An integrated professional framework for experimental chemistry teaching

Abstract

Experiment‑based teaching is a core feature of school chemistry education. However, existing accounts of teachers’ competence often treat laboratory techniques, pedagogical skills, and professional reflection as separate domains, leading to a fragmented understanding. The novelty of this study lies in establishing a unified, process-oriented competence framework that connects five components of experimental chemistry teaching and operationalizes them through 23 Delphi-validated manifestations. A mixed‑methods framework-development design was employed, using a two‑round Delphi method to establish consensus. The panel comprised 16 experts in chemistry education and teacher training. The final framework connects five components: cognition of experimental use, conducting experiments, designing learning activities, organizing classroom instruction, and evaluation and adjustment. All manifestations achieved strong expert consensus (Mdn=4.00-5.00; interquartile range (IQR)≤1.00) and high item‑level content validity index (I‑CVI=0.88-1.00). In conclusion, shifting from isolated skill lists to a process-oriented structure provides a coherent basis for chemistry teacher education, professional development (PD), and future research.