Observation and inference in chemistry teaching: a model-based approach to the integration of the macro and submicro levels

Abstract

The aim of this article is to propose a didactical approach to establish appropriate relations between different kinds of chemical knowledge and explanations at the macro and the submicro level. Incorrectly moving between these two levels is regarded as the cause of many misconceptions in school chemistry, and several theoretical frameworks have been proposed to remedy those misconceptions. Our literature review of chemistry education shows that a focus of attention for the macro-submicro interplay problem is put in the relations between observations and inferences; we examine such relations with the aid of ideas from the philosophy of science and the specific philosophy of chemistry. We propose a model-based approach that recognises the continuum between empirical and theoretical, descriptive and explanatory in chemical concepts. Finally, we provide an “exemplary activity” on the topic of gases based on this approach, and we evaluate its suitability in terms of some well-established ideas in didactics of science/chemistry.