What is this Substance? What Makes it Different? Mapping Progression in Students’ Assumptions about Chemical Identity

Chem. Educ. Res. Pract.

2015

The central goal of this qualitative research study was to uncover major implicit assumptions that students with different levels of training in the discipline apply when thinking and making decisions about chemical reactions used to make a desired product. In particular, we elicited different ways of conceptualizing why chemical reactions happen (chemical causality), how these processes occur (chemical mechanism), and how they can be controlled (chemical control). In each of these areas we characterized conceptual modes with different explanatory power and explored how they were applied by participants when facing different types of questions. Our findings suggest potential paths in the development of understanding about chemical reactions in the context of making specific substances. Our study also highlights the benefits of analyzing students' understanding not only by focusing on implicit cognitive elements, but by using disciplinary crosscutting concepts as lenses of analysis.

Section: Chemical Thinkingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mapping students' conceptual modes when thinking about chemical reactions used to make a desired product

Weinrich

Chem. Educ. Res. Pract.

2015

“…The properties of other materials could be attributed to the presence of components that give them such characteristics. So, alcohol may be liquid because it has water in it and copper may be reddish because it contains a substance of that color (Ngai et al 2014). Novice students often substantialize properties by attributing them to a material or quasi-material component (Reiner et al, 2000;Sanmarti et al, 1995).…”

Section: Making Sense Of Intrinsic Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…"Atomic compositionism" relies on building direct links between the atomic and the single-entity macroscopic scales, without much consideration for the molecular and multi-particle scales. Students may recognize molecules as aggregates of atoms with particular chemical compositions, but the importance of atomic connectivity and geometry in determining the identify and properties of substances is undervalued (Ngai et al, 2014). Thus, it may not be surprising to encounter students who create new chemical bonds between atoms when representing a substance's transition from liquid to solid or who break chemical bonds when representing the change from liquid to gas (Cooper et al, 2015).…”

Section: Making Sense Of Intrinsic Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Progressions in reasoning about structure–property relationships

Chem. Educ. Res. Pract.

2018

Self Cite

In this essay, findings from research in science and chemistry education are used to describe and discuss progression in students' structure–property reasoning through schooling. This work provides insights into the challenges that students face to master this important component of chemical thinking. The analysis reveals that student reasoning is often guided by nonnormative implicit schemas that are little affected by traditional instruction. These schemas prioritize chemical composition over molecular structure, and centralized causality over emergence in the explanation and prediction of the properties of substances. The types of components that students invoke to make sense of properties and phenomena may change with schooling, but the underlying reasoning persists. In general, learners assume that observed properties and behaviors are directly related to the types of atoms present in a system and determined by these individual atoms' inherent characteristics.

“…It is about an integrated view on scientific content knowledge, societal context knowledge and values, combined with action competence. From a chemistry content perspective Chemicals Education aims at understanding the nature of chemicals (Ngai, Sevian & Talanquer, 2014), natural vs. synthetic substances, doses, solubility, distribution of chemicals etc.…”

Section: Chemicals Education Triangle: Risks Actors and Discoursesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eco-reflexive chemical thinking and action

Sjöström

Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry

2018

Self Cite

The modern society can be described as a globalized risk society characterised by increasing complexity and unpredictable consequences of techno-scientific innovations and production. One example is the "chemicalisation" of our society, bodies and nature. In order to manage this, society needs educated citizens who are able to understand the complexity of the world and make valuebased decisions-in both their private and professional lives. For example critical-democratic citizens-with "Bildung"-are able to value information about environmental chemicals and chemical risks. One arena with great potential for enabling critical-democratic citizenship is education. This chapter describes and problematizes teaching and learning about risk-related chemicals, such as additives, contaminants, pollution and various environmental chemicals. Such socio-chemical issues is a type of socio-scientific issues (SSI). Chemicals Education is suggested to be based on a "chemicals education triangle", with the following three corners: (1) the nature of chemical risks, (2) the interplay between actors in "the chemical society", and (3) pluralism and awareness regarding various "chemical discourses". The communication inside and outside the science/chemistry classroom about the interplay between chemistry and society can be analyzed and discussed based on such a triangle. Critical-democratic citizens need "chemicals Bildung" Chemical risks have entered the scene of mass media and popular culture. For example, early in 2013 media reported on the WHO-report "State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals". The conclusion of the report was that the link between endocrine-disrupting chemicals and many diseases, like cancer and diabetes, is even stronger than has previously been thought (Vandenberg, 2012). This example is only one in a series of chemical alarms in recent years; others being e.g. plasticizers like phtalates and bisphenol A in baby bottles. Furthermore, several popular books and movies have been released. Examples include the books "Slow death by rubber duck: How the toxic chemistry of everyday life affects our health"