Didactics and Epistemology of Chemistry I [SAGRM204]

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student will be able to :

- Define the major concepts in chemistry education teached during the course: didactic transposition, scientific knowledge, school knowledge, chemistry triplet, levels of knowledge, etc.

- Organise and justify a teaching/learning plan for ten given chemistry concepts, relating to the 3rd and 4th year of high school curricula

- Draw and use an organisational chart of matter, specifying the criteria and giving the levels of knowledge involved

- Define a chemistry concept using the levels of knowledge (chemistry triplet)

- Arguing the legitimacy of a chemistry concept to be taught at school

- Describe, criticise and/or justify a teaching method used to teach one of the chemistry concepts covered during the course

- Describe the difficulties struggled by students in relation to the chemistry concepts covered during the course

Objectives

The objectives of this course are to

- to prepare students to teach chemistry in secondary schools in relation to school curricula/referentials

- to perceive the stakes of these programmes (values, long-term objectives)

- to construct learning sequences (theory, exercises and practical work)

- develop and critique methodologies for learning chemistry

• identify the main difficulties encountered by students in teaching chemistry and provide appropriate didactic solutions

• observe and analyse the practices of chemistry and experimental science teachers in secondary schools;

Content

The course includes :

• A presentation of the essential theoretical frameworks in science and technology education, integrated into the chemistry lesson: didactic transposition, initial conceptions and difficulties of the pupils,  chemistry triplet, epistemological points of view, etc;

• A clarification of the image of chemistry and its relationship with other disciplines;

• An exploration of current and future chemistry curricula and syllabuses in high school and university ;

• An upgrade in the mastery of the chemistry knowledge to be taught;

• An analysis of classical didactic devices related to process teaching-learning (focus on 3rd and 4th year courses);

• A micro-teaching session based on a preparation on a given theme;