Purposeful practical

By David Read2014-01-07T00:00:00

Source: © Cultura Creative / Alamy

Investigation into teachers’ thinking

The issue of practical work in chemistry is always sure to spark debate. Question marks often arise regarding the precise purpose of different types of practical activity, and it is sometimes suggested that teachers give little consideration as to why they engage students in practical work. In his article, Lewthwaite reports the findings of an investigation into teachers’ thinking about practical work to either validate or dispel this view.

The study was carried out at the end of a five year CPD programme for chemistry teachers advocating the application of Mahaffy’s ‘tetrahedron’, which adds the ‘human element’ to Johnstone’s familiar ‘triplet’ of macroscopic, sub-microscopic and symbolic levels of representation.

David Read summarises and reviews the study and article.

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