The knowledge of basic chemical concepts in elementary and secondary schools

Abstract

The paper presents the results of an extensive long range testing of pupils in elementary and secondary schools. the aim of he research was to obtain information on which basic chemical concepts are familiar to elementary school pupils, and what part of that knowledge retains in their memory long enough to enable them to go on with studying chemistry in secondary school more precisely, what remains in the memory of those pupils who were the best in elementary school. The results show that the majority of the pupils use the concepts mainly in a mechanical way, according to the memorized schemata, without perceiving and understanding the relations between the parts, or applying the acquired knowledge in new situations. Behind the high percentage of correct answers he mostly reproductions of definitions or whole chunks from textbooks, and well-rehearsed algorithms for solving recognizable chemical problems. There is no doubt that the contents of the chemistry curriculum should be red, but even more urgent is to change the mode of teaching. Memorizing theories and principles has become a purpose per se, and pupils can hardly see what use there is of such knowledge in the real world. The process should be reversed: the starting point should be a section of the 'real world' which, then, can be analyzed from the point of view of chemistry. The selection of such sections should be made according to the needs and interests of pupils.

U radu su prikazani rezultati višegodišnjih testiranja učenika osnovne škole i gimnazije, s ciljem da se dobiju informacije koliko đaci u osnovnoj školi znaju osnovne hemijske pojmove i šta od tog znanja 'preostane' za nastavak učenja hemije u gimnaziji. Preciznije, šta preostane kod onih koji su hemiju najbolje znali u osnovnoj školi. Dobijeni rezultati pokazuju da se većina učenika sadržajima služi više mehanički, prema naučenim šemama nego što uočava veze i odnose među delovima gradiva i stečeno znanje primenjuje u novim situacijama. Iza visokih procenata tačnih odgovora uglavnom stoji nivo reprodukcije definicija ili delova sadržaja udžbenika reči profesora, ili dobro uvežbanih algoritama za rešavanje prepoznatljivih hemijskih problema. Nema sumnje da je potrebno smanjiti obim gradiva u nastavi hemije, ali je još važnije promeniti način rada. Učenje teorija i principa postalo je samo sebi svrha i učenicima je teško da uoče svrsishodnost tog znanja u realnom svetu. Zato treba krenuti od realnog sveta, omeđiti jedan deo i razmotriti ga sa stanovišta hemije. U izboru tih delova ne treba zanemariti što je učenicima zaista važno da znaju, kakve su njihove potrebe i interesovanja.