Speaking the language of chemistry
Distillate: David Read looks at recent chemical education research
To get to grips with complex scientific concepts, students need to develop the ability to use language correctly so they can engage in genuine 'scientific meaning making'. Teachers play a crucial role in this, by facilitating conversations in the classroom which support the achievement of this outcome. Brett Criswell has carried out a detailed study into the discursive practices of five teachers, giving a fascinating insight into the impact of their choices on student learning. The problems posed were ones which were likely to generate answers not aligned with the accepted principles of chemistry, and so placed the onus on the teacher to drive students' progress from preliminary ideas to more formalised scientific explanations.
David Read summarises and reviews the study.
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