Our group conducts discipline-based education research (DBER) on how undergraduate chemistry students learn concepts and practices that are critical for success in undergraduate chemistry courses. DBER is an interdisciplinary field of study that combines the disciplinary expertise of scientists and engineers with knowledge of learning theory and educational research methods.
The goal of our research is to improve student learning in undergraduate chemistry courses. We use qualitative and quantitative research methods to explore how students engage in scientific practices such constructing and revising models of chemical phenomena, and engaging in model-based reasoning. We translate our research findings into practice by developing and testing curricular resources for chemistry courses.