Chemistry classroom education

Stietf, M., Wilensky, U. (2003). Connected chemistry-incorporating interactive simulations into the chemistry classroom. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 12(3), 285-302. 

MacArthur, J. R. and L. L. Jones (2008) A review of literature reports of clickers applicable to college chemistry classrooms. Chemistry Education Research and Practice 9,187-195. 

Stieff M (2005) Connected chemistry - A novel modeling environment for the chemistry classroom. J Chem Educ 82(3) 489—193... 

McRobbie, C. and Tobin, K. (1994). Restraints to reform The Congruence of teacher and student actions in a chemistry classroom. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans. 

Fasching, J.L., Erickson, B.L. (1985). Group discussions in the chemistry classroom and the problem-solving skills of students. Journal of Chemical Education, 62, 842-848. 

Ross, M. Fulton, R. (1994). Active learning strategies in the analytical chemistry, classroom. Journal of Chemical Education, 71,141-143. 

In summary, enhancing chemistry teachers knowledge, skills, and experience, regarding chemical education research can contribute to the development of a research-based practice in the chemistry classroom. 

During his university career. Professor Herron was active in research and curriculum development at many levels. He was on the author team that developed the Intermediate Science Curriculum Study (ISCS), an individualised, laboratory-centred program for middle school science, and he co-ordinated the field trial of those materials in Indiana. He is the senior author of Heath Chemistry (a high school text 2nd ed. 1993) and the sole author of Understanding Chemistry A Preparatory Course (college prep course 2nd ed. 1986) and The Chemistry Classroom Formulas for Successful Teaching (ACS Books, 1996), a book summarising much of his research in chemistry education. 

The Particulate Nature of Matter is vital to understanding chemistry. Chemists explain phemonena in terms of particle behavior. Several chemical education research studies have helped expand the theory of how students learn about particle behavior. Early studies established the lack of student understanding of particle action, while later studies examined treatments or interventions to help students think in terms of particles. These later studies led to a number of implications for the chemistry classroom and our understanding of how students build mental models to visualize particle behavior in chemical and physical phemonena. 

Therefore, qualitative researchers in chemistry education are cautioned to report their findings with detailed contextual information, keeping in mind that such a system constantly morphs while you are trying to measure it. This will place boundary conditions upon the transferability of the research to other chemistry classrooms. 

This first example (see Fig. 5) comes from a freshman student teacher of chemistry who had just entered a university teacher education program. We can assume that most of the imagination and attitude shown toward chemistry teaching in this case stems from this young person s past experience as a pupil in school, mass media input, and both peer group and societal influences. This particular drawing portrays a very structured chemistry classroom situation. This represents the attitude that chemistry classrooms are quite regularly teacher-centered and traditional in their makeup. 

One example that is often used in chemistry classrooms may illustrate this. In the core of learning about the nature of science is learning about scientific models. Among other characteristics it is important to understand that models in science are developed by scientists, these models are never fully true or false, and can be changed or replaced in the light of new evidence. Different historical models of atomic structure are a good example to reflect about the nature of models in chemistry education. Models of Democritus, Dalton, Thomson, Rutherford and Bohr can be compared in the chemistry classroom, e.g. in a drama play (see Chapter 7). Students can start reflecting about the predictive potential and limitations of the different models. But students can also learn about the time in which the models were developed and about the scientists behind them. Other examples are different models of oxidation and reduction or acid-base chemistry. 

Prof. Dr. Onno De Jong was a teacher in several secondary schools in the Netherlands, thereafter became chemistry educator and researcher at Utrecht University (The Netherlands), and finally was professor of chemistry education at Karlstad University (Sweden). He also worked as invited scholar at universities in South Africa, Malaysia, Australia and Taiwan. He has ongoing interest in bridging the gap between Theory (given in chemistry teacher courses) and Practice (in chemistry classrooms). 

Although the focus of this book is to aid the reader to update and develop their PCK in chemistry education, it is not possible to discuss PCK in isolation from the knowledge of general education and it will be not be eoheient or eomprehensible if it is detached totally from the chemistry related subjeet matter. That is why all of the chapters in this book start from or refer to ideas from general educational theory and are illustrated by examples from the chemistry classroom focusing on different aspects of chemistry. 

Every aspect (mentioned above) led to a chapter in the book. Each chapter makes an effort to respond to one of the general issues in the teaching of chemistry. It is based on the underpirmings of educational theory, covers the different facets of the issue, and is illustrated by several examples and suggestions from good chemistry classroom practice. This resulted in 11 chapters of the book, which are focusing on the following questions and issues ... 

The exemplar unit must also make it easier to communicate a new vision on chemistry education to all actors and stakeholders. A vision described in abstract terms (as is necessary in this stage of development) is difficult to comprehend and discnss. An exemplar evalnated in real classrooms can then be used as a concrete illnstration of a new vision. Once agreement has been reached upon this point, cur-ricnlnm development can take place at a larger scale. 

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