Informational value of submicroscopic representations in Slovenian chemistry textbook sets

Abstract

This research focuses on the informational value of submicroscopic representations (SMRs) in chemistry textbook sets for Slovenian primary schools (Grade 8 and Grade 9, students’ age 13-15 years). For the purpose of analysis a holistic criteria related to the accompanying descriptors of SMRs in textbook sets was developed. The research revealed four main holistic descriptors accompanying SMRs, i.e. direct descriptor (D), indirect descriptor (I), combined descriptor (C), and SMRs without descriptors (W), which support learners’ recognition of SMRs’ informational value on different levels by providing different accompanying add-ons of SMRs. In-depth analysis identified 14 main categories of the underlying representational types of SMR add-ons. The significance of the research is in initiating a discussion about the holistic criteria for the description of SMRs integrated in the textbook sets, because in practice the learner perceives each SMR as a whole.