Action Research to Promote the Formation of Linkages by Chemistry Students Between the Macro, Submicro, and Symbolic Representational Levels

Abstract

This chapter presents findings from an action research project to improve Slovenian primary-school (13–14 years) students’ understanding of the role of chemical reactions in everyday life and the meaning of representations at the submicro and symbolic levels. In the investigation, a teaching approach entitled Life – Observations – Notations (LON) was developed, tested out and evaluated. The action research was conducted in collaboration with primary school chemistry teachers, the adviser for chemistry of the National Board of Education for Slovenia, and researchers in chemical education from the University of Ljubljana. The main findings suggest that as a consequence of the application of the LON approach in classroom teaching (1) students improved their interest in learning about chemical reactions, (2) students gained a more holistic understanding of chemical reactions, (3) students’ ability to connect observations at the macroscopic level with their understanding of the submicro and symbolic levels improved, whereby models were used to bridge the gap between macroscopic observations and symbolic notations of chemical equations and (4) action research contributed to the successful development and implementation of the LON approach.