Annette Hilton

Representational Classroom Practices that Contribute to Students’ Conceptual and Representational Understanding of Chemical Bonding

Understanding bonding is fundamental to success in chemistry. A number of alternative conceptions related to chemical bonding have been reported in the literature. Research suggests that many alternative conceptions held by chemistry students result from previous teaching; if teachers are explicit in the use of representations and explain their content-specific forms and functions, this might be avoided. The development of an understanding of and ability to use multiple representations is crucial to students’ understanding of chemical bonding. This paper draws on data from a larger study involving two Year 11 chemistry classes (n = 27, n = 22). It explores the contribution of explicit instruction about multiple representations to students’ understanding and representation of chemical bonding. The instructional strategies were documented using audio-recordings and the teacher-researcher’s reflection journal. Pre-test–post-test comparisons showed an improvement in conceptual understanding and representational competence. Analysis of the students’ texts provided further evidence of the students’ ability to use multiple representations to explain macroscopic phenomena on the molecular level. The findings suggest that explicit instruction about representational form and function contributes to the enhancement of representational competence and conceptual understanding of bonding in chemistry. However, the scaffolding strategies employed by the teacher play an important role in the learning process. This research has implications for professional development enhancing teachers’ approaches to these aspects of instruction around chemical bonding.

Incorporating digital technologies into science classes: Two case studies from the field

Abstract As the rate of digital technology development accelerates, so too do the challenges for teachers to maintain their digital technology skills and to effectively apply these skills to benefit student learning (Phelps, Graham, & Watts, 2011). The impact of digital technologies on teaching and learning practices must be recognised and further understanding of their complex nature is required (Hennessy, Deaney, & Ruthven, 2005; Metiri Group, 2006). This paper reports on case studies from two larger studies with an aim to add to this understanding. The first case study is of students’ use of digital video production to record and represent their science learning. It reports on the adaptation of the writing-to-learn in science model (Prain & Hand, 1996) to video-to-learn in science. This adaptation of a mature learning model to a new setting, was noted by Wang and Hannafin (2005) and reflects the common classroom situation in which teachers must modify and adapt their practices to accommodate new technology (Hennessy et al., 2005; Hobbs, 2006). The second case study focuses on students’ learning about and with the specialised scientific representations commonly used in chemistry. It reports on the classroom strategies and resources used to help chemistry students learn about the meaning and application of multiple static and dynamic diagrammatic digital representations and describes some of the challenges and resulting outcomes for the teacher and students.

Teacher to Academic

In this chapter, I examine the tensions that arose when I changed occupation and moved from professional practice into the world of academia. I focus on the changes in identity that have accompanied this transition and the factors that influenced these changes.