Revisiting the chemistry triplet: drawing upon the nature of chemical knowledge and the psychology of learning to inform chemistry education
One of my publications is the paper:
Taber, K. S. (2013). Revisiting the chemistry triplet: drawing upon the nature of chemical knowledge and the psychology of learning to inform chemistry education. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 14(2), 156-168. doi:10.1039/C3RP00012E
Abstract:
Much scholarship in chemical education draws upon the model of there being three 'levels' at which the teaching and learning of chemistry operates, a notion which is often represented graphically in terms of a triangle with the apices labelled as macroscopic, submicroscopic and symbolic. This model was proposed by Johnstone who argued that chemistry education needs to take into account ideas deriving from psychological research on cognition about how information is processed in learning. Johnstone's model, or the 'chemistry triplet', has been widely taken-up in chemistry education, but has also been developed and reconceptualised in diverse ways such that there is no canonical form generally adopted in the community. Three decades on from the introduction of Johnstone's model of the three levels, the present perspective article revisits both the analysis of chemical knowledge itself, and key ideas from the learning sciences that can offer insights into how to best teach the macroscopic, submicroscopic and symbolic aspects of chemical knowledge.
Learning chemistry involves re-descriptions (represented by the arrows) between the everyday language of direct experience and formal representations of the conceptualisation of the subject at two distinct levels. (p.165)
Content:
Introduction
Johnstone's triangle, or the chemistry triplet
Revisiting the relationship between the macroscopic, the submicroscopic and the symbolic
Two central problems in chemical education: theorising phenomena; and submicroscopic models
The importance of having a specialised language
Relating the nature of chemistry to the science of learning
A learning science perspective 1: revisiting the information processing perspective
A learning science perspective 2: meaningful learning and memory consolidation
A learning science perspective 3: teaching as scaffolding
Revisiting the chemistry triplet: implications for developing pedagogy
This article is available free* from the Royal Society of Chemistry at : https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2013/rp/c3rp00012e#!divAbstract
(*Accessible by institutional log-in, RSC member log-in, OR registering for a free account.)
If for any reason you cannot access the published version, my manuscript version can be downloaded here
