Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
Formulae often dominate our curricula. As long as the learner does not compre-
hend the information content of these symbols, they also do not understand the
chemistry. They often make fun of their incomprehension of chemistry, and say:
“I never understood chemistry - but look what high level position I could reach
without it” [
2
].
Apparently, many teachers were not successful in teaching - and in reaching the
goals of science education in the way experts from important professional
associations recommend: “Mathematics and science education are essential parts
of the general knowledge; they support the personality development through
teaching scientific knowledge and methodological competence. They also allow a
basic understanding of technical questions and therefore they are a basis for a
responsible participation in the social discussion of possibilities and limits of
technical development. Mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology contribute
to the scientific knowledge - only a solid basis of science education can support
interdisciplinary learning and the understanding of the complexity and interdepen-
dence of natural or technical problems” [
3
].
To contribute chemistry contents to the general knowledge along those lines, the
goals of chemistry teaching have to be discussed continuously and reformulated
according to current perceptions so that the result is a good understanding of
chemistry for the learner. The following science education and pedagogical fields
have to be considered for a reasonable discussion of these basic questions:
- Goals of teaching and learning, their dimensions and taxonomies
- Goals on the basis of different didactical models and convictions
- Teaching analysis based on those goals
3.1 Scientific Ideas: Teaching Goals and Their Dimensions
The amount of scientific knowledge doubles about every 10 years. Consequently,
it needs to be discussed which attitudes, behaviors, skills, and knowledge have to be
demanded of today's students. German officials therefore ask: “With which objects
and contents should the learner be confronted? In what steps, how and with which
material should they learn? How can the achievements be tested?” [
4
].
Different levels have to be distinguished for the teaching goals, general headline
goals, or educational goals which cover all fields of education at school or schooling
in general.
Headline goals
are related to specific teaching intentions of the subjects,
and
detailed goals
are related to single learning steps in a certain teaching unit.
Operationalized goals
specify the learner's operations, which are to be learned
during a special lesson; they give precise behavioral dispositions, which are being
expected. One example: “The students are to choose three out of five acid-base
indicators and state their colors in the acidic and alkaline range.” Since these
concrete operationalizations require constant control by written tests or oral
examinations to evaluate the learner's expected behavior, this kind of goals did
not become accepted.
