a small, rural, mid-Atlantic university. Traditional chemistry laboratories were replaced with three signature green chemistry laboratories over a period of 6-weeks at the end of the spring semester. Impact data were collected pre- and post, of the three labs using the Transformative Experience Questionnaire (TEQ) surveys. Open ended guided reflection questions were coded for elements of transformative experience (TE): expansion of perception (EP), experiential value (EV), and motivated use (MU). Process data were also included to provide contextual understanding of the impact iv data. Results indicate that each lab supported students’ transformative experiences and there is evidence to suggest that students’ TE increased modestly across the 6-week green chemistry laboratory experience. The experiential value (EV) element of transformative experience was most supported by the green chemistry laboratories. These findings suggest that a green chemistry laboratory design has potential to facilitate transformative experiences in chemistry for this population of students. Possible long-term effects include student motivation and retention in STEM fields of study. v DEDICATION This work is dedicated to my son Aengus, my husband Bobby, and to those we lost along the way. “I stand here on the summit of the mountain. I lift my head and I spread my arms. This, my body and spirit, this is the end of the quest. I wished to know the meaning of all things. I am the meaning. I wished to find a warrant for being. I need no warrant for being, and no word of sanction upon my being. I am the warrant and the sanction. Neither am I the means to any end others may wish to accomplish. I am not a tool for their use. I am not a servant of their needs. I am not a sacrifice on their alters.” Ayn Rand, Anthem, 1938 vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This work would not have been possible without the support, patience, and endurance of my colleagues, friends, and family. I am indebted to my advisor Dr. Amy Olson, who demonstrated stalwart qualities throughout this process that I will continually strive for in my professional career. To Dr. Rick McCown, thank you for helping me understand my role in the system I want to improve. And many thanks to Dr. Marietta Wright for your calming presence and sisterly support. Working with you all has been a pleasure and a privilege. To my dear friend and cohort member, Dr. Eva Allen, thank you for restoring my faith in woman-kind. To my son Aengus and my husband Bobby, I hope my work did not cost us too much time apart. Others I would like to acknowledge include Dr. Connie Moss, Darlene Miller, Dr. Evonne Baldauf, Dolores Doody, Brian Steinmiller, Dr. Ida Holaskova, and Starbucks. And a special thank you to my mother, Elizabeth Quintana, who was a maverick in her profession as a teacher, and in her role as my mother. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract .............................................................................................................................. vi Dedication ......................................................................................................................... vii Acknowledgement ........................................................................................................... viii List of Tables .......................................................................................................................x List of Figures .................................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1 ............................................................................................................................. 1  Persistence and Interest in STEM ....................................................................................... 2  Intentional Gatekeeping .................................................................................................. 4  Constructivism and Gatekeeping .................................................................................... 5  Chemistry and STEM Attrition ....................................................................................... 7  The Idea of Relevance in Chemistry ................................................................................. 10  Chemistry Relevance and Context ................................................................................ 11  Green Chemistry Context ............................................................................................. 13  Motivation for Chemistry Learning .................................................................................. 17  Motivational Interventions in Science .......................................................................... 18  Motivation and Engagement ......................................................................................... 19  Agentive Engagement and Autonomy in Science ........................................................ 21  Transformative Experience as an Engagement Construct ............................................ 23  Green Chemistry and Transformative Experience ........................................................ 26  Theory of Action ............................................................................................................... 26  Context of the Study Population ................................................................................... 27  Significance of the Study .............................................................................................. 30  Chapter 2 ........................................................................................................................... 33  The Problem of Personal Relevance in Traditional Chemistry ........................................ 33  Context-Based Approaches in Chemistry ..................................................................... 34  Defining Relevance in Chemistry ................................................................................. 35  Relevance Interventions in Science .............................................................................. 38  Personal Development as Relevant Chemistry Context ................................................... 39  Primary and Secondary Contextualization in Science .................................................. 40  viii Context and Agency in Science .................................................................................... 43  Green Chemistry Contexts ................................................................................................ 45  Education for Sustainable Development and Green Chemistry ................................... 46  12 Principles of Green Chemistry and Design .............................................................. 47  Green Chemistry and Perceptions of Agency ............................................................... 51  Transformative Experience ............................................................................................... 55  Transformative Experience in Science ......................................................................... 55  Elements of Transformative Experience: Increasing Motivation through Engagement ....................................................................................................................................... 58  Transformative Experience and Personal Relevance .................................................... 59  Facilitating Transformative Experience through Green Chemistry .............................. 64  Improvement Research ..................................................................................................... 67  Challenging the Experimental Research Paradigm in Education ................................. 68  Chapter 3 ........................................................................................................................... 71  Methodology: Convergent Parallel Design ................................................................... 71  Study Context and Timeline ......................................................................................... 72  Green Chemistry Laboratories ...................................................................................... 74  Student Laboratory Work ............................................................................................. 75  Participants .................................................................................................................... 76  Data Collection Protocols ................................................................................................. 76  Data Management and Analysis ................................................................................... 77  Transformative Experience Questionnaire ................................................................... 77  Transformative Experience Reflections ........................................................................ 81  Findings............................................................................................................................. 87  TE Effects in Lab 1 Extraction of d-limonene from Lemon Peels ............................... 88  TE Effects in Lab 2 Production and Analysis of Biodiesel .......................................... 91  TE Effects in Lab 3 Solubility of Solids and Gases...................................................... 93  TE Effects across the Labs ............................................................................................ 96  Chapter 4 ......................................................................................................................... 101  Discussion of Findings .................................................................................................... 101  Directions for Future Research ................................................................................... 111  Next Steps for Leadership in Chemistry Education .................................................... 112  Implications for Social Justice .................................................................................... 114  References ....................................................................................................................... 116  Appendices ...................................................................................................................... 138  ix