Introduction: Macro, Submicro and Symbolic Representations and the Relationship Between Them: Key Models in Chemical Education

Abstract

We live in a complex, rapidly changing, material world, major aspects of which require an understanding of the ideas of chemistry. Education for ‘scientific literacy’ in respect of ‘the public’ – people of all ages – is now widely seen as a general goal for science education, whether pursued formally or informally. It seems appropriate to talk about ‘chemical literacy’ – the contribution that chemistry can make to scientific literacy – and to amend the hitherto general discussions to focus on this particular aspect (Laugksch, 2000; Roberts, 2007).