ERIC Number: EJ1441625
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Jul
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: EISSN-1938-1328
Investigating Educators' Perspectives toward Systems Thinking in Chemistry Education from International Contexts
Alisha R. Szozda; Kathryn Bruyere; Hayley Lee; Peter G. Mahaffy; Alison B. Flynn
Journal of Chemical Education, v99 n7 p2474-2483 2022
Systems thinking in chemistry education (STICE) has been proposed as an approach that could better equip students with abilities to connect their chemistry knowledge with other disciplines and with the skills needed to tackle complex global issues. However, educational change in chemistry is a complex effort that involves many interconnected factors that enable or hinder chemistry educators' adoption of new pedagogical approaches. Using an adapted version of the Teacher-Centered Systemic Reform (TCSR) model, we investigated factors that connect with chemistry educators' willingness and ability to implement a STICE approach in their courses. We surveyed a group of 56 secondary and postsecondary chemistry educators from ten different countries, to capture chemistry educators' perspectives toward a STICE approach. Through thematic analysis of responses, we identified four key themes as follows. Theme 1: Educators' willingness and ability to implement STICE is influenced by their knowledge, beliefs, experiences, contextual and personal factors; Theme 2: Educators report experiences with aspects of STICE without knowing or specifically calling it ST; Theme 3: Some educators implement limited aspects of STICE when teaching chemistry in context; and Theme 4: The ratings of barriers can guide priorities for educational change efforts. This paper discusses specific aspects of the reform model that experts and administrators can address to reduce barriers to implement and engage with STICE. We also highlight future chemistry education research that is needed to explore specific aspects of educators' perspectives and STICE more broadly.
Descriptors: Teacher Attitudes, Chemistry, Science Instruction, Teaching Methods, Educational Change, Secondary School Teachers, College Faculty, Science Teachers, Models, Systems Approach
Division of Chemical Education, Inc. and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A