Learning progressions (LPs) present a potential tool to guide students toward deeper understanding of core concepts as they move through a curriculum. In addition to providing a theoretical scheme for education researchers, LPs can provide a powerful framework for instructors and students in organizing curricula. We have developed the outline of a learning progression on acid/base chemistry from general chemistry through biochemistry. We interviewed peer instructors, faculty, and chemistry students to determine how instructors could use LPs or how students could incorporate LPs into their own learning. The interviews suggest that students may struggle to get the most value out of LPs because they misunderstand them as topics lists rather than progressions, and they may interpret them as exhaustive rather than as guides. However, when carefully presented to students and woven into the curriculum, LPs could allow instructors to revisit concepts with more complexity rather than simply repeating information. This approach will likely be most useful for experienced instructors with deep pedagogical knowledge. Our results provide additional evidence that professional knowledge content, like that acquired over time by faculty members, is necessary for effective use of LPs and other such tools.