The instructional laboratory plays a prominent role in undergraduate chemistry education, with the chemistry education community increasingly focused on supporting the adoption of evidence-based laboratory curricula. To assist in these efforts, this study investigates current goals for the instructional laboratory using data from a 2022 national survey of chemistry faculty members in the United States (<i>n</i> = 521). The survey instrument used to measure goals was previously developed and used in a similar investigation nearly one decade prior, allowing for a longitudinal comparison. We have analyzed the data to understand how instructional laboratory goals vary with course, institutional context, and receipt of funding for improving undergraduate chemistry courses. Findings point toward productive avenues for chemistry education researchers, authors of post-secondary education policy, and department leaders to better understand and promote instructional laboratory reform.

Goals for the undergraduate chemistry laboratory: A look ten years later

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