Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 8.3
Negative (
a
,[
8
]) and mixed motive (
b
,[
9
]) from: “paint your image of chemistry”
This result correlates with the motives of the pictures, which were painted by
the same students: here, positive attitudes toward chemistry were found as well.
A successful chemical education should be built upon these positive attitudes.
Negative attitudes toward chemistry lessons may result from the way the school
chemistry is taught: chemistry teachers and researchers of chemistry didactics have
to find ways and means to improve chemical education.
8.2 Scientific Ideas: Chemistry Systematic Versus Everyday
Life Chemistry
Concerning the controversy of systematic versus everyday life chemistry Just [
10
]
stated: “
Everyday life chemistry
works with substances or processes of everyday
life.
Everyday life oriented chemistry lessons
mean in contrast more, namely to
focus chemistry lessons - as far as it is possible - consistently on everyday life.”
Christen [
11
] replied: “Everyday life or environmental chemistry is no alternative
to the scientific systematic way. Chemistry lessons may be oriented on everyday
terms, but my opinion: scientific chemistry should serve as the only guideline for
chemical education.”
This dispute runs through the entire literature of the didactics of chemistry (see
also Chap.
8.3
). To get better acquainted with the scientific view of this topic, some
scientific aspects of everyday life chemistry are presented.
Everyday phenomena and chemistry.
Chemistry lessons can help students to
acquire the scientific view for explanations of everyday phenomena. In particular, it
is possible to “undress the packaging” of the everyday phenomena and to
“translate” them into chemical processes. Some examples:
