ERIC Number: EJ1481981
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Aug
Pages: 27
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0926-7220
EISSN: EISSN-1573-1901
Available Date: 2025-04-10
The Conceptual Profile of Molecule as a Manifestation of Representational Pluralism in Chemistry
Science & Education, v34 n4 p2079-2105 2025
We assume the existence of conceptual profiles as a manifestation of pluralism in science education. This means recognizing the heterogeneity of thinking and speaking, that is, the coexistence of two or more meanings of the same word or concept that are accessed and used by the individual in appropriate contexts. Science is not a homogeneous way of knowing and provides multiple ways of seeing the world, which can exist together within the same individual and be used in different contexts. Scholars of conceptual profiles are interested in investigating how science teaching could be designed to effectively address heterogeneity of thinking as teachers attempt to create conditions for students to understand and learn scientific concepts. In this work, we present a conceptual profile of the molecule consisting of six zones (first principles, substantialism, geometrically arranged atoms, compositionist, interactionist, and modern molecule), revealing the relationship between this conceptual profile and the pluralism of molecular representations. We also present the ontological and epistemological commitments that shape these zones as well as the ways of speaking that were identified in the empirical data and the relationships with the pluralism of molecule representations. We then explore an activity designed to make explicit the use of zones in this profile and applied at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, seeking to identify how students at different levels of education access the different zones.
Descriptors: Science Education, Scientific Concepts, Science Instruction, Instructional Design, Molecular Biology, Molecular Structure, Epistemology, College Science
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link-springer-com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Data File: URL: http://hdl.handle.net/1843/34197
Author Affiliations: 1Chemistry Departament, ICN, Universidade Federal de Lavras, ICN, Lavras, Brazil; 2Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Faculty of Education, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

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