Work in progress - the undergraduate general chemistry laboratory as an informal learning environment: a phenomenographical study

Goals and characteristics of the undergraduate general chemistry laboratory and the science museum have many similarities, yet studies show that poor attitudes are associated with the laboratory and positive attitudes are associated with informal learning environments such as the science museum. Using phenomenography, this study defines the possible attitudes of undergraduate students relating to both environments, and categorizes the components of the environments that affect these attitudes. Comparing attitude-affecting components of the laboratory to the science museum yields information on areas of the laboratory that could benefit from the incorporation of informal characteristics, improving student attitudes. This work in progress describes preliminary results on student attitudes in the museum and what components have an effect on their attitudes