Introduction: Concepts of Matter – Complex to Teach and Difficult to Learn

Abstract

The particle nature of matter (PNM) is extremely important to the disciplines of science and central to school science curricula, serving as building block for learning and as a threshold concept providing a portal to understanding other fundamental topics. It has also been identified as a core idea in the science content standards of many countries. After enumerating correct scientific ideas about the PNM, we turn to discussion of contributions of science education research to assessing students' understandings of PNM, which have revealed poor understanding and great conceptual difficulties among students. Major impediments to understanding particle concepts are then discussed. An explanation of the difficulties occurs if one examines the relevant concepts from different perspectives of science education. This contributed, peer-reviewed volume, most of whose chapters resulted from an international science education symposium organized in Athens, Greece, in 2010, includes 21 chapters, plus this introductory and a concluding chapter. The chapters in the volume are organized according to several parts: learning progressions for teaching a particle model of matter, students' and teachers' mental models of the particulate nature of matter, educational technology, chemical reactions and chemical phenomena, chemical structure and bonding, and history and philosophy of science.