In-service and pre-service teachers' opinion on the use of models in teaching chemistry

The presented study examined the opinion of in-service and prospective chemistry teachers about the importance of usage of molecular and crystal models in secondary-level school practice, and investigated some of the reasons for their (non-) usage. The majority of participants stated that the use of models plays an important role in chemistry education and that they would use them more often if the circumstances were more favourable. Many teachers claimed that three-dimensional (3d) models are still not available in sufficient number at their schools; they also pointed to the lack of available computer facilities during chemistry lessons. The research revealed that, besides the inadequate material circumstances, less than one third of participants are able to use simple (freeware) computer programs for drawing molecular structures and their presentation in virtual space; however both groups of teachers expressed the willingness to improve their knowledge in the subject area. The investigation points to several actions which could be undertaken to improve the current situation.

Using 3D Animations in Teaching Chemistry

This paper discuss possibilities of use of 3D animation as a tool for teaching Chemistry support. The research proposes to investigate the conception process and development of educational animations to use in a Blended Learning environment in undergraduate chemistry. Associated with general chemistry teachers, were raised the demands and difficulties on the content transmission, and the most relevant topics, about "Atomic Theory" with propose to create appropriate animations to meeting needs of themes. Thinking about offering more dynamic materials, we elaborate animations in a format of "micro-documentary", with a length between 4 and 7 minutes. We use the narration aloud to the subject-matter understanding, leaving the external text as a complement of the animation. The conclusions are positives, students accepted well the format and they proved are able to remember, organize and systematize several information presented in animations. These skills don't ensure knowledge acquisition, but may be considered prerequisites to learning occur.

The relationship of attitudes toward science, cognitive style, and self-concept to achievement in chemistry at the secondary school level

There is currently a crisis in science education in the United States. This statement is based on the National Science Foundation's report stating that the nation's students, on average, still rank near the bottom in science and math achievement internationally. ^ This crisis is the background of the problem for this study. This investigation studied learner variables that were thought to play a role in teaching chemistry at the secondary school level, and related them to achievement in the chemistry classroom. Among these, cognitive style (field dependence/independence), attitudes toward science, and self-concept had been given considerable attention by researchers in recent years. These variables were related to different competencies that could be used to measure the various types of achievement in the chemistry classroom at the secondary school level. These different competencies were called academic, laboratory, and problem solving achievement. Each of these chemistry achievement components may be related to a different set of learner variables, and the main purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of these relationships. ^ Three instruments to determine attitudes toward science, cognitive style, and self-concept were used for data collection. Teacher grades were used to determine chemistry achievement for each student. ^ Research questions were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficients and t-tests. Results indicated that field independence was significantly correlated with problem solving, academic, and laboratory achievement. Educational researchers should therefore investigate how to teach students to be more field independent so they can achieve at higher levels in chemistry. ^ It was also true that better attitudes toward the social benefits and problems that accompany scientific progress were significantly correlated with higher achievement on all three academic measures in chemistry. This suggests that educational researchers should investigate how students might be guided to manifest more favorable attitudes toward science so they will achieve at higher levels in chemistry. ^ An overall theme that emerged from this study was that findings refuted the idea that female students believed that science was for males only and was an inappropriate and unfeminine activity. This was true because when the means of males and females were compared on the three measures of chemistry achievement, there was no statistically significant difference between them on problem solving or academic achievement. However, females were significantly better in laboratory achievement. ^

Para além das fronteiras da química: relações entre filosofia, psicologia e ensino de química

The concepts of molecule and of molecular structure are so central to understand chemical phenomena that seems to be no doubt about the uniqueness of its meanings. Nevertheless, the idea that the world exhibits a multiform structure and that to different spheres of the world correspond different ways of knowing (Berger & Luckmann, 1967) has received support from different areas of scientific inquiry. Bachelard (1940, 1982) showed that a single philosophical doctrine is not enough to describe all the different ways of thinking when we try to explain a single concept. Wooley's question about the possibility of deducing the concept of molecular structure from quantum theory (Wooley, 1978) strengthened the feasibility of thinking the concept of molecule as a profile that encompasses different meanings. Moreover, research on students' learning of scientific concepts have brought to light that students use several ideas to explain scientific and everyday phenomena which are different from those learned in formal schooling. These ideas are not extinguished or replaced by scientific concepts, despite the efforts to do so in science classes. The common sense and scientific ways of understanding and talking about reality seems to be complementary in the same sense of the Bohr's complementarity (Halliday & Martin, 1993). So, we have to include in our profile of the concept of molecule not only scientific but also common sense zones. Drawing from Bachelard's notion of epistemological profile, from the history of science and from the research on children's ideas in science, we have developed the idea of a conceptual profile and used it to analyse basic scientific concepts, such as the concepts of matter and physical states of matter (Mortimer, 1995) and to investigate new ways to teach them. In the present paper, we will discuss the zones that might constitute a conceptual profile of molecule. The need of complementary views to account for the molecular structure in different contexts bring important issues for understanding and teaching chemistry, which will be discussed further in the article.

A prática docente na formação do pós-graduando em química

The present work describes how a group of chemistry graduate students have improved their teaching skills by teaching extension courses. It is suggested that future teachers have much to be gained by sharing the insights they have whilst teaching with their peers and students. This work explores the implications in teaching and learning and the relationship between teachers and students. This relationship requires mutual respect of ideas as well as continuous critical evaluation in both directions.

A Química Quântica na compreensão de teorias de Química Orgânica

Quantum chemical calculations were performed in order to obtain molecular properties such as electronic density, dipole moment, atomic charges, and bond lengths, which were compared to qualitative results based on the theories of the organic chemistry. The quantum chemistry computational can be a useful tool to support the main theories of the organic chemistry.

Hans Viertler: professor, cientista, gestor e amigo

Hans Viertler, a visionary, an example of institutional commitment, a great scientist, excellent and dedicated teacher, highly respected as a professional and admired for his leadership, wisdom, generosity, good humor, professional capacity, and balance. A life dedicated to the consolidation of Chemistry in Brazil, the teaching chemistry, the IQ-USP, the Brazilian Chemical Society (SBQ) and the CRQ-fourth region. Hans, a friend with a heart bigger than himself!

Atividade discursiva na formação de professores de química: a construção do diálogo coletivo

This research was conducted in a research network in teaching science/chemistry, as an alternative for initial and continuing teacher formation. The network is composed by teachers in initial formation, teacher trainers and teachers of basic education of the various areas of science. Assuming the socio-historical perspective, the discourse coming from the social interaction between the collective of teachers, was the object of study. We present an analysis of the interactions of the speech and reflections about the appropriation of scientific/chemical as a social practice mediated by language supplement our results.

Explorando as percepções de professores em serviço sobre as visualizações no ensino de química

Taking into account the requirements for the teaching of chemistry, several visualization resources (software, videos, animations, molecular models, among others) are available. These visual aids are used in order to enhance the understanding of chemical phenomena in the classroom. However, many teachers make scant use of these resources, limiting macroscopic understanding of chemical science. Thus, this article discusses chemistry teachers' views on several aspects such as using visual aids in teaching chemistry, a resource most widely used in classes on atomic models, isomerism and spatial geometry.

Concepções de licenciandos em química sobre visualizações no ensino de ciências em dois países: Brasil e Portugal

In this work, the beliefs of undergraduate students from Brazil and Portugal on the use of visual tools in teaching chemistry, which have increasingly been introduced in the areas of teaching/learning in these two countries in recent years, have been investigated. An interpretative analysis of the results shows little familiarity of students with specific points of the theme, beyond a poor conception about the way the visualization tools influence the construction of scientific concepts.

Resolución de problemas en el área de Ciencias de la Naturaleza de la ESO. Material de apoyo para actividades del profesorado.

La guía incluye material complementario: artículo de Ana Oyñobre, de Cuadernos de Pedagogía, sobre solución de problemas y otro de Herron et al.: Philosophy of teaching chemistry-Part II, publicado en Chem News y traducido por uno de los autores

A estratégia didática de resolução de problemas na formação de professores de química

In this work it is presented a research developed in the initial training of teachers of the chemistry graduation course at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). The intervention was realized in two classes in the context of a discipline in the curricular structure with nineteen undergraduate students of chemistry. The study utilizes characteristics of the qualitative approach and uses observation, questionnaires, interviews and examination papers. The experiment involved a sequence of activities fundamented on the Problem Solving (PS) teaching strategy to approach chemical concepts. The proposal was planned and organized according to the theoretical presupposition of the work developed by the authors of the Science Education in PS, of teaching experience and from the initial hypotheses of the research. The goal was that the future teachers could experience the strategy and advance to the new meanings. The themes addressed in the activities were the difference between exercises and problems, exercises turning into problems, the steps of problem solving and some implications of the teaching strategy for the work of the teacher. The results showed evidence that through a process of collective reflection, and from the difficulties experienced in the strategy practice, the undergraduates are introduced to new perspectives of reflection and action of teaching practice, and understanding some benefits of innovative proposals for the teaching of chemistry. It also showed that, although this theme is approached, in some moments of the graduation, the future teachers don‟t know when or how to realize activities in this perspective. From the aspects that rose in research we highlighted the difficulties in the problem solving steps, the use of the strategy in school and the knowledge and skills of the teacher for planning activities in Problem Solving

O uso de analogias para o ensino de equilíbrio químico no ensino médio: facilitação da aprendizagem ou transmissão de erros conceituais?

The use of analogies in high school is often useful for chemistry teaching, either on textbooks or by teachers in the classroom.This use is justified by the large number of abstract concepts that rules this course. Analogies are conceptualized by several authors, which converge on the idea that these are tools that seek a way to elucidate an unknown concept by comparing it to a familiar one, relating their similar and dissimilar features. An analysis on a survey of analogies found in high school chemistry textbooks and chemical equilibrium studies is performed in order to verify whether they are leading to misconceptions for their use by students and/or for their use by teachers in the classroom, or whether they promote a learning facilitation

A atuação de professores de acordo com as orientações da Proposta Curricular de Química do Estado de São Paulo

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Análise de produções didáticas de professores em formação inicial participantes do PIBID

As ferramentas visuais tem se mostrado eficazes no ensino de química. Essas ferramentas apresentam bases efetivas para a compreensão da química em seus três modos de representação (macroscópico, submicroscópico e simbólico). Apesar da importância da utilização destas ferramentas, muitos professores não estão preparados para sua utilização em sala de aula. Diante disso, surge a necessidade de formar professores com capacidades para criar metodologias que abordem as ferramentas visuais, pois estas podem facilitar o desenvolvimento da habilidade de interpretação de representações pelos estudantes. Esta pesquisa possui o objetivo de investigar se os bolsistas PIBID de química da USP, após atividades formativas, apresentaram em suas produções didáticas atividades que possuam indícios dos fatores que remetem ao desenvolvimento da habilidade representacional e se estas produções apresentam uma elevada exigência conceitual. A coleta de dados foi realizada por um acompanhamento da formação inicial a qual os bolsistas PIBID participaram. Após a formação os bolsistas acompanharam as aulas de química de uma escola da cidade de São Paulo. Durante este período os bolsistas planejaram aulas a serem aplicadas na escola. Ao final de todo o processo, os bolsistas PIBID redigiram um relatório contendo o que foi abordado, suas observações e avaliações das aulas. A análise do desenvolvimento da habilidade de interpretação de representações foi realizada através de uma metodologia qualitativa, na qual foram utilizados trechos dos relatórios que se enquadrassem ao modelo CRM, adaptado de Schonborn e Anderson (2009). Como foi observado que os bolsistas PIBID utilizaram diversos dos fatores do modelo CRM em suas produções didáticas, foi realizada uma análise para averiguar se estas produções também continham elevada exigência conceitual. O cálculo do nível de exigência conceitual foi realizado abordando uma metodologia mista, que envolve o método quantitativo e qualitativo. O cálculo mostrou que os relatórios apresentaram satisfatório nível de exigência conceitual. Com a análise foi possível concluir que esta pesquisa pode contribuir para a reflexão sobre a importância da formação de professores para o ensino de química/ciências, e ainda traz um modelo que pode servir como embasamento para que professores planejem suas aulas do modo a abordar a habilidade de interpretação de representações, que é fundamental para compreensão da química pelos estudantes.