Chemistry between Context and Concept

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Chemistry between Context and Concept

• Building Chemistry in the Netherlands
• Emiel de Kleijn IDECAT January 14th 2008

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Renewal of Chemical Education in the Netherlands

• 2002 Exploratory Committee on Chemical Education
• 2003 Committee for the Renewal of Chemistry
  Education in Upper Secondary Education
• 2004-2008 Development of examinationprograms,
  teaching materials and example exams
• 2010 Phasewise nationwide introduction new
  curriculum

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Persons involved
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Dutch Schoolsystem

• 8 years of Primary Education (age 4-12)
• 2 years of Basic Secondary Education (age 13-14)
  in differentiated classes
• Either 2 years pre-vocational education (65)
• Or a third year havo/vwo in combined or
  differentiated classes (35)

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Upper Secondary Education

• 4 Subject Profiles
• Culture Society (CM)
• Economy Society (EM)
• Nature Health (NG)
• Nature Technology (NT)

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Bèta in upper secondary education I 2007
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Bèta in upper secondary education II 2007
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Working method Exploratory Committee

• Open view
• Listening to
• Teachers, didactic experts, schoolmanagers
• Associations for Science and science teachers
• Universities, higher vocational education and
  industries
• Non-bètateachers
• Students
• Journalists

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Building Chemistry
Blueprint to initiate Renewal of Chemistry
Program in Upper Secondary Education Problem
Analysis 10 problem areas Start for
renewal Conclusion
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Problem 1 Social conception of chemistry

• -  Negative image towards the general public (in
  the Netherlands)
•  Invisible significance of chemical industry
  within the (Dutch) economy
• If you want to do
• something for people,
• you dont choose
• chemistry.
• Nieuw programma vanaf klas 3
• Leerlijn te beginnen bij basisvorming
• Havo en vwo apart programma
• Geen sprongsgewijze maar continue vernieuwing

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Problem 2 Chemical industry
The chemical industry is worried about the future
of chemistry education. We would like to visit
a chemical company, but we have not managed to
receive an invitation from anywhere
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Problem 3 Image of school subject chemistry
There is a gap between - the picture of
chemistry at school - the state of the art of
modern chemistry in science and industry.
Students in higher grades tell their horror
stories. You wonder whether you will succeed if
you choose NH or NT!
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Problem 4 Students
-  In secondary education students lose interest
curiosity for natural sciences. Chemistry in
school cannot inspire intrinsically motivate
students. There is a large gap between Year 3
4 Teach chemistry as one subject from Year 3
until the final examination!
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Problem 5 Teachers
-  The teacher workload has increased.  Teachers
are tired of the changes.  Teacher training is a
burning problem. Subject-specific in-service
training is left unattended. The teacher
determines whether you like chemistry or not.

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Problem 6 Chemistry curriculum
-  The exam requirements for chemistry are a
constraining straitjacket. Practical assignments
and personal research receive too little
attention. In Havo the separate topics are
arranged very strangely. Everything is so
superficial you do not quite understand what it
is all about.
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Problem 7 Relationship between chemistry,
physics, biology, and math
- The beta subjects are not attuned to one
another. There is no structural communication
between the teachers of the exact sciences. The
greenhouse effect has been discussed in six
subjects now. With each subject it is presented
as a true fact, although scientists do not know
exactly how it works.
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Problem 8 Chemistry didactics educational
research
Interaction between chemistry didactics and
educational research school practice is absent.
Teacher First they come and ask how we do
things. They write down what we say and put it
in a book. After that we receive in-service
training. They come and tell us how we ought to
do things.
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Problem 9 Curriculum development and educational
publishers
The schoolbook and not the teacher is the most
important determining factor in chemistry
education.  Insufficient interaction between
schoolbooks and educational renewal The transfer
from Year 3 to Year 4 is difficult if you have
different books.
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Problem 10 Higher vocational education and
university education
The link between upper secondary education and
further education is not clear. Especially
analytical thinking skills and the ability to
establish relationships are important for further
education. In Year 3 you cant know what you
want to be later on and which subject profile you
will need. But you have to choose one...
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Recommendations to the Ministry of Education

• Function of chemistry in Secondary Education
• The main function is the transfer of scientific
  knowledge and culture.
• School chemistry should convey a realistic
  picture of the meaning of chemistry for society.
• Present and future challenges in chemistry and
  questions asked by society should be the basis of
  the new program.

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Main approach

• The committee recommends the context and concept
  approach.
• The context and concept approach is a continuous
  learning line through secondary education
• (Year 1-6).
• Concepts are the basis of chemistry education at
  every level.

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Difference between Havo and Vwo

• New Havo program prior to Vwo program.
• Havo and Vwo the same concepts but different
  elaboration of concepts and choice of contexts
• Program Year 3 should differentiate between Havo
  and Vwo

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Examination

• The examination program prescribes a limited
  number of concepts
• School examination emphasizes the interaction
  between contexts concepts and experimental
  skills.
• National written examination 60 and
• School examination 40
• Instruments needed for quality determination and
  benchmarking school examinations

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Transition to subsequent education

• Secondary education has an independent
  responsibility for the final level of chemistry
  as a school subject.
• Subject profile committees
• are consulted on the final
• level for higher education
• and universities.

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Context and Concept Approach

• A Social, vocational, experimental, and
  theoretical contexts
• B Exchange between practice and theory
• C Play ping-pong between thinking about
  structure and properties
• D Molecular structure

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New Didactics

• Inspiration from 'Chemie im Kontext' (ChiK)
  Germany www.chik.de
• Four phases
• Contact phase
• Curiosity-/planningphase
• Processing-/handlingphase
• Deepening-/anchoringphase

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1 ContactphaseIntroduction, motivation, ask for
questions, link to interest and prior
knowledge2 Curiosity-/planningphaseStructuring
by questions from students, making a workplan3
Processing-/handlingphaseStudents work on the
problems in their own organisation (teamwork,
presentation by experts)4 Deepening-/anchoringph
aseDecontextualize, deepening chemical concepts,
anchoring, incorporate, link to other contexts
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Learning line New Chemistry

• Four competency fields
• Make connection with higher vocational and
  university education, (HBO, WO)
• Knowledge development by using chemical methods
• Communicate about chemistry
• Continuous extension chemical knowledge
• Judge and assess contexts by chemical knowledge

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Developing a model for a single module
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Organization
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Bèta5nieuw

• Formal and informal consultation renewal
  committees
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics
• Mathematics
• Nature, Life, and Technology
• Common vision on
• Renewal examination
• Context-and-concept approach
• Attune and show the relationship between science
  disciplines and harmonize science streams
• Role educative publishers, policy on publishing

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Transition to a state of continuous renewal

• Use momentum for renewal
• Guide modules
• Common sense, practice, and reflection
• International cooperation/exchange experiences
  and resources

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Contact

• www.nieuwescheikunde.nl for reports of
  Exploratory Committee and Committee for Renewal
• e.veltman_at_slo.nl (T 31 53 4840339)
  questions/exchange/initiatives for cooperation
• or
• Emiel de Kleijn
• Project Manager Chemistry
• Netherlands institute for curriculum development
• Secundary education
• E e.dekleijn_at_slo.nl