Chemistry

Morales-Doyle, D., Frausto, A., Childress Price, T., Chappell, M., & Hatch, S. (2019, April). Science curriculum from the grassroots. Presentation at the annual conference of the National Science Teachers Association, St. Louis, Missouri.

Morales-Doyle, D., Frausto, A., Chappell, M.J., Childress-Price, T.L., Collins, D.A., Levingston, A., Aguilera, A., Canales, K., & Herrera, E. (2019, April). Beyond PCK: Science Teachers Building Critical Historical Knowledge for Environmental Justice. Presentation at the annual international conference of NARST, Baltimore, MD.

The solving of problems in biochemistry often uses concepts from multiple disciplines such as chemistry and biology. Chemical identity (CI) is a foundational concept in the field of chemistry, and the knowledge, thinking, and practices associated with CI are used to answer the following questions: “What is this substance?” and “How is it different from other substances?” In this study, we examined the relevance of CI in biochemical contexts and first explored the ways in which practicing biochemists consider CI relevant in their work.

Flourishing in today's global society requires citizens that are both intelligent consumers and producers of scientific understanding. Indeed, the modern world is facing ever‐more complex problems that require innovative ways of thinking about, around, and with science. As numerous educational stakeholders have suggested, such skills and abilities are not innate and must, therefore, be taught (e.g., McNeill & Krajcik, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 45(1), 53–78. 2008).

The recent revisions to the advanced placement (AP) chemistry curriculum promote deep conceptual understanding of chemistry content over more rote memorization of facts and algorithmic problem solving. For many teachers, this will mean moving away from traditional worksheets and verification lab activities that they have used to address the vast amounts of content in the AP chemistry course. Moreover, a substantial shift in teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning of chemistry will be needed to facilitate the transformation of their instructional practices.