Zur Aufrechterhaltung von Motivation und Lebensnähe in einem fachlich anspruchsvollen Chemieunterricht

Abstract

In the academic stream of Swiss secondary schools (Gymnasium) chemistry is taught in grades 11, 12 and 13, to students at the age of 16 to 19 years. The theoretical-deductive manner of teaching, which is preferred by most teachers, is suitable to these students, to their ability and their synoptical-deductive tendencies. On the other hand this manner of teaching involves some serious disadvantages:
- experience as a basis of chemistry gets into background;
- ideas and concepts (exactly: their names) are used in statements, but they are short of ’operational’ meaning, gained in experimental situations (’verbalism’);
- teaching tends to restrict itself to the network of chemical ideas and to forget the wealth and necessaries of life.
To obviate these negative effects, five kinds of proceedings are recommended; four of them are illustrated by examples, the fifth is a special one and treated more generally:

1. «Save the phenomena» (Wagenschein).
2. Include short problem-solving units into your lessons.
3. For repetition and exercises let students apply their new knowledge to phenomena and problems, which were not involved in the learning process.
4. Include events and developments from the history of chemistry, to prove chemistry as science and as a result of creative, cooperating persons.
5. Examples of problems concerning «Chemistry, society and environment» should be treated, but not without widening the discussion to facts and aspects of social history.