Creative thinking, be it that of the teacher or the student, has tended to be overlooked in science, but exercising it is important. This book shows how it can be done in chemistry, both in the context of creative chemistry teaching and in learning chemistry. Going beyond principles and ideology, readers will find practical strategies, tools, examples, and case studies in a variety of contexts to bring creative thinking theory into practice. Beginning with a discussion on the nature of creativity, the authors’ debunk misconceptions and address the relationship between creativity and problem solving. Delving into opportunities for practising creative thinking in science, for instance, hypothesis generation and experiment design, the authors’ then move on to discussions around assessing and evaluating creative thinking. Further areas covered include: multisensory chemistry, language and literacy, practical work and story-telling. As a resource, this book points the way to fostering exploration and the development of creative thinking in chemistry for the benefit of the student, and for the benefit of the teacher in offering a source of satisfaction and achievement in the work they do. With a foreword by John Holman.

Creative thinking, be it that of the teacher or the student, has tended to be overlooked in science, but exercising it is important. This book shows how it can be done in chemistry, both in the context of creative chemistry teaching and in learning chemistry.Going beyond principles and ideology, readers will find practical strategies, tools, examples, and case studies in a variety of contexts to bring creative thinking theory into practice. Beginning with a discussion on the nature of creativity, the authors’ debunk misconceptions and address the relationship between creativity and problem solving. Delving into opportunities for practising creative thinking in science, for instance, hypothesis generation and experiment design, the authors’ then move on to discussions around assessing and evaluating creative thinking. Further areas covered include: multisensory chemistry, language and literacy, practical work and story-telling. As a resource, this book points the way to fostering exploration and the development of creative thinking in chemistry for the benefit of the student, and for the benefit of the teacher in offering a source of satisfaction and achievement in the work they do.With a foreword by John Holman.

Chemistry is often seen as a difficult subject to understand. This book focusses on the triangle model that Alex H. Johnstone developed in the early 1980s. The model has been applied in almost every area of education in chemistry at all stages of learning.

Authored by renowned experts in the field of chemistry education, this book provides a holistic approach to cover all issues related to learning and teaching in the chemistry laboratory.

Education is always evolving, and most recently has shifted to increased online or remote learning. Digital Learning and Teaching in Chemistry compiles the established and emerging trends in this field, specifically within the context of learning and teaching in chemistry. This book shares insights about five major themes: best practices for teaching and learning digitally, digital learning platforms, virtual visualisation and laboratory to promote learning in science, digital assessment, and building communities of learners and educators. The authors are chemistry instructors and researchers from nine countries, contributing an international perspective on digital learning and teaching in chemistry. While the chapters in this book span a wide variety of topics, as a whole, they focus on using technology and digital platforms as a method for supporting inclusive and meaningful learning. The best practices and recommendations shared by the authors are highly relevant for modern chemistry education, as teaching and learning through digital methods is likely to persist. Furthermore, teaching chemistry digitally has the potential to bring greater equity to the field of chemistry education in terms of who has access to quality learning, and this book will contribute to that goal. This book will be essential reading for those working in chemical education and teaching. Yehudit Judy Dori is internationally recognised, formerly Dean of the Faculty of Education of Science and Technology at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology and won the 2020 NARST Distinguished Contributions to Science Education through Research Award–DCRA for her exceptional research contributions. Courtney Ngai and Gabriela Szteinberg are passionate researchers and practitioners in the education field. Courtney Ngai is the Associate Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Artistry at Colorado State University. Gabriela Szteinberg serves as Assistant Dean and Academic Coordinator for the College of Arts and Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

Problem solving is central to the teaching and learning of chemistry at secondary, tertiary and post-tertiary levels of education, opening to students and professional chemists alike a whole new world for analysing data, looking for patterns and making deductions. As an important higher-order thinking skill, problem solving also constitutes a major research field in science education. Relevant education research is an ongoing process, with recent developments occurring not only in the area of quantitative/computational problems, but also in qualitative problem solving. The following situations are considered, some general, others with a focus on specific areas of chemistry: quantitative problems, qualitative reasoning, metacognition and resource activation, deconstructing the problem-solving process, an overview of the working memory hypothesis, reasoning with the electron-pushing formalism, scaffolding organic synthesis skills, spectroscopy for structural characterization in organic chemistry, enzyme kinetics, problem solving in the academic chemistry laboratory, chemistry problem-solving in context, team-based/active learning, technology for molecular representations, IR spectra simulation, and computational quantum chemistry tools. The book concludes with methodological and epistemological issues in problem solving research and other perspectives in problem solving in chemistry. With a foreword by George Bodner.

Many projects in recent years have applied context-based learning and engagement tools to the fostering of long-term student engagement with chemistry. While empirical evidence shows the positive effects of context-based learning approaches on students’ interest, the long-term effects on student engagement have not been sufficiently highlighted up to now. Edited by respected chemistry education researchers, and with contributions from practitioners across the world, Engaging Learners with Chemistry sets out the approaches that have been successfully tested and implemented according to different criteria, including informative, interactive, and participatory engagement, while also considering citizenship and career perspectives. Bringing together the latest research in one volume, this book will be useful for chemistry teachers, researchers in chemistry education and professionals in the chemical industry seeking to attract students to careers in the chemical sector.

Reasoning about structure-reactivity and chemical processes is a key competence in chemistry. Especially in organic chemistry, students experience difficulty appropriately interpreting organic representations and reasoning about the underlying causality of organic mechanisms. As organic chemistry is often a bottleneck for students’ success in their career, compiling and distilling the insights from recent research in the field will help inform future instruction and the empowerment of chemistry students worldwide. This book brings together leading research groups to highlight recent advances in chemistry education research with a focus on the characterization of students’ reasoning and their representational competencies, as well as the impact of instructional and assessment practices in organic chemistry. Written by leaders in the field, Student Reasoning in Organic Chemistry is ideal for chemistry education researchers, instructors and practitioners, and graduate students in chemistry education.

For the first time, this book sets out ways to teach the science of nanochemistry at a level suitable for pre-service and in-service teachers in middle and secondary school. The authors draw upon peer-reviewed science education literature for experiments, activities, educational research, and methods of teaching the subject. The book starts with an overview of chemical nanotechnology, including definition of the basic concepts in nanoscience, properties, types of nanostructured materials, synthesis, characterization, and applications. It includes examples of how nanochemistry impacts our daily lives. This theoretical background is an address for teachers even if they do not have enough information about the subject of nanoscale science. Subsequent chapters present best practices for presenting the material to students in a way that improves their attitudes and knowledge toward nanochemistry and STEM subjects in general. The final chapter includes experiments designed for middle and high school students. From basic science through to current and near-future developments for applications of nanomaterials and nanostructures in medicine, electronics, energy, and the environment, users of the book will find a wealth of ideas to convey nanochemistry in an engaging way to students.

Chemistry is often seen as a difficult subject to understand. This book focusses on the triangle model that Alex H. Johnstone developed in the early 1980s. Originally conceived in the context of making chemistry more accessible to a wider range of learners, the model has been applied in almost every area of education in chemistry at all stages of learning. In looking at why chemistry is difficult, there are two central questions. Firstly, does the problem relate to the nature of chemistry and, secondly, does it relate to the way humans gain understanding? Both were found to be important and the answers to the two question were found to be connected. The triangle model arose from sustained research into human learning. The central finding from research is the critical role of working memory and the model rationalises so much evidence from chemistry education research as well as the repeated experiences of teachers of chemistry at all levels. In order to understand chemistry, it is essential to develop sound mental models of molecular reality. It generates major implications for the way a chemistry curriculum should be constructed and the processes of teaching and learning in chemistry when the goal is focussed on understanding the key ideas. Some of these implications are developed and pointers offered to more successful ways forward. The power of the Johnstone Triangle lies in the way it offers clear directions for all involved in chemistry education. It is hoped that this book will prove helpful to all involved in sharing the exciting story of the way humans have come to understand the molecular world, one of the great examples of great human endeavour.