Chemical pedagogy

Instructional approaches and teaching techniques in chemistry

Forthcoming

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Due: December 2024

A volume in the Royal Society of Chemistry's Advances in Chemistry Education books series.

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Outline contents:

• Section A: Perspectives on Teaching and Learning
  • Chapter 1: An Introduction to Chemical Pedagogy
    • Introduction
    • The Role of Laboratory Work
    • The Structure of the Book
    • The Rationale for the Structure
    • Not Just a Technical Approach to Teaching
    • Pedagogy?
    • The Curriculum and Educational Aims
    • Curricular Aims in Chemistry Education
  • Chapter 2: Evaluating Pedagogy Through Experimental Studies of Teaching
    • Introduction
    • The Challenges of Experimental Methods in TestingPedagogy
    • Units of Analysis
    • Why do Statistical Test Results Matter?
    • Sampling in Research
    • The 'Gold Standard': Random Control Trials
    • Limitations of Random Control Trials
    • Should we Abandon Experimental Research into Teaching?
    • Investigating Pedagogy in Different Contexts and with Complementary Approaches
    • Principles for Improving the Informativeness of Multiple Studies
    • Concluding Comment
  • Chapter 3: Debates About Pedagogy
    • Introduction
    • A Key Idea: Constructivism
    • Responding to Individual Needs: Personalisation and Differentiation
    • Active Learning
    • Independent Versus Cooperative Working
    • Should Teaching Groups be Heterogenous:
    • Debates About 'Mixed Ability' Teaching
    • Should We Teach for Different 'Learning Styles'?
    • The (Claimed) Superiority of Direct Instruction
  • Chapter 4: Optimally Guided Instruction
    • Introduction
    • Scaffolding Learning
    • Educative Experiences
    • A Community of Practice?
    • Flowing in the Zone
    • What Might Scaffolding Actually Look Like?
    • An Example of Scaffolding Science Learning
• Section B: Teaching Strategies and Methodologies
  • Chapter 5: Introduction – Considering Levels of Structure in
    the Curriculum
    • Fine Structure
    • Developing Teaching Sequences
    • Three Stages in Selecting Subject Matter for a Curriculum
    • Considerations in Specifying a Curriculum
    • The Nature of Concepts
    • Devising a Logical Sequence for Introducing
      Concepts
    • Secondary Structure: The Spiral Curriculum
    • Tertiary Structure: Teaching as Drip-feed
    • Is There Quaternary Structure?
    • Conclusion: S⁵
  • Chapter 6: Matching Teaching to Learners
    • Introduction
    • Pre-testing Learners
    • Concept Inventories and Diagnostic Instruments
    • Examples of Diagnostic Instruments
    • Formative Assessment
    • A Typology of Learning Impediments: Being a
      Learning Doctor
    • Differentiating Instruction
  • Chapter 7: Making the Unfamiliar Familiar: Presenting Subject Matter
    • Introduction
    • The Rationale
    • Catalysing Student Learning
    • Making the Chemistry Classroom Epistemologically Sophisticated
    • Bridging Analogies
    • Using Language to Draw Comparisons
    • Using Models
    • Representations in Chemistry
    • Using Drama Based Activities
    • Can I Tell You a Story?
    • Simulations, Virtual, and Augmented Reality
    • Multi-modal Teaching and Learning?
    • Making the Unfamiliar Familiar Relies on the Familiar
  • Chapter 8: Lectures and Laboratories: Their Discontents and Alternatives
    • Introduction
    • A Caricature of Traditional Teaching
    • Demonstrations
    • Prelabs
    • Challenging the Traditional Lecture
    • The Interactive Lecture
    • Blended Learning
    • Flipped Learning
    • Conclusion: Should all Lectures be Flipped?
  • Chapter 9: Engaging Different Voices in the Chemistry Classroom
    • Introduction
    • Peer Tutoring, Mentoring and the Use of TeachingAssistants
    • Dialogic Teaching
    • Group Work
    • Argumentation in Chemistry Education
    • Teaching About Scientific Explanation
    • P-O-E: Predict, Observe, Explain
    • Jigsaw Learning
    • Chapter Conclusion
  • Chapter 10: Designing and Curating Learning Resources
    • Introduction
    • Resources to Support Scaffolding?
    • Scaffolding: Building a Bridge Between Exercises and Problems
    • Gamifying Drill-and-practice
    • Exercises to Support Scaffolding
    • Some Examples of How Structured Sequences of Exercises Might Work
    • Exemplification Tasks
    • Sorting Tasks
    • DARTs (Directed Activities Related to Text)
    • Textbooks
    • Concept Mapping
    • Curating Learning Resources
    • Teacher or Learning Facilitator
    • Postscript – What is Science?
  • Chapter 11: Strategies for Organising Chemistry Teaching
    • Introduction to Chapter 11
    • Context-based Learning
    • Enquiry-based Science Education
    • Case-based Learning
    • Using Historical Materials in Teaching
    • Problem-based Learning
    • Project-based Learning
    • Final Thoughts
  • Chapter 12: Learners Choosing and Creating
  • Introduction
    • Learner Autonomy
    • Learner Choice
    • Students Creating
    • More Research is Needed. . .
    • Final Thoughts: Building up a Library to Support Research-informed Chemistry Teaching

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