Chapter 2. Teaching and Learning Chemistry through Argumentation

Different goals of high schools and vocational schools in Indonesia become the main factor causing the distinction of preparedness of chemistry teachers in using the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) approach in their teaching. Yet the High School Chemistry Teachers (HSCT) and Vocational School Chemistry Teachers (VSCT) need to have positive perceptions about STEM since it offers students meaningful chemistry learning. Through an explorative survey method, this research investigated in-service chemistry teachers' perspectives toward the implementation of STEM in high school and vocational schools of chemistry. A number of 131 in-service chemistry teachers (82 HSCT and 49 VSCT) from Yogyakarta, Indonesia, voluntarily participated in this research through a saturated sampling technique. Perception Scale on STEM (PC-STEM) consisting of 54 closed-ended questions and seven open-ended questions were used as the data collection tools. The data were analysed following content analysis using interpretive coding, descriptive statistics, and the one-way MANOVA test. The findings showed that HSCTs' and VSCTs' perspectives toward STEM fall into the good category. Thus, integrated STEM learning is potential to be used in chemistry lessons at high school and vocational school. However, there were no statistically significant differences in HSCT and VSCT perceptions about the implementation of STEM in chemistry learning. Unfortunately, despite their perception being good, both groups of teachers signified a poor experience in applying STEM in their chemistry lessons. Therefore, teachers' professional development program about STEM is needed for chemistry teachers to implement STEM-based chemistry learning.

This study has represented a model of experimental exercises in teaching chemistry. The model, which is the type of exercise associated with chemistry laboratories that when students answer them, they have to get the basic skills of practice chemistry. By analyzing the model of experimental exercises, we have proposed two underpinnings to design these exercises. On that basic, we proposed the way to design new experimental exercises. These methods are analyzed in detail and there are the attached application so that teacher can apply to design the same cases. Based on the proposed methods, we have designed sample exercises used in high school chemistry teaching. The exercises were solved clearly and evaluation of chemistry practical skills for students. This type of exercises is always attractive to create certain excitements for teachers and students in the teaching and learning chemistry in high school.

Even when chemistry teachers’ beliefs about assessment design align with literature-cited best practices, barriers can prevent teachers from enacting those beliefs when developing day-to-day assessments. In this paper, the relationship between high school chemistry teachers’ self-generated “best practices” for developing formative assessments and the assessments they implement in their courses are examined. Results from a detailed evaluation of several high school chemistry formative assessments, learning goals, and learning activities reveal that assessment items are often developed to require well-articulated tasks but lack either alignment regarding representational level or employ only one representational level for nearly all assessment items. Implications for the development of a chemistry-specific method for evaluating alignment are presented as well as implications for high school chemistry assessment design.

The author's research uncovers that the historical goals of introductory chemistry courses do not match the needs of students in various introductory courses nor those goals identified by college chemistry faculty members. The author questions whether current courses prepare students to deal with the changes chemistry is sure to face in the coming years and alerts instructors that considerations of goals in chemistry education are the first step in preparing students for such changes.

Chemistry learning should be able to integrate contextual chemistry problems and present the sophistication of 21st-century learning technology. As a product of 21st-century technology, social media can be used as chemistry learning media. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the views of chemistry teachers and pre-service chemistry teachers toward the potential use of social media as chemistry learning media. The Purposed-designed survey method that involved 76 chemistry teachers and 109 pre-service chemistry teachers as respondents was used in this study. A total of 40 question items were developed and distributed online using a Google form to respondents. Based on the results of the survey conducted, it is known that during online and offline chemistry learning, respondents are accustomed to using YouTube as chemistry learning media. In addition, Instagram is the social media most widely owned by pre-service chemistry teachers, while Facebook is the social media most commonly owned by chemistry teachers. Other results reveal that most respondents have the same screen time, more than 4 hours daily. This screen time is used by respondents for entertainment and looking for news information on social media. With this long screen time not used for learning, it can be a promising opportunity to use social media as chemistry learning media. This study is expected to be a reference for developing social media-based chemistry learning to increase student motivation and achievement.

A Science process skill (SPS) is a fundamental scientific method to achieve good knowledge. SPS can be categorized into two levels: basic and integrated. Learning SPS helps children to grow as individuals who can access knowledge and know how to acquire it. The primary outcomes of the scientific process in learning are the application of scientific processes, scientific reasoning, accurate knowledge, problem-solving, and understanding of the relationship between science, technology, society, and everyday life’s events. Teachers’ understanding of SPS is central to the application of SPS in a learning process. Following this point, this study aims to investigate the high school chemistry teachers’ understanding of SPS pertains to their assessment of SPS in chemistry learning. The understanding of SPS is measured from the conceptual and operational aspects of SPS. This research uses qualitative analysis method, and the sample consists of eight chemistry teachers selected by random sampling. A semi-structured interview procedure is used to collect the data. The result of the analysis shows that teachers’ conceptual and operational understanding of SPS is weak. It affects the accuracy and appropriateness of the teacher’s selection of SPS assessment in chemistry learning.

Chemistry is a science that causes human, political and social impacts. Contemporaneous didactic-pedagogical development programs have focused on reflexive teachers who participate in appropriation of knowledge with their students. These programs are based on a close relation between knowledge and learning. The teaching profession is complex and goes beyond knowing and teaching. The search for balance among required competencies in teaching degree programs is fundamental to develop teachers’ profiles. To reach balance, teachers’ early Education must be guided through the articulation path between specific knowledge and pedagogical knowledge. In Higher Education, teaching degrees in Chemistry should account for several aspects, such as the content to be taught, curriculum, pedagogy related to the course, scientific knowledge and other specificities about teaching and teaching of the chemical science. Keeping in mind the educational process of Chemistry teachers in Brazil, this study aimed at understanding – through scientific studies in the field of chemical Education – the development of Chemistry teachers’ practices in their lessons. The investigation aimed at discussing what influences specific and pedagogical development of Chemistry teachers and what challenges their work in Brazil nowadays. Twenty-five papers published in Brazilian journals were selected to determine how pedagogical knowledge is inserted into teacher Education programs that focus on undergraduate students in Chemistry. This paper also describes methodological strategies used by teachers to carry out their tasks. The methodology of the study had a qualitative-exploratory nature. Results reinsure that teachers, mainly Chemistry teachers, need to reflect upon methodologies they use, re-invent their practices, look for theoretical references and update their knowledge of Chemistry teaching.

The intent of this project was focused on designing appealing and educationally effective "greener" laboratory manuals for traditional introductory chemistry courses. Targeted courses were traditional and homeschool first-year high school chemistry courses and regular and web-based college chemistry courses for those who are not science majors. The manuals include engaging experiments that reinforce the concepts taught in the particular introductory chemistry course while eliminating the need for hazardous waste disposal. A kit was developed with eScienceLabs for the Web-based and homeschool manuals. Supplementary teachers' manuals have also been produced that include answers to pre-lab and post-lab questions in text. These include a unified materials section with an index of supplies. A web site was developed to make the Green Chemistry Laboratory Manual prepared for a traditional high school course available to high school chemistry teachers.

Context based learning approaches have been presented in this article as a way to enhance student’s interest in, as well as time economic learning outcomes from chemical education. In this article 16 years research based time economic study has been presented on hydrocarbon, aromaticity and chemical bonding to cultivate the interest of teaching and learning in organic and inorganic chemistry when solving context-based chemistry problems. In this pedagogical survey, we have tried to hub twelve (12) innovative and time economic methodologies by including thirty two (32) completely new formulae in the field of Chemical Education. Concepts that usually confuse the students in the examination hall have been explained here by some innovative methods based on applied mathematics. In this context, current trends in chemistry have been highlighted by some technical methods. The review explores the results and gives implications for context-based teaching, learning and assessment.

The first page of this article is displayed as the abstract.

In-service chemistry teachers' perceptions toward chemistry were important because their perceptions implied on the quality level of chemistry learning they would perform. This research focused to explore in-service high school chemistry teachers' view towards the difficulties in chemistry subject. To meet this purpose, a survey research with qualitative approach was implemented in this study. The participants include a total of 15 high school in-service chemistry teachers in Gunungkidul regency, Indonesia through saturated sampling. The Questionnaire of Teachers' View towards Chemistry (QTVC) that covers of six open-ended questions about in-service chemistry teachers' difficulties toward chemistry subject, the factors that make chemistry difficult to learn by students based on in-service chemistry teachers' view, and the difficulties of in-service chemistry teachers in teaching chemistry subject were used as the data collection tools. The data were analysed using content analysis of question-by-question with the combination of inductive and interpretative coding. The content analysis was performed on QTVC with each question has different number of categories. The findings on each question were presented with the number of frequencies and percentages on every category. The results of this research highlighted that most of in-service high school chemistry teachers feel that the molecular geometry, thermochemistry, and balancing redox reaction were the most difficult high school chemistry topic on grade X, XI, and XII respectively. While based on the participants' experience, the top three high school chemistry topics that most students found to be difficult to learn were the chemical calculation, balancing redox equation, and chemical equilibrium topics. Moreover, the chemical calculation and molecular geometry topic were the two high school chemistry topics that belong to the most difficult to teach. Several interested findings regarding the caused that makes chemistry to be difficult subject and efforts to overcome the difficulties were discussed in this paper.

The paper presents a comprehensive study of the literature on “project-based learning in high school chemistry”, as published in the Journal of Chemical Education from 2013 to 2023. It analyzes the characteristics of this subject area by examining factors such as publication year and frequency, types of literature, keywords, and content. The analysis delves into various aspects, including the expression of project-based learning outcomes, evaluation methods, interdisciplinarity, types of questions posed, and the potential and limitations in achieving the expected learning outcomes. Drawing from these analyses, this article identifies current research trends in project-based learning within high school chemistry, highlighting both existing strengths and limitations. Based on these insights, the study offers pedagogical and disciplinary recommendations as well as a practice model of project-based learning in high school chemistry. This framework aims to support and guide future research and practice for educators and researchers focusing on this topic, providing a foundation for enhancing the effectiveness and impact of project-based learning in chemistry education.

This paper presents the German translation and replication of the Students’ Understanding of Models in Science (SUMS) instrument, aiming to assess how first-semester university students comprehend the submicroscopic level in chemistry courses. The assessment of students’ understanding is a prerequisite for improving teaching practices, particularly in addressing the persistently high drop-out rates observed in chemistry and chemistry-related programs. Employing a quantitative methodology, a sample of 181 undergraduate chemistry students was surveyed. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, resulting in two statistical models that demonstrated an excellent fit to the data, although no empirical preference could be established for one model over the other. Based on the investigation, framing models as exact replicas of the natural world cannot be considered an empirically meaningful dimension of understanding models in science. Additionally, the reliabilities of the latent constructs were found to be insufficiently low to establish generalizable measurements. These findings are discussed with a focus on epistemology and advocate for a stronger integration of model theory in chemistry teaching and learning. Finally, the importance of establishing a stronger connection between empirical evidence and the implementation of curricular changes in higher education is emphasized.

Chemish, as the scientific language of chemistry, is essential for communicating in and understanding chemistry. At the same time, Chemish is one of the major difficulties in teaching and learning chemistry in the school context. Although in recent years the importance of language in general and scientific language in particular has been pointed out and much research has been carried out on these topics, less is known about (pre-service) chemistry teachers’ knowledge of teaching and learning the scientific language in chemistry classes. Thus, the research on Pedagogical Scientific Language Knowledge (PSLK) is missing. As this knowledge is crucial for (future) chemistry teachers to teach chemistry, in our survey, we seek to evaluate the extent of 41 pre-service chemistry teachers’ PSLK. The answers are analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results show that pre-service chemistry teachers’ content knowledge resembles the level of knowledge for higher secondary schools. Likewise, the pre-service chemistry teachers have a lack of incisive pedagogical content knowledge: although recognizing problems within Chemish, the pre-service chemistry teachers hardly address those and do not focus on the characteristics of Chemish while explaining scientific terms. On this basis, implications for further university chemistry teacher education and research will be drawn.

A peer mentoring program was added to an introductory chemistry course at a large university. The introductory chemistry course prepares students with little or no previous chemistry background to enter the main-stream general chemistry sequence and is part lecture and part small-group problem-solving. Faculty instructors are responsible for the lecture while peer mentors handle the group problem-solving portion. Peer mentors, recruited from previous introductory chemistry course, are chosen for their knowledge of the material and their helpfulness in group activities. While a number of studies on peer mentoring have reported the benefits to the mentored students, the present study looks at the benefits to the mentors. Grade enhancement in the mainstream general chemistry sequence, withdrawal rates, and number of additional chemistry courses taken by the mentors have been compared to under-prepared students who took the introductory chemistry course but did not serve as mentors and well-prepared students who did not need the introductory chemistry course. Our results show that mentors earned higher grades, withdrew from chemistry courses at a lower rate, and took more courses in chemistry than their counterparts. The enhanced achievement and retention of the mentors in chemistry suggests that programs that encourage under-prepared students to mentor are worthwhile endeavors.