Knowledge and Perception of Eponyms in Chemistry by University Students in Belarus and the United States

Introduction. The didactic principle of education-in-studies is one of the most important instruments of quality education at all levels. Compliance with this principle enhances the results of methodological means educators choose. A positive example is considered a widely recognised and effective method of education and upbringing. As such examples, in education it is recommended to use personal and scientific biographies of scholars whose names became a part of scientific eponyms – terms meaning phenomena, laws, theories, inventions, etc. derived from the names of their originators. Eponyms are researched from the prospective of many sciences, including pedagogy. According to the principles of humanisation and historicism declared in governmental documents on education, eponyms can be utilised as means of upbringing while studying natural and other disciplines. However, the research data about this role of eponyms are scarce. In particular, it is unknown how students perceive this component of language and if there is a difference in perception between school and university students. This gap in methodology and teaching technique applies to a number of disciplines including chemistry.

The aims of this research publication were to study attitudes of university students in two countries – Belarus and the USA – to chemical eponyms, and to identify correlations between their reflective cognition and solid knowledge of the future professionals.

Methodology and research methods. A 27-item questionnaire with different types of answers was developed by the author of the present research. The questionnaire was administered via the Internet for the survey of students at University of Oregon and Belarusian State University. Analysis of the data collected was done in IBM® SPSS® package using descriptive (mean, standard deviation, variance) and inferential (Mann–Whitney and Pearson tests) statistics.

Results and scientific novelty. The survey showed that students in both countries recognise chemical eponyms by association better than by their content. Belarusian respondents exhibited a bit higher level of eponym knowledge than American respondents, which is explained by populations (the former one had more chemistry majors), timing and duration of chemistry courses. Recognition of chemical eponyms differs; it is promoted by their repeatability, uniqueness, and phoneticity. The majority of students in both countries perceive eponyms non-reflexively, and the students’ attitude towards eponyms is mostly uncertain. It was found that the determinant factor for good knowledge and reflective positive attitude towards eponyms is the student’s motivation for learning. This motivation, in turn, is determined by the chosen major. Naturally, the profile majors “Chemistry” and “Chemistry Teaching” motivate students the most. It has been concluded that on the one hand, for implementation of the humanisation and historicism principles, one should not rely exclusively on eponyms. To avoid mistakes, one should keep a systemic approach that implies a set of pedagogical means and methods. On the other hand, systematic, regular work with chemical eponyms helps to get an in-depth understanding of chemical phenomena and to get the chemical theory-and-practice synthesis quick and balanced. Unfortunately, less and less attention is paid in educational literature to both eponyms and scholar personalities as their sources, and that is fundamentally wrong.

Practical significance. The research materials and the results obtained in this research will be useful for teachers and instructors of chemistry in the development of lessons, lectures, seminars and laboratory classes as well as in writing tutorials and textbooks.

1. Gavrileiko Yu. A. Eponimiya nauchnykh terminov = Eponymy of scientific terms. In: Professional’no orientirovannyi perevod: real’nost’ i perspektivy. Sbornik nauchnykh trudov po materialam 8-i Mezhdunarodnoi nauchno-metodicheskoi internet-konferentsii = Professionally Oriented Translation: Reality and Perspectives: Collection of Scientific Papers of the 8th International Scientific Methodical Internet Conference; 2013 Apr 8–14; Moscow. Ed. by Gavrilenko N. N. Moscow: RUDN University; 2013. p. 25–36. (In Russ.)

2. Novinskaya N. V. Terms-eponyms in scientific language. Vestnik Rossiiskogo universiteta druzhby narodov = Herald of RUDN University [Internet]. 2013 [cited 2019 Mar 28]; 4: 34–38. Available from: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/terminy-eponimy-v-yazyke-nauki (In Russ.)

3. Vatsuro K. V., Mishchenko G. L. Imennye reaktsii v organicheskoi khimii = Named reactions in organic chemistry. Moscow: Publishing House Khimiya; 1976. 528 p. (In Russ.)

4. Ballentyne D. W. G., Lovett D. R. A dictionary of named effects and laws in chemistry, physics and mathematics. London: Chapman and Hall; 1961. 355 p.

5. Papeo G., Pulici M. Italian chemists’ contributions to named reactions in organic synthesis: An historical perspective. Molecules [Internet]. 2013 [cited 2019 Mar 28]; 8: 10870–10900. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24008246. DOI: 10.3390/molecules180910870

6. Hassner A., Stumer C. Organic syntheses based on name reactions. 2nd ed. Amsterdam: Pergamon; 2002. 454 p.

7. Koehler P. J., Bruyn G. W., Pearce J. M. S. (еds.). Neurological eponyms. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2001. 386 p.

8. Beolens B., Watkins M., Grayson M. (eds.). The eponym dictionary of mammals. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press; 2009. 592 p.

9. Zusne L. Eponyms in psychology: A dictionary and biographical sourcebook. New York: Greenwood; 1987. 360 p.

10. Manser M. H. Dictionary of eponyms. London: Guild; 1989. 307 p.

11. Beeching C. L. A dictionary of eponyms. 3rd ed. London: Library Association Publishing; 1989. 224 p.

12. Enersen O. D. Whonamedit? A dictionary of medical eponyms [Internet]. 2003 [cited 2019 Mar 28]. Available from: http://www.whonamedit.com

13. Slabin U. Teaching general chemistry with instructor’s screen sharing: Students’ opinions about the idea and its implementation. Journal of Baltic Science Education. 2013; 12 (6): 759–773.

14. Popescu F., Opriţ-Maftei, C. On identity, alterity and hybridity with English eponyms in chemistry. Annals of “Dunărea de Jos” University of GALAŢI Fascicle XIII, New Series [Internet]. 2009 [cited 2019 Aug 16]; Iss. 28, XVI (XXVII), 55–60. Available from: http://www.litere.ugal.ro/prev/docint/CERCETARE/Publicatii/Anale.%20Fascicula%20XIII.%20Limba%20si%20literatura/2009%20FULL%20TEXT%20.pdf

15. Slabіn U. Prablemy asіmіliacyі proźvіščaŭ zamiežnych vučonych-chіmіkaŭ u bielaruskaj movie. In: Prabliemy bielaruskaj navukovaj terminalohii 1-ja Nacyjanaĺnaja kanfierencyja = Problems of Belarusian Scientific Terminology: 1st National Conference; 1994 May 4–6; Mіnsk. Minsk; 1995; p. 225–233. (In Belarusian)

16. Kanne J. P., Rohrmann C. A., Lichtenstein J. E. Eponyms in radiology of the digestive tract: Historical perspectives and imaging appearances. Radiographics [Internet]. 2006 [cited 2019 Mar 28]; 26 (1): 465–480. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16549610. DOI: 10.1148/rg.262055130

17. Bayer A. E. The “Biglan model” and the smart messenger: A case study of eponym diffusion. Research in Higher Education [Internet]. 1987 [cited 2019 Mar 28]; 26 (2): 212–223. Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00992030. DOI: 10.1007/BF00992030

18. Slabіn U. Chіmіčnyja eponіmy: “za” і “suprać” = Chemical eponyms: Pros and cons. In: Mendeleevskie chteniya – 2017. Sbornik nauchnykh statei Respublikanskoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii = Mendeleevian Readings-2017: Collection of Scientific Papers of Republican Scientific and Methodical Conference; 2017 Feb 24; Brest. Brest: Brest State University; 2017. p. 228–231. (In Belarusian)

19. Allchin D. K. The gender of Boyle’s law [Internet]. 2010 [cited 2019 Mar 28]; Website of University of Minnesota. Available from: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~allch001/papers/boyle.pdf

20. Fernández-Cano A., Fernández-Guerrero I. M. Eponymy for research evaluation: Spanish cases from the educational field. Research Evaluation [Internet]. 2003 [cited 2019 Mar 28]; 12 (3): 197–203. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/rev/article-abstract/12/3/197/1535414 doi: 10.3152/147154403781776591

21. Slabin U. Verkhovsky eponyms in the epoch of educational ethnocentrism. In: 2nd International Baltic Symposium on Science and Technology Education (BalticSTE2017) [Internet]; 2017 Jun 12–15; Šiauliai. Šiauliai: Šiauliai University; 2017. 2017 [cited 2019 Mar 28]. p. 122–124. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318573268_Verkhovsky_eponyms_in_the_epoch_of_educational_ethnocentrism

22. Slabin U. Science education as problematic area in modern education. Journal of Baltic Science Education [Internet]. 2007 [cited 2019 Mar 28]; 6 (3): 4. Available from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318921011_Science_education_as_problematic_area_in_modern_education

23. Funk H. Kaempferol: a case study of what eponyms in chemical nomenclature can tell us. Archives of Natural History [Internet]. 2013 [cited 2019 Mar 28]; 40(1): 72–83. Available from: https://www.euppublishing.com/doi/abs/10.3366/anh.2013.0137. DOI: 10.3366/anh.2013.0137

24. Turnpenny P. D., Pigott R. W. Deletion 22q11 syndrome: acknowledging a lost eponym as we say farewell to an acronym [Letter to the editor]. Journal of Medical Genetics [Internet]. 2001 [cited 2019 Mar 28]; 38(4): 271–273. Available from: https://jmg.bmj.com/content/38/4/271. DOI: 10.1136/jmg.38.4.271

25. Sala S., De Renzi, Boycott S. The Chauvinistic eponyms. Cortex [Internet]. 2002 [cited 2019 Mar 28]; 38(1): 87–92. Available from: https://www.academia.edu/31756950/Boycott_the_Chauvinistic_Eponyms

26. Slabin U. K. Pieryjadyčnaja sіstema chіmіčnych elementaŭ amierykanskaha bіzniesmena = Periodic system of the chemical elements by an American entrepreneur. Bijalohija i chimija = Biology and Chemistry. 2019; 1: 13–16. (In Belarusian)

27. Slabin V. K. American entrepreneur vs. Russian scholar. Khimiya v shkole = Chemistry in School. 2019; 2: 66–69. (In Russ.)

28. Slabin U. Scientific eponym in educational universe. Journal of Baltic Science Education [Internet]. 2017 [cited 2019 Mar 28]; 16 (2): 144–147. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318572574_Scientific_eponym_in_educational_Universe

29. Snieckus V. More on named reactions [Letter]. Chemical and Engineering News [Internet]. 2010 [cited 2019 Mar 28]; 88 (32): 3. Available from: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/cen-v088n032.p003 doi: 10.1021/cen-v088n032.p003

30. Govindarajan G., Rao S. S. Scientific history and the educational significance of eponyms in science and medical instruction. Journal of Instructional Psychology. 1993; 20 (4): 340–343.

31. Slabin U., Krasitski V. For humanization and historicism: How well university students know and what they think about chemical eponyms. Journal of Baltic Science Education. 2017; 16 (2): 250–265.

32. Slabin U. Chemical eponyms as recognized and perceived by Belarusian and American students. Euro-American Scientific Cooperation. 2017; 15: 51–57.

33. Kutumov I., Teleshov S. V. “Named” equipment. Himija: Pervoe sentjabrja = Chemistry: September 1 [Internet] 2001 [cited 2019 Mar 28]; 36: 129–139. Available from: http://him.1sep.ru/article.php?ID=200103601 (In Russ.)

34. Mukhamedjanov M. S. On usage of personal reactions at the lessons of organic chemistry. Uchenye zapiski Hudzhandskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta im. akademika B. Gafurova. Serija gumanitarno-obshhestvennyh nauk = Scientific Notes of Khujand State University named after Academician B. Gafurov. Series: Humanities and Social Sciences. 2017; 3 (52): 246–251. (In Tajik)

35. Silberberg M. S. Chemistry: The molecular nature of matter and change. 6th ed., New York: McGraw-Hill; 2012. 1248 p.

36. Tret’yakov Yu. D. Neorganicheskaya khimiya = Inorganic chemistry. Ed. by Tret’yakov Yu. D. Moscow: Publishing House Akademiya. Vol. 1, 2004. 240 p.; Vol. 2, 2004. 368 p.; Vol. 3, 2007. Book 1. 352 p. Book 2. 400 p. (In Russ.)

37. Bruice P. Y. Organic chemistry. 7th ed., Santa Barbara: Pearson; 2014. 1293 p.

38. Roberts L. D., Allen P. J. Exploring ethical issues associated with using online surveys in educational research. Educational Research and Evaluation [Internet]. 2015 [cited 2019 Mar 28]; 21(2): 95–108. Available from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13803611.2015.1024421. DOI: 10.1080/13803611.2015.1024421

39. Paciorkovskij V. V., Paciorkovskaja V. V. SPSS dlja sociologov = SPSS for sociologists [Internet]. Moscow: ISEPN RAN; 2005 [cited 2019 Mar 28]. 433 p. (In Russ.). Available from: http://csl.isc.irk.ru/BD/Books/spss для социологов.pdf

40. Glezer L. S., Kim J., Rule J., Jiang X., Riesenhuber M. Adding words to the brain’s visual dictionary: Novel word learning selectively sharpens orthographic representations in the VWFA. The Journal of Neuroscience [Internet]. 2015 [cited 2019 Mar 28]; 35 (12): 4965–4972. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25810526. DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4031–14.2015