‘Chemistry Education and New Educational Technologies’: An Inter-University Program for Graduate Studies

Chemistry Departments of the Universities of Athens, Thessaloniki, and the Department of Chemical Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens
Director of the Graduate Programme: Tzougraki Chryssa, Profesor of Organic Chemistry

This initiative is an inter-University program for graduate studies At the master’s degree level, the students have to take a series of courses during the first two semesters. In addition, every student has to carry out a small research project in chemistry education or in the development and educational evaluation of multimedia software on a chemistry topic, under the supervision of a specialist among the teaching staff. The curriculum is divided in three branches: the first deals with special chemistry topics; the second includes courses in general educational theory and practice, as well as in science and chemistry education; the third branch deals with the new educational technologies. Particular emphasis is placed on the methodology of educational research. The courses are taught by specialists with teaching and research experience in each discipline. They are members of the Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Education, Methodology and History of Science, Philosophy-Education-Psychology, and Mathematics and Computer Science.

The general goal of the program is to provide scientific and educational training at graduate level to actual and future secondary teachers in Greece.
The main directions of the program are:
• teaching of chemistry and chemical technology courses, with emphasis in their application to everyday life, society and the environment;
• familiarization with and clarification of conceptual difficulties encountered in teaching and learning chemistry;
• provision of general pedagogical theory and practice;
• contact with established theory and modern trends in science and chemistry educational research;
• training of the students on the structure, operation and usage of both conventional and new educational technologies, as well as on the principles, methods and authoring tools for the development of educational multimedia software focused on chemistry teaching.

Science graduates, active science teachers

Research, seminars, demonstrations of chemical experiments

The program has found a considerable response by science graduates as well as active science teachers. In the first year (1998-1999) there were 110 candidates from whom 35 students were selected and they attend the courses given in the Chemistry Departments of the Universities of Athens and Thessaloniki. For the academic year 1999-2000, the number of candidates was 115, from whom 37 were selected.

Students have participated in some presentations in National and European Conferences; they have published papers in International Journals. They have produced some experimental educational CD-ROMs; and they have carried out all the activities of the Chemistry Departments for the “Days of Chemistry”.

The programme courses follow a learning progression that intends to build a foundation for continued, lifelong learning.

http://meltemi.chem.auth.gr/dixinet

Dr. Katerina Salta

T.E.I of Ionian Islands

Researcher