Implementation of an Intentional Ethic of Care in an Undergraduate General Chemistry Course

Undergraduate general chemistry courses are often perceived in a negative light by students. Student attitudes towards chemistry play a significant role in their success in chemistry and retention in STEM altogether. Research has shown in K-12 classrooms that care-based instruction strategies can help to improve student attitudes towards chemistry, thus increasing student retention in STEM. Demonstration of an ethic of care in the classroom requires constant feedback and acknowledgment from the students to ensure their needs are being met. However, few studies show this ethic of care from the student perspective, and even fewer explore it in higher education. This study attempts to implement an ethic of care within two sections of a large-enrollment, second-semester undergraduate general chemistry course, assess the impact on student attitudes towards chemistry, and the satisfaction of the students’ basic psychological needs.