Chemistry Education Research Doctoral Scholars Program

Miami University, Oxford OH

Investigators

Abstract

The chemistry education research (CER) Doctoral Fellows Program at Miami University is providing a targeted response to the critical need for scholars with deep content knowledge in chemistry and the specialized training to conduct CER. The CER Doctoral Fellows Program at Miami University prepares Ph.D. scholars whose research studies examine the underlying processes of teaching and learning in both chemistry classrooms and laboratories. Research by the Fellows cohort marries expertise in the design of instruments with the extensive literature on chemistry misconceptions, resulting in the development of reliable and valid measures of student learning for use by both chemistry teachers and chemistry education researchers. The CER Doctoral Fellows Program at Miami University is not only preparing highly skilled scholars in chemistry education research, but is also providing significant community building experiences that are essential to Fellows' success as future chemistry faculty. Site visits to other chemistry education institutions introduce the diversity of higher education settings that characterize chemistry education, from undergraduate institutions and community colleges to teacher preparation and joint appointments between chemistry and schools of education. Fellows participate as teaching associates in undergraduate chemistry courses and cultivate K-12 partnerships in order to develop pedagogical content knowledge. Fellows receive intense professional mentoring into critical CER communities including professional societies, funding agencies, peer-reviewed journals, and national assessment initiatives. Conferences targeted at the professional development of CER graduate students nationwide inform and improve the culture of CER graduate education.