Using Systems Maps to Visualize Chemistry Processes: Practitioner and Student Insights

Abstract

Discussing socio-scientific issues in a secondary chemistry classroom poses a challenge to traditional classroom practice because students and teachers need to think more broadly about chemical processes. Allowing students to create open-ended maps to generate and represent their understanding of socio-scientific issues while also learning chemistry theory can develop Systems Thinking capacity in students. This manuscript presents three vignettes of the classroom use of mapping exercises within separate action research studies, involving diverse school types, curricula, chemistry topics and student groups. The mapping exercises were effective to engage students in the development of Systems Thinking and were readily integrated into different curricula. Sequential student-generated maps for chemical processes illustrate increasing sophistication in their Systems Thinking approaches.

Keywords

• Systems Thinking
• chemistry education
• representational competence
• mapping