Innovation of scientific teaching in the secondary school: the case of chemistry

Carlo Fiorentini, CIDI President

Proceedings of the annual scientific event organized by the Tuscany region

Italian

The paper describes and strongly criticizes the present way of teaching scientific disciplines and in particular chemistry in Italy: students must face issues, theories and concepts without contextualizing them, as they are not provided with the necessary basic preparation; the laboratory activities are in general – when performed – separated from theory and aimed only at the acquisition of manual skills. The author suggests that students should, throughout their entire scholastic experience through primary and secondary school, increase their chemical knowledge following the historical development of chemistry: from the simplest evidence, to the classic and then to the atomistic theories, that can explain what they have previously observed.

The paper deals with the important theme of a reform of the teaching of chemistry in Italy, but it requires radical changes that can only be achieved with difficulty.

http://www.consiglio.regione.toscana.it/news-ed-eventi/pianeta-galileo/atti/default.asp

Dr.Maria Maddalena Carnasciali

Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale - University of Genoa

Researcher