Didactics of Chemistry II

Code:

DID4020

Acronym:

DID4020

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Didactics

Instance: 2024/2025 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Science Education Unit
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Physics and Chemistry Teacher Education for Middle and Secondary Schools

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
M:EFQ	11	Plano de Estudos M:EFQ_2015_2016.	1	-	9	77	243

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

Within the scope of the "Master's in Teaching Physics and Chemistry in the 3rd Cycle of Basic Education and Secondary Education", which confers qualifications for teaching, the curricular unit "Didactics of Chemistry II" intends to create a space to deepen the problematization and critical analysis of the purposes and forms of development of Education in Chemistry, aiming to create the foundations for a pedagogical practice that promotes scientific literacy and the development of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values. Thus, it is intended to enhance the development of specific didactic knowledge of Chemistry, through the creation, development, and evaluation of educational experiences (learning scenarios, didactic resources, and practical and laboratory activities), in a formal and non-formal context, centered on procedural and epistemological aspects of Science, and which aim at a reflective, contextualized and research-oriented teaching. The curricular unit “Didactics of Chemistry II”, seeks to contribute to bringing together the way in which it is taught in schools, curricular proposals, and research in education.

Learning outcomes and competences

- Perspectives on science education and curriculum domain

• Deepening knowledge about the nature of science and about attitudes towards science.


• Deepen knowledge about science-technology-society-environment relations (CTS|CTSA), including scientific culture, arts, and humanities.


• Identify and build relevant contexts to enhance teaching in contexts.


• Critically analyze curricula, textbooks, and other educational resources (namely digital), their rationale, and organization.


• Develop concept maps of the various curricular domains and subdomains.

- Laboratory practice in teaching

• Recognize the educational potential and limitations of different types of laboratory activities.


• Relate the conceptual and procedural components of laboratory activities present in the curricular programs and analyze their didactic transposition.


• Prepare and carry out laboratory activities taking into account their structuring phases: pre-laboratory, laboratory, and post-laboratory phases.


• Propose adaptations to the laboratory activities carried out with a focus on: a) enhancing laboratory work for research b) articulating the knowledge of chemical science and other areas of knowledge such as technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).


• Develop reports and V de Gowin and consider other forms of evaluation.

- Planning of educational experiences

• Know the guiding principles associated with didactic planning.


• Know pedagogical approaches focused on procedural and epistemological aspects of science such as inquiry and citizen science.


• Know teaching strategies applied to the teaching of chemistry.


• Critically analyze non-formal chemistry teaching and learning contexts.


• Learn about communication practices and techniques and the involvement of other audiences with science: the case of storytelling.


• Plan, theoretically and empirically based, didactic interventions in a formal and non-formal context.


• Develop educational plans and resources oriented towards the development of contextualized educational activities of an investigative nature.


• Critically analyze educational research articles: educational research paradigms and potentiation between educational practice and research.


• Understand the place of research as a way of developing informed actions in the context of professional practice.

- Learning assessment

• Know the general perspectives on the functions of evaluation.


• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different assessment techniques.


• Select assessment modalities and instruments according to curricular goals and objectives.


• Plan assessment activities and develop theoretical and empirically-based assessment tools.


• Develop formative assessment tasks equating to the subsequent intervention in order to help students improve their learning and summative assessment tasks and instruments such as assessment items, tests, respective matrices, and correction criteria.

- Oral and written communication

• Present, in a concise, organized, and clear way, the work of the curricular unit.

- Reflectivity on practice

• Demonstrate a reflective attitude regarding the preparation of pedagogical practice and the valorization of professional development and lifelong training, as well as an awareness of the ethical and civic dimensions of teaching activity.

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. Perspectives on science education and curriculum domain
1.1. Nature of scientific knowledge and attitudes towards science.
1.2. Relations between science and technology, society and the environment (CTS|CTSA), scientific culture, the arts and the humanities.
1.3. Teaching chemistry in contexts: the case of Salters Advanced Chemistry.
1.4. Secondary School Chemistry Curriculum and Resources.

2. Laboratory practice in teaching chemistry
2.1. Objectives, types of activities and structuring phases of laboratory activities.
2.2. Forms of implementation, STEM articulation and evaluation of laboratory activities.

3. Planning of educational experiences
3.1. Planning of didactic sequences: guiding principles.
3.2. Research-oriented approaches: inquiry and citizen science.
3.3. Teaching strategies applied to the teaching of chemistry (eg, questioning, debate, collaborative work, role-play, analogies)
3.4. Spaces and contexts of non-formal education.
3.5. Educational research and educational practice.
 
4. Assessment of learning
4.1 Overview of the functions of evaluation.
4.2. Learning assessment techniques and tools.

 

 

Mandatory literature

Mintzes, J., Wandersee, J. H., & Novak, J. D.; Ensinando ciência para a compreensão: Uma visão construtivista, Plátano Edições Técnicas, 2000
Carvalho, P. S., Sousa, A. S., Paiva, J., & Ferreira, A. J. ; Ensino experimental das Ciências – um guia para professores do Ensino Secundário. Física e Química, , U. Porto Editorial., 2012
Eilks, I. & Hofstein, A. (Eds.) ; Teaching Chemistry – A Studybook: A practical guide and textbook for student teachers, teacher trainees and teachers, Sense Publishers, 2013
Roldão, M. C. ; Estratégias de ensino: O saber e o agir do professor. , Fundação Manuel Leão, 2009

Complementary Bibliography

Aristeidou, M., Scanlon, E., & Sharples, M; Learning outcomes in online citizen science communities designed for inquiry., International Journal of Science Education, Part B, 2020. ISBN: https://doi.org/10.1080/21548455.2020.1836689
Araújo, J. L., Morais, C., & Paiva, J. C.; Learning outcomes in online citizen science communities designed for inquiry., Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 2022. ISBN: https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RP00190F
Braund, M. & Reiss, M. ; Learning Science outside the classroom. , Routledge, 2004
Cachapuz, A., Praia, J., & Jorge, M; Ciência, educação em ciência e ensino das ciências (Vol. 26), Ministério da Educação. , 2002
Flick, L. B. & Lederman, N. G. ; Scientific Inquiry and Nature of Science, Springer, 2006
García‐Martínez, J. & Serrano-Torregrosa, E. ; Chemistry education: Best practices, opportunities and trends, Wiley, 2015
Lambros, A; Problem-Based Learning in middle and high school classrooms, Corwin Press, 2004
Vieira, R. M., & Tenreiro-Vieira, C. ; Estratégias de ensino/aprendizagem: O questionamento promotor do pensamento crítico, Editorial do Instituto Piaget. , 2005
Morais, C; Storytelling with chemistry and related hands-on activities: Non-formal learning experiences to prevent "chemophobia" and promote young childrens scientific literacy, Journal of Chemical Education, 2015. ISBN: https://doi.org/10.1021/ed5002416

Teaching methods and learning activities

In the theoretical component several strategies are combined, such as PowerPoint presentations, problem-related scenarios, critical reading of scientific articles and professional development projects.



">



">The practical component aimed at carrying out practical and laboratory work in groups and individually.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Participação presencial	5,00
Teste	20,00
Trabalho escrito	35,00
Trabalho laboratorial	20,00
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	15,00
Trabalho de campo	5,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	6,00
Estudo autónomo	65,00
Frequência das aulas	77,00
Trabalho escrito	55,00
Trabalho laboratorial	40,00
Total:	243,00

Eligibility for exams

To obtain attendance the students:

1 - should not miss more than 1/4 of the classes planned.

2 - must undertake and obtain approval in at least half of the tasks associated with the evaluation components.

Calculation formula of final grade

Evaluation formula:

A - Participation in the proposed activities (in class and in Moodle)
B - Written work on planning educational activities, construction of teaching resources and assessment instruments
C - Laboratory work and reports
D - Presentation and discussion of work (class simulations and written work)
E - Assessment test

Final grade = 0,10 x A + 0,35 x B + 0,20 x C + 0,15 x D + 0,20 x E

Classification improvement

Given that the UC follows the typology of distributed assessment without final exam (continuous assessment) and presents a very systemic nature, the grade improvement in this UC  only can be carried out by repeating all the evaluation components throughout the semester and, as such, in the following academic year.

Observations

Specific bibliography is given in each class and it is posted in Moodle.