Evaluating Drawings to Explore Chemistry Teachers’ Pedagogical Attitudes - Affective Dimensions in Chemistry Education - page 264

Fig. 7 Example
representing a mainly
student-centered, modern
approach to teaching and
learning chemistry

attitude in this classroom. We see only symbols of teaching and symbols of
scientific knowledge in this picture. This drawing represents a rather student-
centered situation. Based in the qualitative interpretation pattern, this drawing can
be considered to be quite modern in its educational attitude. Student activities are at
the core, even if the teacher still initiates and controls learners

activities. Pupils can
be seen working in groups, based upon materials which were organized and
provided by the teacher. Although the teacher still controls the student activities
in this picture, learning becomes constructivist rather than receptive from this point
onward. It changes into an increasingly autonomous, self-directed activity free of
the teacher, even though the picture and narrative reveal that the teaching and
learning process was thought to be initiated and directed by the teacher. The
narrative also made it clear that the learning of competencies, problem-solving,
critical thinking in relevant contexts, and other affective outcomes were recognized
teaching goals, even if the learning of scientific facts and theories remained the
major aim.

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4.4 Example 4

In the fourth example (Fig. 8 ), it is even more difficult to recognize the teacher. In
most extremely student-centered, modern drawings, the teacher is shown
performing activities together with the pupils (collecting data, planting, etc.)
without playing a specific role. Arrows are often used to show that the teacher is