Support students to make sense of models

It can be difficult to understand how well students understand a chemical phenomenon from their drawings representing it – students can create accurate drawings without explaining how and why a phenomenon occurs. In this article, David Read, principal teaching fellow in chemistry at the University of Southampton, looks at a new teacher professional development initiative that focuses on linking together teachers’ knowledge, teaching practice and students’ sense-making. He also translates this research into tips you can easily implement in your classroom.