Ebook: Concepts of Matter in Science Education

Bringing together a wide collection of ideas, reviews, analyses and new research on particulate and structural concepts of matter, Concepts of Matter in Science Education informs practice from pre-school through graduate school learning and teaching and aims to inspire progress in science education. The expert contributors offer a range of reviews and critical analyses of related literature and in-depth analysis of specific issues, as well as new research. Among the themes covered are learning progressions for teaching a particle model of matter, the mental models of both students and teachers of the particulate nature of matter, educational technology, chemical reactions and chemical phenomena, chemical structure and bonding, quantum chemistry and the history and philosophy of science relating to the particulate nature of matter. The book will benefit a wide audience including classroom practitioners and student teachers at every educational level, teacher educators and researchers in science education.

"If gaining the precise meaning in particulate terms of what is solid, what is liquid, and that air is a gas, were that simple, we would not be confronted with another book which, while suggesting new approaches to teaching these topics, confirms they are still very difficult for students to learn".

Peter Fensham, Emeritus Professor Monash University, Adjunct Professor QUT

(from the foreword to this book)

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Bringing together a wide collection of ideas, reviews, analyses and new research on particulate and structural concepts of matter, Concepts of Matter in Science Education informs practice from pre-school through graduate school learning and teaching and aims to inspire progress in science education. The expert contributors offer a range of reviews and critical analyses of related literature and in-depth analysis of specific issues, as well as new research. Among the themes covered are learning progressions for teaching a particle model of matter, the mental models of both students and teachers of the particulate nature of matter, educational technology, chemical reactions and chemical phenomena, chemical structure and bonding, quantum chemistry and the history and philosophy of science relating to the particulate nature of matter. The book will benefit a wide audience including classroom practitioners and student teachers at every educational level, teacher educators and researchers in science education.

"If gaining the precise meaning in particulate terms of what is solid, what is liquid, and that air is a gas, were that simple, we would not be confronted with another book which, while suggesting new approaches to teaching these topics, confirms they are still very difficult for students to learn".

Peter Fensham, Emeritus Professor Monash University, Adjunct Professor QUT (from the foreword to this book)

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Bringing together a wide collection of ideas, reviews, analyses and new research on particulate and structural concepts of matter, Concepts of Matter in Science Education informs practice from pre-school through graduate school learning and teaching and aims to inspire progress in science education. The expert contributors offer a range of reviews and critical analyses of related literature and in-depth analysis of specific issues, as well as new research. Among the themes covered are learning progressions for teaching a particle model of matter, the mental models of both students and teachers of the particulate nature of matter, educational technology, chemical reactions and chemical phenomena, chemical structure and bonding, quantum chemistry and the history and philosophy of science relating to the particulate nature of matter. The book will benefit a wide audience including classroom practitioners and student teachers at every educational level, teacher educators and researchers in science education.

"If gaining the precise meaning in particulate terms of what is solid, what is liquid, and that air is a gas, were that simple, we would not be confronted with another book which, while suggesting new approaches to teaching these topics, confirms they are still very difficult for students to learn".

Peter Fensham, Emeritus Professor Monash University, Adjunct Professor QUT (from the foreword to this book)

Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xxiii
Front Matter....Pages 9-9
Learning Progression Developed to Support Students in Building a Particle Model of Matter....Pages 11-45
How Students’ Understanding of Particle Theory Develops: A Learning Progression....Pages 47-67
Implicit Assumptions and Progress Variables in a Learning Progression About Structure and Motion of Matter....Pages 69-94
At the Beginning Was Amount of Material: A Learning Progression for Matter for Early Elementary Grades....Pages 95-122
Front Matter....Pages 123-123
Understanding of Basic Particle Nature of Matter Concepts by Secondary School Students Following an Intervention Programme....Pages 125-141
The Use of Multiple Perspectives of Conceptual Change to Investigate Students’ Mental Models of Gas Particles....Pages 143-168
The Atom as a Tiny Solar System: Turkish High School Students’ Understanding of the Atom in Relation to a Common Teaching Analogy....Pages 169-198
A Study on the Exploratory Use of Microscopic Models as Investigative Tools: The Case of Electrostatic Polarization....Pages 199-212
Teacher Pathways Through the Particulate Nature of Matter in Lower Secondary School Chemistry: Continuous Switching Between Different Models or a Coherent Conceptual Structure?....Pages 213-230
What Do We Know About Students’ Beliefs? Changes in Students’ Conceptions of the Particulate Nature of Matter from Pre-instruction to College....Pages 231-247
Diagnostic Assessment of Student Understanding of the Particulate Nature of Matter: Decades of Research....Pages 249-278
Front Matter....Pages 279-279
Dynamic Visualizations: Tools for Understanding the Particulate Nature of Matter....Pages 281-300
From the Scientific to the Educational: Using Monte Carlo Simulations of the Microkosmos for Science Education by Inquiry....Pages 301-315
Front Matter....Pages 317-317
Can Simple Particle Models Support Satisfying Explanations of Chemical Changes for Young Students?....Pages 319-329
How Do Students Reason About Chemical Substances and Reactions?....Pages 331-346
Developing Chemical Understanding in the Explanatory Vacuum: Swedish High School Students’ Use of an Anthropomorphic Conceptual Framework to Make Sense of Chemical Phenomena....Pages 347-370
Front Matter....Pages 371-371
Teaching and Learning of the Chemical Bonding Concept: Problems and Some Pedagogical Issues and Recommendations....Pages 373-390
A Common Core to Chemical Conceptions: Learners’ Conceptions of Chemical Stability, Change and Bonding....Pages 391-418
Macro–Micro Thinking with Structure–Property Relations: Integrating ‘Meso-levels’ in Secondary Education....Pages 419-436
Introduction: Concepts of Matter – Complex to Teach and Difficult to Learn....Pages 1-8
Front Matter....Pages 371-371
Learning and Teaching the Basic Quantum Chemical Concepts....Pages 437-460
Front Matter....Pages 461-461
Investigating the Historical Development of the Concept of Matter: Controversies About/In Ancient Atomism....Pages 463-483
Toward a Scientifically Sound Understanding of Concepts of Matter....Pages 485-520
Back Matter....Pages 521-524

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Bringing together a wide collection of ideas, reviews, analyses and new research on particulate and structural concepts of matter, Concepts of Matter in Science Education informs practice from pre-school through graduate school learning and teaching and aims to inspire progress in science education. The expert contributors offer a range of reviews and critical analyses of related literature and in-depth analysis of specific issues, as well as new research. Among the themes covered are learning progressions for teaching a particle model of matter, the mental models of both students and teachers of the particulate nature of matter, educational technology, chemical reactions and chemical phenomena, chemical structure and bonding, quantum chemistry and the history and philosophy of science relating to the particulate nature of matter. The book will benefit a wide audience including classroom practitioners and student teachers at every educational level, teacher educators and researchers in science education.

"If gaining the precise meaning in particulate terms of what is solid, what is liquid, and that air is a gas, were that simple, we would not be confronted with another book which, while suggesting new approaches to teaching these topics, confirms they are still very difficult for students to learn".

Peter Fensham, Emeritus Professor Monash University, Adjunct Professor QUT (from the foreword to this book)

Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xxiii
Front Matter....Pages 9-9
Learning Progression Developed to Support Students in Building a Particle Model of Matter....Pages 11-45
How Students’ Understanding of Particle Theory Develops: A Learning Progression....Pages 47-67
Implicit Assumptions and Progress Variables in a Learning Progression About Structure and Motion of Matter....Pages 69-94
At the Beginning Was Amount of Material: A Learning Progression for Matter for Early Elementary Grades....Pages 95-122
Front Matter....Pages 123-123
Understanding of Basic Particle Nature of Matter Concepts by Secondary School Students Following an Intervention Programme....Pages 125-141
The Use of Multiple Perspectives of Conceptual Change to Investigate Students’ Mental Models of Gas Particles....Pages 143-168
The Atom as a Tiny Solar System: Turkish High School Students’ Understanding of the Atom in Relation to a Common Teaching Analogy....Pages 169-198
A Study on the Exploratory Use of Microscopic Models as Investigative Tools: The Case of Electrostatic Polarization....Pages 199-212
Teacher Pathways Through the Particulate Nature of Matter in Lower Secondary School Chemistry: Continuous Switching Between Different Models or a Coherent Conceptual Structure?....Pages 213-230
What Do We Know About Students’ Beliefs? Changes in Students’ Conceptions of the Particulate Nature of Matter from Pre-instruction to College....Pages 231-247
Diagnostic Assessment of Student Understanding of the Particulate Nature of Matter: Decades of Research....Pages 249-278
Front Matter....Pages 279-279
Dynamic Visualizations: Tools for Understanding the Particulate Nature of Matter....Pages 281-300
From the Scientific to the Educational: Using Monte Carlo Simulations of the Microkosmos for Science Education by Inquiry....Pages 301-315
Front Matter....Pages 317-317
Can Simple Particle Models Support Satisfying Explanations of Chemical Changes for Young Students?....Pages 319-329
How Do Students Reason About Chemical Substances and Reactions?....Pages 331-346
Developing Chemical Understanding in the Explanatory Vacuum: Swedish High School Students’ Use of an Anthropomorphic Conceptual Framework to Make Sense of Chemical Phenomena....Pages 347-370
Front Matter....Pages 371-371
Teaching and Learning of the Chemical Bonding Concept: Problems and Some Pedagogical Issues and Recommendations....Pages 373-390
A Common Core to Chemical Conceptions: Learners’ Conceptions of Chemical Stability, Change and Bonding....Pages 391-418
Macro–Micro Thinking with Structure–Property Relations: Integrating ‘Meso-levels’ in Secondary Education....Pages 419-436
Introduction: Concepts of Matter – Complex to Teach and Difficult to Learn....Pages 1-8
Front Matter....Pages 371-371
Learning and Teaching the Basic Quantum Chemical Concepts....Pages 437-460
Front Matter....Pages 461-461
Investigating the Historical Development of the Concept of Matter: Controversies About/In Ancient Atomism....Pages 463-483
Toward a Scientifically Sound Understanding of Concepts of Matter....Pages 485-520
Back Matter....Pages 521-524
....