The study diagnosed chemistry teacher trainees' difficulties in naming and writing structures of spiro and bicyclic compounds. The case study design was conducted in a constructivist environment to enhance chemistry teacher trainees' ability to construct, represent, and interpret the structural formulae of spiro and bicyclic compounds. Purposive…

The focus of the present study is the learning processes of concepts related to hydrogen bonds, which were developed using a didactic sequence (DS). Based on the perspective of Imre Lakatos, it was observed whether the explanatory models created by upper-secondary students form progressive transition sequences, which are similar to what Lakatos,…

Analogies and modelling have been developed and applied in learning and teaching science to facilitate students' understanding of abstract concepts, such as atomic structure. Considering few studies focus on comparing the effects of two teaching strategies--analogy-based teaching (ABT) and modelling-based teaching (MBT)--this study aims to compare…

Student-generated drawings are known to be effective in building and revealing students' conceptions of chemistry. Some chemistry concepts, moreover, include changes and processes that cannot be merely represented by static drawings. Computer-based animations are needed to represent the dynamics. In this study, 25 chemistry student teachers, who…

Visuo-semiotic models, such as Lewis structures and ball & stick models, are widely used to enhance students' learning. However, there is limited research about the impact of these models on specific visuo-semiotic reasoning skills. In the current research, we aimed to determine the extent to which physical molecular models could enhance…

During the last three decades, chemical education in Slovenia has developed mainly in two chemistry education research groups, one located at the University of Ljubljana and the other at the University of Maribor. The present study aims to identify research papers in the field of chemical education published between 1991 and 2019 through a…

The increasing use of information technology in the discovery of new molecular entities encourages the use of modern molecular-modeling tools to help teach important concepts of drug design to chemistry and pharmacy undergraduate students. In particular, statistical models such as quantitative structure--activity relationships (QSAR)--often as its…

The Australian Curriculum (n.d.) describes chemistry as having three interrelated strands, Science Inquiry Skills, Science as a Human Endeavour and Science Understanding. It also states "... the three strands of the Australian Curriculum: Science should be taught in an integrated way". This article will explore a model for integrating…

Spatial ability is an important tool in chemistry and this ability can be improved. Various technologies have been used to improve spatial ability. However, it is not clear if viewing technologies should take the place of the model kit; the traditional method of learning about molecular structures. Our research aims to address this gap. In our…

This study aimed to identify the needs of a 10th grade congenitally blind student in an inclusive chemistry classroom and design and develop tactile materials to teach the 'energy in living systems' topic with particular emphasis on covering the symbolic language of the chemistry. A single case study design was used to carry out an in-depth and…

This paper proposes a model-based notion of "submicro representations of chemical reactions". Based on three structural models of matter (the simple particle model, the atomic model and the free electron model of metals), we suggest there are two major models of reaction in school chemistry curricula: (a) reactions that are simple…

In this letter we present an innovative and cost-effective method of constructing crystal structures using Dual Lock fastening adhesive tape with table tennis (ping pong) balls. The use of these fasteners allows the balls to be easily assembled into layers to model various crystal structures and unit cells and then completely disassembled again.…

The four representative models that define oxidation-reduction reactions are often used differently in different situations or contexts in chemistry textbooks. Although integrated models have been suggested to overcome the confusion caused by this, they have not been successful. We therefore aim to interpret the causes for difficulties in the…

The plant taxonomy textbooks that are generally used in colleges need to be complemented with a DNA-based molecular review. In general, plant taxonomy textbooks devote more space to morphology than to molecular-level characteristics. The research reported here used the results of DNA-based research to develop a molecular plant taxonomy textbook.…

Introducing Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (NST) topics into school science curricula is considered useful for an in-depth understanding of the content, processes and nature of science and technology, and also for negotiating the social aspects of science. This study examines (a) the development of an inquiry-based Teaching-Learning Sequence (TLS)…