The Development of Research in the Field of Chemistry Education at the University of Novi Sad since the Breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Oct 15, 2026

Studies trace the development of research in chemistry education at the University of Novi Sad from the establishment of the Chair of Chemistry Education through the post-breakup period. The work highlights early efforts to assess the quality and flexibility of student knowledge, including the use of computers in chemistry teaching and development of learning programmes. Later directions include analysis of Serbian chemistry curricula with eco-chemical content, models for effective instruction, systemic strategies, triplet content representation, knowledge assessment tools, misconception diagnostics via multi-tier tests, and validated methods for cognitive complexity using Knowledge Space Theory.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Research origins and institutional context

Post-breakup research directions

Assessment tools and misconception diagnostics

Cognitive complexity and Knowledge Space Theory

doi: 10.26529/cepsj.729 The Development of Research in the Field of Chemistry Education at the University of Novi Sad since the Breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Mirjana D. Segedinac1, Dušica D. Rodić*2, Tamara N. Rončević1, Saša Horvat1 and Jasna Adamov1 • The first PhD thesis in the field of Chemistry Education at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, was defended in 1992. This can be regarded as the symbolic dawn of Chemistry Education as a scientific discipline in this region. After the official breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, research that had started in the 1980s, and which was focused on the development of tools for assessing the quality and flexibility of student knowledge, was continued through the 1990s. This research included the application of computers to chemistry teaching, as well asthe development of appropriate chemistry learning programmes. In the following period, research focused on the analysis of chemical teaching programmes in the Republic of Serbia, with a special emphasis on the possibility of including eco-chemical content in curricula. Accordingly, potentially efficient models were suggested. The most recent research has been focused on the investigation of the effectiveness of instructional strategies based on a systemic approach and a triplet model of content representation, using combined measures of students’ performance and mental effort. In this regard, tools for the efficient assessment of knowledge (systemic synthesis questions, context-based questions) have been developed along with tools for the efficient assessment of students’ misconceptions (multi-tier tests). Furthermore, in order to make teaching more effective, procedures for assessing the cognitive complexity of chemical problems have recently been developed and subsequently validated both statistically and by applying Knowledge Space Theory. Keywords: research in chemical education, directions of research, chair of chemistry education 1 Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Serbia. 2 *Corresponding Author. Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Serbia; [dusica.milenkovic@dh.uns.ac.rs](dusica.milenkovic@dh.uns.ac.rs). 104 the development of research in the field of chemistry education at the ... Razvoj raziskovanja na področju kemijskegaizobraževanja na Univerzi v Novem Sadu po razpadu Socialistične federativne republike Jugoslavije Mirjana D. Segedinac, Dušica D. Rodić, Tamara N. Rončević, Saša Horvat in Jasna Adamov • Prvi zagovor doktorata znanosti na področju kemijskega izobraževanjana Fakulteti za naravoslovje Univerze v Novem Sadu je bil leta 1992. Tolahko štejemo za simbolni začetek kemijskega izobraževanja kot znanstvene discipline v tej regiji. Po uradnem razpadu Socialistične federativne republike Jugoslavije se je raziskovanje, začeto v 80. letih prejšnjega stoletja ter osredinjeno na razvoj orodij za ocenjevanje kakovosti infleksibilnosti znanja študentov, nadaljevalo tudi v 90. letih prejšnjegastoletja. V raziskavo smo vključili uporabo računalnikov v poučevanjekemije pa tudi razvoj primernih programov za učenje kemije. V naslednjem obdobju se je raziskovanje osredinjalo na analizo programov zapoučevanje kemije v Republiki Srbiji, s posebnim poudarkom na možnosti vključevanja ekokemijskih vsebin v kurikulum. Skladno s tem so bili predlagani potencialno učinkoviti modeli poučevanja kemije. Najnovejše raziskave se osredinjajo na preučevanje učinkovitosti učnihstrategij, ki temeljijo na sistemskem pristopu in trojnem modelu predstavljanja vsebine z uporabo preverjanja uspešnosti učencev in njihovih miselnih naporov pri tem. S tem namenom so bila razvita orodjaza učinkovito ocenjevanje znanja (sistemska sintezna vprašanja, kontekstualna vprašanja), skupaj z orodji za učinkovito ocenjevanje napačnihrazumevanj študentov (večdelne naloge v preizkusih znanja). Poleg tegaso bili za izboljšanje poučevanja pred kratkim razviti postopki za oce

FAQs

What marked the beginning of Chemistry Education research at the University of Novi Sad?

The establishment of the Chair of Chemistry Education and related programmes set the stage, with the first PhD dissertation in 1992 often treated as a symbolic start of the discipline in the region.

Which early research focus was used at the time of Yugoslavia’s breakup?

Research emphasized applying tests in chemistry teaching to identify factors of creativity and success, assess student achievements and learning ability, and evaluate the flexibility of chemical knowledge.

How did later research evaluate teaching effectiveness and students’ understanding?

It used systemic instructional strategies with a triplet model of content representation, combining measures of performance and mental effort, and it developed knowledge assessment tools and multi-tier tests to diagnose misconceptions.

Oct 15, 2026

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