CCS Teacher Dan Zuidema Publishes Chemistry Education Research in National Journal

Chattanooga Christian School high school science teacher Dan Zuidema recently had research published in the Journal of Chemical Education, a leading publication for chemistry educators. 

The article focuses on a classroom demonstration developed and tested at CCS that helps students better understand Planck’s constant, a key concept in quantum mechanics.

The research highlights how interactive demonstrations can help students grasp complex scientific ideas by making them visual and hands-on.

For Mr. Zuidema, the publication reflects both his personal passion for teaching and the culture of academic excellence at CCS.

“It’s exciting to be part of a department at CCS that is committed to top-tier teaching in chemistry,” Mr. Zuidema said. “I’m always looking for innovative ways to teach complex abstract concepts to our students in ways that are memorable and accessible.”

When CCS teachers discover approaches that can benefit other educators, Mr. Zuidema says sharing those findings is part of the calling of teaching.

“When we make research observations that we know could be helpful to other educators, we strive to publish this so we can serve our colleagues,” he said. “The Journal of Chemical Education is a prestigious journal, and I think it’s exciting that work we have going on at CCS is getting published in the educational literature."

Bringing Quantum Concepts to Life

The research centers on a classroom demonstration designed to help students visualize Planck’s constant, a value that relates the energy of light to its wavelength.

Because the concept is highly abstract, Mr. Zuidema employs the demonstration so students can see and interact with the science in real time.

“The demonstration represents an abstract quantum-mechanical concept in a highly visual way,” he said. “Students also have tactile control over the equipment. They can see graphs developing in real time as they manually control the demonstration module.”

Educational research shows that this kind of hands-on interaction paired with visual feedback can significantly improve student understanding.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the demonstration, Mr. Zuidema surveyed students before and after the activity to measure both their knowledge and their confidence in understanding the concept.

“Initially, their knowledge and confidence were low,” he said. “After the demonstration, their understanding was statistically significantly higher, and their confidence increased as well.”

Students also enjoy the interactive nature of the activity.

“This is an interactive demo, and I can usually get eight or nine students involved in working with the equipment,” Mr. Zuidema said. “That really helps engagement.”

Faith and Science at CCS

For Mr. Zuidema, teaching science at CCS also provides opportunities to connect scientific discovery with a Christian worldview.

“I am grateful to the Lord for the opportunity to teach at CCS where academic rigor, good teaching, and a hearty love for the Lord are part of our culture,” he said.

He notes that even constants like Planck’s constant reflect the order built into creation.

“As God’s people, we can see ‘behind the curtain’ a bit because we know it is God who has fixed this numerical constant by His wisdom and good pleasure,” Mr. Zuidema said.

The reliability of scientific laws, he explained, points to God’s faithfulness.

“The fact that when we do our experiments over and over and they give the same results time and again is a testimony to His great faithfulness. His faithfulness in maintaining the laws of science is really the only reason we can do science at all.”

Continuing to Explore Innovation in Teaching

Looking ahead, Mr. Zuidema plans to continue exploring how technology can enhance science education when used thoughtfully.

“I enjoy exploring ways we can use digital technology wisely and effectively in science education,” he said. “Technology and science are gifts and tools that God has given us to use, and we want to steward them well.”

He is particularly interested in studying how technology can improve student understanding of complex scientific concepts.

About Dan Zuidema

Mr. Zuidema teaches AP Physics and Dual-Enrollment Chemistry at CCS. He has been teaching since 1999 and joined Chattanooga Christian School in 2007. He graduated from Calvin College with a major in chemistry and a minor in physics before going on to earn a PhD in organic chemistry at Wake Forest University.

Originally from West Michigan, Zuidema and his family have lived in the South for the past 25 years, and all four of his children attended CCS. Outside the classroom, he enjoys collecting Swiss Army knives and watching high school and college basketball.