Teaching and Learning Chemical Bonding in a Cutting-Edge Research Context
Tim van Dulmen is a PhD student in the department ELAN Teacher Development. (Co)Promotors are prof.r. S.E. McKenney and dr. T.C. Visser from the faculty Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences of the University of Twente and prof.dr. B.E.U. Pepin from the Eindhoven University of Technology.
To increase the relevance and motivation for learning chemistry in secondary schools, the Dutch national curriculum adopts a context-based approach. This means that learning is situated in real(istic) contexts which provide compelling motivation for learners to gain practical experience alongside subject-matter understanding. When properly designed, materials can support the enactment of context-based learning. However, source materials that do so adequately remain somewhat scarce. Further, while previous research shows that cutting-edge research has the potential to serve as an interesting context for pre-university students, very few learning materials situated in this type of context are available. This study set out to articulate relevant pedagogical content knowledge for one set of context-based materials (on the topic of chemical bonding), to define essential criteria for learning materials situated in cutting-edge research contexts, and to provide insight into how teachers make sense of teaching and learning within one such context using materials alone.
To achieve these goals, a design-based study was undertaken in which student materials and a corresponding teacher guide were developed. First, a systematic literature review on crucial pedagogical content knowledge for teaching chemical bonding was undertaken. This resulted in a framework for teaching the topic, which is valuable in its own right and was also used to design materials which foster student learning about chemical bonding while situated in the context of cutting-edge research on early cancer diagnosis. Then, through three cycles of iterative testing and refinement, investigations were carried out, focusing on student learning about chemical bonding and their motivation for learning chemistry in this setting. Additionally, the study sought to ascertain if and how teachers developed pedagogical content knowledge when working with the designed materials.
In general, both students and teachers positively experienced working with the materials. Student understanding of chemical bonding was comparable to regular practice, but they were more motivated when working with the context-based learning materials. Further, the findings demonstrate that teachers experienced the learning materials as usable and educative. Some growth in pedagogical content knowledge was observed. This study gives insight into how context-based teaching and learning can be supported in a sustainable, scalable way, i.e. through the provision of materials only.
