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CHEMISTRY
EDUCATION:
RESEARCH AND PRACTICE
2004, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 3-4 |
INVITED
SPECIAL SECTION:
Contributions of Educational Research to
the Practice of Chemistry Education
EDITORIAL |
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Georgios
TSAPARLIS
University of Ioannina, Department of Chemistry
| HAS
EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH MADE ANY DIFFERENCE TO CHEMISTRY TEACHING?
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EXCERPTS:
Educational research has or should have as one of its major goals, the
improvement of education. … “Chemical education research
should (seek to generate) insights and information on the basis of which
informed decisions can be taken about major aspects of the teaching
of chemistry. …” (Kempa).
(According to Herron & Nurrenburn) chemistry education research
focuses on “understanding and improving chemistry learning”
by studying variables relating to “chemistry content” or
to “what the teacher or student does in a learning environment.”
… Research has provided us with the tools “to harmonise
a logical approach to our subject with a psychological approach to the
teaching of our subject …” (Johnstone) …(while) “…
the way chemistry content is structured will become increasingly important”
(Gabel).
“Despite the enormous growth of science education research during
recent decades, its impact on the practice of science education has
remained relatively low” (Kempa). Gabel … noted that “the
changes that have occurred in textbooks during the past four decades
have not been driven to any great extent by research findings”.
Remarkable is the ignorance on the part of practitioners of “the
findings from science education research and/or their willingness to
take cognizance of them in the design and organization of their teaching
strategies and procedures … A key to achieving the foregoing is
to bring researcher and practitioner closer together …”
(Costa et al.).
Educational researchers, as well as educational and practitioners’
journals should pay more attention to connecting research and practice
… Taber has developed materials that aim to help teachers to “diagnose
and cure” students’ alternative conceptions. Gilbert et
al. have put together findings of educational research that contribute
to “research-based practice”.
This Journal publishes work arising from both quality educational research
and research-informed practice. The authors are both established and
new educational researchers. Furthermore, starting with this Issue,
there will be an invited special section containing Contributions of
Educational Research to the Practice of Chemistry Education. Our aim
has been to have distinguished chemistry education researchers giving
accounts/reviews of their work, emphasising the implications and impact
of that work on the practice of chemistry education. Priority is given
to researchers who have not published in CERAPIE/CERP. Two such contributions
appear in this Issue, and more are expected to be published in the future.
In the first paper, John K. Gilbert, Rosária Justi, Jan H. Van
Driel, Onno De Jong, and David F. Treagust argue that for the ideas
of chemistry to get the attention they deserve in education, further
development is needed of the nature and quality of chemical education
in the light of research. … In the second paper, Marykay Orgill
and George Bodner examine the role of analogies in chemistry teaching.
…
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