Pre-Service Chemistry Teachers’ Perceptions on Big Ideas of Chemistry and Its Teaching
ZHANG Li-Fan1, DENG Feng1,2**, LAN Wan-Rong1, LIU Jia-Cong1
1. College of Chemistry,South China Normal University,Guangzhou 510006,China; 2. South China Normal University “Fundamental” Learning and Teaching Research Team, Guangzhou 510631,China
Abstract This study explored the perceptions of 36 pre-service chemistry teachers on“big ideas”(nature,properties,forms,structures,and functions)and their pedagogical application through an open-ended questionnaire and interviews.Specifically,it examined their understanding in relation to four domains:knowledge of curriculum(KoC),knowledge of learners(KoL),knowledge of instructional strategies(KoS),and knowledge of assessment(KoA).The findings revealed that:(1)Pre-service teachers demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of big ideas,yet they struggled to distill these concepts and lacked clarity regarding their hierarchical structure.(2)They were more familiar with senior high school content,displaying stronger comprehension of compulsory topics compared to elective ones.(3)Their understanding of KoL tended to be deductive,emphasizing deficiencies in students’ cognitive abilities over knowledge-related challenges.(4)They exhibited shortcomings in teaching strategies and assessment methods,with an absence of targeted approaches for teaching big ideas.The implications for pre-service chemistry teacher education are also discussed.
ZHANG Li-Fan, DENG Feng, LAN Wan-Rong, LIU Jia-Cong. Pre-Service Chemistry Teachers’ Perceptions on Big Ideas of Chemistry and Its Teaching[J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Education, 2025, 46(6): 58-66.
