Quality, Level, and Acceptability, of Explanation in Chemical Education

Chemistry seeks to provide causal explanations of phenomena that fall within its domain: to say why things happen and why they are as they are. The highest quality of causal explanation available in any field of chemistry can be defined as that currently used at the frontiers of enquiry in that field and will vary with time where that frontier is moving. An explanation of any given quality depends on the nature of the model that underpins it. This is reflected in the range of phenomena to which is can be applied and in the successful predictions to which it gives rise. Chemical education should ultimately lead, though a series of levels, to an understanding of those models currently producing the highest quality explanations. In the reality of the classroom, an acceptable explanation will be one that is taught in expectation that students will be able to understand, remember, and use it in relation to phenomena to which they can have access, often in a laboratory. However, students often learn explanations that are poorer in quality and at a more primitive level than is acceptable.

Contents:

On the notion of ‘explanation’ in chemistry
On the teaching of explanations in chemical education
On the learning of explanations in chemistry
Alternative explanations
Non-logical explanations
Pseudo–explanations
Teleological explanation
Discussion