Do general chemistry textbooks facilitate conceptual understanding?

Research in chemistry education has recognized the need for facilitating students' understanding of different concepts. In contrast, most general chemistry curricula and textbooks not only ignore the context in which science progresses but also emphasize rote learning and algorithmic strategies. A historical reconstruction of scientific progress shows that it inevitably leads to controversy and debate, which can arouse students' interest and thus facilitate understanding. The objective of this article is to review research related to the evaluation of general chemistry textbooks (based on history and philosophy of science, HPS) and suggest alternatives that can facilitate conceptual understanding.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Niaz,Mansoor
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Química 2005
Online Access:http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-40422005000200027
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