The aim of this study is to develop a framework for professional development programmes that empowers chemistry teachers to teach and design context-based chemistry curricula. Firstly, teachers’ involvement, their concerns and their professional development in several context-based curriculum innovations is discussed. Secondly, to develop such a framework, a theory for (teacher) learning is needed. From an overview of several theories for (teacher) learning, an adapted version of Galperin’s theory for the internalisation of mental actions is selected. Thirdly, this theory is combined with four strategies for professional development, five events for teacher-based curriculum design, and specific goals into a framework for this kind of professional development programmes. This framework will contribute to a better understanding of the relations between the goals of such professional development programmes, the intended learning processes of the teachers and the sequence of events in such programmes. Empirical research with this framework is recommended.

The case for chemistry instruction based on worked examples is presented, using a contemporary model of human learning. We begin by detailing human cognitive architecture and outlining the Interactive Compensatory Model of Learning (ICML). Through the ICML, the role of motivation, deliberate practice and feedback are detailed as key variables in the development of expertise. Using instructional examples, the strategy of worked example-based learning is described and contrasted with more open-ended forms of instruction. The learning mechanism inherent in instruction based on worked examples is shown to be theoretically consistent with the principles of the ICML.

An original study about beliefs, conceptions and discourse analyses of organic chemistry teachers is presented. We used Likert questionnaires and discourse analysis to examine conceptions of the nature of science, learning and teaching at university level. A case study of four female teachers with varying experience and teacher training was performed. The results show that when teachers were asked about their beliefs, they tended to express constructivist ideas, especially about the nature of science. However, in their practical discourse, during the classes, they exhibited more traditional positions. The discourse analyses then become a powerful tool which can be considered a beliefsgate to analyse conceptions.

This paper gives insights into the beliefs of 85 German first year chemistry student teachers about chemistry teaching and learning at the beginning of their teacher education. The study is based on student teachers drawings of themselves in a typical classroom situation and four open questions. The approach evaluated: (I) Beliefs about Classroom Organisation, (II) Beliefs about Teaching Objectives, and (III) Epistemological Beliefs. The tool, evaluation pattern and the results of the 85 first year chemistry student teachers evaluated by Grounded Theory are discussed and compared with similar studies from secondary biology, secondary physics, and primary science education, respectively. The results show that the first year chemistry student teachers in this sample hold heterogeneous beliefs about science teaching and learning. A minority are oriented around modern theories of learning, especially in their epistemological beliefs; the majority tend towards more traditional beliefs of chemistry teaching, not in line with modern educational theory. The latter tendencies are not as strong as they are among their physics colleagues. Beliefs of their biology colleagues and even more so among first year primary science student teachers from our sample are much more student-centred, oriented towards scientific literacy and constructivistic learning. Implications for teacher education are discussed.

Even after repeated instruction, first year college chemistry students are often unable to apply stoichiometry knowledge to equilibrium and acid-base chemistry problems. The dynamic and interactive capabilities of online technology may facilitate stoichiometry instruction that promotes more meaningful learning. This study compares a technology-rich stoichiometry review course with a text-based study guide. The technology-rich course included: an overarching real-world story to both motivate the students and integrate ideas; the use of an exploratory virtual laboratory to support concept development and procedural practice; a variety of practice contexts; and feedback on both intermediate actions and submitted answers during student practice. The text-based study guide covered the same topics but without the dynamic interface, timely and informative feedback, or overarching storyline. Entering college freshmen volunteers were randomly assigned to either the technology-rich or the text-based materials. Analysis of post-test scores revealed a significant but small advantage for participants studying from the technology-rich course, but it was less important than the effects of SAT scores and gender. The degree of interaction with the Virtual Lab simulation was significantly directly related to post-test performance and eclipsed any effect of prior knowledge as measured by the SAT.

Many students perform extraction experiments without connecting relevant molecular features to corresponding macroscopic features. Two versions of an Organic Extraction Simulation, one with text captions and the other with narration accompanying the animation, were developed based on a cognitive view of multimedia learning. This instructional module was intended to help students to visualize extraction concepts at the molecular level, and to connect these concepts with corresponding macroscopic procedure. Organic Chemistry I students (N = 106) were randomly assigned to use one of two versions of the simulation (with text or narration). They completed a spatial ability test, and a pre-test and a post-test on organic extraction concepts. Post-test scores for both versions were significantly higher than pre-test scores. MANCOVA with a pre-test score covariate indicated that simulation version had a significant effect on lower-order cognitive questions (p = 0.036), while spatial ability was significantly correlated with higher-order cognitive questions (p = 0.004). Students in the narration group had significantly more positive attitudes towards the effectiveness of the simulation than did those in the text group.

Mission statements of most HEIs across the UK support 'student centred learning'. In this paper, it is suggested that 'teacher centred teaching' should also have a major role to play, improving the quality of the learning experience in higher education. Students are extremely diverse in their skills, weaknesses, and learning styles, but lecturers are just as diverse in their abilities and areas of expertise. Moreover, teaching methods are now more varied than ever before (e.g. lectures, tutorials, workshops, labs, ebl/pbl, on-line provision, transferable skills exercises), often requiring specialist skills that not every university lecturer possesses. Identifying those strengths and weaknesses, and building our teaching around the qualities of our teachers, is surely one way of improving the student learning environment, and perhaps leading to happier students and more fulfilled lecturers.

Problem solving is an essential skill for undergraduate chemists to acquire. Many problem solving activities encountered on undergraduate programmes are algorithmic, and require lower order cognitive skills to be applied in order to reach a solution. We have developed a number of open-ended problems that use a real life context and require the application of higher order cognitive skills. Students cognitive style has been determined and correlated with success in solving these problems. Early indications are that there is a correlation between field independence and problem solving ability.

Although problem solving is a very important higher-order cognitive skill, our students seem to believe that this activity does not deserve too much effort and they develop the attitude that arriving at the answer is more important than understanding the process of solution. This is due in part to the way we teach problem solving. Usually, when teaching, we show them only some stages of the process, neglecting the analysis stage, because as experts we are now no longer able to recall the effort we had to expend the first time we tried to solve a problem, since it is now familiar to us. From our presentation, students see a clean, even elegant solution, having little in common with the uncertainty and the fuzzy thinking that they experience when they try to solve a problem by themselves. From research we know that it is quite difficult for students to develop creative solutions to problems. The results reported here are promising in making students active developers of original solutions. These results are tentatively attributed to the use of an active method of learning and to the students' motivation. [Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 2006, 7 (2), 131-140]

On-line learning support for foundation chemistry was supplied to health science students via Blackboard and interactive web pages. The examples supplied were deliberately numerous, and very gently staged in order of difficulty. Our experience confirmed the advantages of using JavaScript rather than commercial software in the provision of this material. Students appeared to be enthusiastic and extremely grateful for provision of this additional learning material, but it was found that use of the material was mainly by students that were already both conscientious and good attendees. Preliminary indications were that most students, who regularly accessed the material, achieved better examinations results than those who did not although, as yet, we cannot claim these results are statistically significant. [Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 2006, 7 (3), 185-194]