Ateneo - UPO

The course will concern active and passive teaching methods, applying them to subjects of chemistry and focusing on the problems related to their learning / teaching. Moreover, the course provides knowledge and skills useful for the organization of chemical laboratory activities in high schools.

Copies of the slides shown during the course and laboratory notes from the teacher will be available on D.I.R. together with other useful material. The following texts are recommended:M. Castagna, Progettare la formazione, FrancoAngeli;V. Domenici, Insegnare e apprendere la Chimica, Ed. Mondadori Università, Milano, 2018;Cipolla, Didattica della Chimica - Metodi e strumenti per l’insegnamento e l’apprendimento della chimica, EdiSES;Y. Vercher, N. Gerber, Chimica in casa – Atomi e molecole tra le mura domestiche, Ed. Dedalo;G. Paladino, C. Spalatro, Didattica capovolta: matematica e scienze, Ed. Centro studi Erickson;Franco Mannarino, Laboratorio di chimica. Vol. unico. Nuova edizione 2024. Per le Scuole superiori. Ediz. per la scuolaD. Pinzani , C. Panero, Il laboratorio di chimica. Per le Scuole superiori, Zanichellihttps://scienceinschool.org/

The course aims: (i) to raise awareness of issues related to the teaching / learning chemistry; (ii) to suggest teaching strategies based on the involvement of the student as an active subject; (iii) to offer future teachers the opportunity to compare each other and with more experienced teachers; (iv) to describe educational pathways aimed to develop transversal skills.Moreover, the course aims to provide the pedagogical and methodological skills necessary to effectively design, manage, and communicate experimental activities within a school chemistry laboratory.

Contents of the General Chemistry course

Lessons with active engagement of the students and collective discussions; lesson simulations. Laboratory experiments.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/servicesstudents-physical-or-learning-disabilities. Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

For the theoretical module, the oral exam will consist of a short lecture on a chemistry topic chosen by the student. Assessment criteria include clarity of presentation, coherence of the proposed educational path and lesson structure, clarity of the learning objectives, organization of topics, use of correct scientific language, and the effectiveness of the teaching methodologies employed. Additionally, the student's ability to answer follow-up questions for clarification on the lecture topic will be evaluated. To pass the exam, students must at least demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the fundamental concepts and use appropriate scientific language. The maximum score will be awarded to those who demonstrate an excellent level in all the skills and abilities listed above.For the laboratory module, attendance at laboratory activities is compulsory, along with the individual drafting of a laboratory manual/handout. The examination consists of the design, preparation, and discussion of an educational handbook intended for upper secondary school students. The handbook must include a laboratory manual containing the experimental methodologies, as well as the design sheets related to two laboratory activities individually conceived and developed by the students.At the end of the laboratory course, the proposed activities will subsequently be presented and illustrated through a simulated lesson, including the execution of the selected experiments. These activities are intended to assess the students’ ability to effectively communicate chemical concepts and experimental procedures.A passing grade is achieved by demonstrating the ability to design a laboratory experiment suited to the proposed educational context. Excellence is achieved by showing excellent skills in organizing and managing laboratory activities, scientific coherence, and originality in the proposed experiments. Additionally, students must demonstrate strong presentation skills and the use of appropriate language tailored to both the educational context and the level of the target students.The final grade will take into account the results of both modules and will be the outcome of a joint evaluation by the examination board.

Chemistry in the school. Introduction to epistemology. Introduction to learning models. Skills teaching. Passive teaching methodologies: lesson. Active teaching methodologies: case studies, simulations, flipped classrooms, laboratories, problem-solving, etc. Importance and use of new technologies: blended learning, use of videos, brainstorming tools, etc. Application of these methods to chemistry topics (matter and mole, periodic table, redox reaction, acids and bases) and to current topics (green chemistry, sustainability, pollution, etc). Before the laboratory part, the fundamental principles on how to organize laboratory activities for high school students will be presented. During laboratory activities, students will have to organize laboratory activities for young students by testing the experience itself, identifying the critical points and the difficulties. During the lessons, whenever the opportunity arises, attention will be focused on gender-related topics.

Knowledge and understanding: skills teaching, effective teaching methods, organization methods of the didactic chemical laboratory. Applying knowledge and understanding: ability to explain in clear and effective way, ability to build an didactic pathway, ability to organize laboratory experiences for single or group students. Making judgements: ability to interpret and rationalize basic concepts from a critical point of view with a scientific approach; ability to identify critical issues in laboratory activities and know how to organize a laboratory experience taking into consideration the timing. Communication skills: acquisition of a vocabulary of chemical terms to be able to expose chemical-scientific topics and to answer the pupils’ questions in a precise, concise and clear manner; how to write a dispensation for students on laboratory activities. Learning skills: ability to autonomously study in depth a subject to be presented.