Developing Students' Understanding of Chemical Concepts

Abstract

The word activity, over the years, has become synonymous with those things that are good in science education. New science teachers leave teacher education programs ready to change the system, to call on the mystical powers involved in activity-oriented science. Publishers promote their textbooks and programs as “activity-centered,” often with little regard to actual content. Professional journals support activities through first-person success stories and how-to-do-it articles. What is the rationale behind this “hands-on” approach? Why are activities considered more appropriate than other methods for achieving science objectives? Do certain kinds of activities contribute more to understanding of science than others? How does one change the curricular approach to stress process skills and thinking in science? These questions are a major focus of this chapter. After elaborating on several ways in which activities might positively affect learning, different kinds of activities will be defined and analyzed. Then one type—process skill activities—will be analyzed and illustrated in further detail.

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