Creating a Chemical Escape Room at the University Level: Innovative Resources for Future Primary School Teachers

• Published in: Journal of chemical education Vol. 101; no. 12; pp. 5369 - 5375
• Main Author: Anton, Sergio Fuentes
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Easton American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc 10.12.2024; American Chemical Society
• Subjects: Attitudes; College Science; Colleges & universities; Didacticism; Elementary education; Elementary school teachers; Escape rooms; Higher education; Natural sciences; Polls & surveys; Predominantly White Institutions; Primary Education; Questionnaires; Science education; Student Surveys; Students; Teachers; Teaching methods; Tutor Training; Uncommonly Taught Languages; Hands-On Learning/Manipulatives; Periodicity/Periodic Table; Laboratory Instruction; Humor/Puzzles/Games; Reactions; Problem Solving/Decision Making; Collaborative/Cooperative Learning; General Public
• ISSN: 0021-9584; 1938-1328
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c00994

Teaching natural sciences can be challenging, especially with unmotivated or disinterested students. The challenge increases when the term “Didactics” appears in the subjects under study, for example, with Didactics of Natural Sciences. The present work details the design and execution process of an escape room experience used as a methodology for teaching and reviewing chemistry at the university level. The manuscript describes the puzzles and experiments carried out in the laboratory, as well as the results obtained from its implementation and the assessment methods used. The experience took place during the academic years 2021–2022 and 2022–2023, with students enrolled in the second year of the Primary Education Teacher degree. In each period, four nonhomogeneous groups with different numbers of students verified the game. Within an hour, participants had to face four main puzzles to gather the necessary information to solve a crime that occurred in the lab. Upon completing the escape room, the students filled out a questionnaire to express their opinions and evaluate the activity. The results obtained from the questionnaire survey showed a high level of satisfaction with the methodology employed.