Chemical reasoning, and in particular structure–property reasoning, is an important goal of chemistry education. Johnstone’s triangle (1982, 1991) is often used to explicate this type of reasoning.... Show moreChemical reasoning, and in particular structure–property reasoning, is an important goal of chemistry education. Johnstone’s triangle (1982, 1991) is often used to explicate this type of reasoning. This triangle describes the multilevel thought chemical reasoning requires and shows why students find chemistry so difficult. However, this model gives little guidance for teachers and students on how to teach and learn structure–property reasoning. In this theoretical article, we propose an alternative model for structure–property reasoning which has three advantages compared with previous models, namely, more coherence between chemical concepts and the skill of reasoning, more horizontal coherence (coherence between the concepts), and more vertical coherence (coherence throughout the school years). In four cases selected from the Dutch secondary school chemistry curriculum, the model was used to show how it can guide teachers and students in teaching and learning structure–property reasoning, and to demonstrate these above-named three advantages. The presented model has various educational applications as a scaffold for students’ reasoning, and as an instruction, design, and curriculum tool for teachers. Show less
Otter, M.J. den; Kuijpers, A.; Dam, M.; Juurlink, L.B.F.; Janssen, F. 2023
Many reforms in past decades have come and gone without having the desired impact on teaching practices. Two shared ideals that reforms have had are offering challenging content by using whole... Show moreMany reforms in past decades have come and gone without having the desired impact on teaching practices. Two shared ideals that reforms have had are offering challenging content by using whole tasks and tailoring student guidance to what students need for effective learning. In this article, we aim to bridge the reform-practice gap by taking a practicality perspective on how reform ideals are presented by exploring the concept of modularity. In this study modularity refers to how teachers can rearrange and adapt lesson-building blocks (e.g. explanation, checking homework or using a whole task) to change their teaching practices in line with reform ideals. We performed an explorative study (school-based PD programme) in which participants designed, enacted and reflected on authentic lessons using their student learning outcomes as input for subsequent lesson designs. Data were gathered about the use of building blocks and how teaching practices were developed in terms of using whole tasks and tailoring student guidance. Results show that participants made ongoing stepwise changes by building on what they already did successfully for both using whole tasks (e.g. change a task to recall into a whole task and shifting it to the lesson start) and tailoring student guidance. Show less
Otter, M.J. den; Dam, M.; Juurlink, L.B.F.; Janssen, F.J.J.M. 2021
Structure–property reasoning (SPR) is one of the most important aims of chemistry education but is seldom explicitly taught, and students find structure–property reasoning difficult. This study... Show moreStructure–property reasoning (SPR) is one of the most important aims of chemistry education but is seldom explicitly taught, and students find structure–property reasoning difficult. This study assessed two design principles for the development of structure–property reasoning in the context of demonstrations: (1) use of a POE task (predict–observe–explain) and (2) use of the domain-specific particle perspective, both to increase student engagement and to scaffold micro-level modeling. The aim of the demonstration series was to teach structure–property reasoning more explicitly to pre-university students (aged 15–16). Demonstrations pertained to the properties of metals, salts and molecular compounds. The SPR instrument was used as a pretest and posttest in order to gain insight into the effects on structure–property reasoning. In addition, one student (Sally) was followed closely to see how her structure–property reasoning evolved throughout the demonstrations. Results show that after the demonstrations students were more aware of the structure models at the micro-level. The students also knew and understood more chemical concepts needed for structure–property reasoning. Sally’s qualitative data additionally showed how she made interesting progress in modeling micro-level chemical structures. As we used conventional demonstrations as a starting point for design, this could well serve as a practical tool for teachers to redesign their existing demonstrations. Show less
Amelung, F.J.; Borstlap, W.A.A.; Consten, E.C.J.; Veld, J.V.; Halsema, E.E. van; Bemelman, W.A.; ... ; Dutch Snapshot Res Grp 2019
Background: Although self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) placement as bridge to surgery (BTS) in patients with left-sided obstructing colonic cancer has shown promising short-term results, it is... Show moreBackground: Although self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) placement as bridge to surgery (BTS) in patients with left-sided obstructing colonic cancer has shown promising short-term results, it is used infrequently owing to uncertainty about its oncological safety. This population study compared long-term oncological outcomes between emergency resection and SEMS placement as BTS.Methods: Through a national collaborative research project, long-term outcome data were collected for all patients who underwent resection for left-sided obstructing colonic cancer between 2009 and 2016 in 75 Dutch hospitals. Patients were identified from the Dutch Colorectal Audit database. SEMS as BTS was compared with emergency resection in the curative setting after 1: 2 propensity score matching.Results: Some 222 patients who had a stent placed were matched to 444 who underwent emergency resection. The overall SEMS-related perforation rate was 7.7 per cent (17 of 222). Three-year locoregional recurrence rates after SEMS insertion and emergency resection were 11-4 and 13.6 per cent (P= 0-457), disease-free survival rates were 58-8 and 52.6 per cent (P= 0-175), and overall survival rates were 74-0 and 68-3 per cent (P= 0.231), respectively. SEMS placement resulted in significantly fewer permanent stomas (23.9 versus 45.3 per cent; P < 0-001), especially in elderly patients (29.0 versus 57.9 per cent; P < 0-001). For patients in the SEMS group with or without perforation, 3-year locoregional recurrence rates were 18 and 11.0 per cent (P= 0.432), disease-free survival rates were 49 and 59.6 per cent (P= 0-717), and overall survival rates 61 and 75.1 per cent (P= 0.529), respectively.Conclusion: Overall, SEMS as BTS seems an oncologically safe alternative to emergency resection with fewer permanent stomas. Nevertheless, the risk of SEMS-related perforation, as well as permanent stoma, might influence shared decision-making for individual patients. Show less
Boer, E. de; Janssen, F.J.J.M.; Driel, J.H. van; Dam, M. 2019
In biological research, generic questions that are derived from perspectives (ways of looking at and thinking about life processes) help in generating specific questions. In this study, we used... Show moreIn biological research, generic questions that are derived from perspectives (ways of looking at and thinking about life processes) help in generating specific questions. In this study, we used perspective-based generic questions as scaffolds to support student teachers in increasing the quality and quantity of their questions about biological topics. Fifteen student biology teachers were given an intervention to individually generate, in 15 min, as many questions as possible that they might ask in class about standards from the national syllabus for biology on a particular biological topic, first without using, and then using a set of perspective-based generic questions. The results of this study show that, using perspective-based generic questions, student teachers generated significantly more and higher quality questions. The formulated questions can be applied in two different contexts: during practicum, when student teachers actually teach biology, or when they plan future lessons, as the basis of challenging tasks or assignments, with the aim of getting students interested in finding the answers. Show less
Dam, M.; Ottenhof, K.W.; Boxtel, C.A.M. van; Janssen, F.J.J.M. 2019
Out of all the complex systems in science education curricula, cellular respiration is considered to be one of the most complex and abstract processes. Students are known to have low interest and... Show moreOut of all the complex systems in science education curricula, cellular respiration is considered to be one of the most complex and abstract processes. Students are known to have low interest and diculties in conceptual understanding of cellular respiration which provides a challenge for teaching and learning. In this study, we took literature about modelling and teaching and learning cellular respiration as a starting point for the design of a concrete dynamic model in which students (n = 126) use Lego® to simulate the process of cellular respiration. Students used the simulation embedded in the context of finding the eciency of a sediment battery as a future source of green energy and we tested the e ects on conceptual learning and situational interest in an experimental study. Results on conceptual learning show that both experimental and control groups had comparable results in the test. The questions that students in the experimental group asked during enactment, however, gave notice of a focus on both isolated component parts as well as modes of organization at higher organizational levels which is linked to how biologists mechanistically understand complex systems. Both groups report a similar high measure to which the topic is meaningful in real life (situational interest value), whereas the enjoyment (situational interest feeling) was significantly increased in the experimental group. Furthermore, students report specific advantages (e.g., I now understand that one acid chemically changes into another and they do not just transfer atoms) and disadvantages (e.g., time issues). Show less
Coskun, B.; Kuijpers, A.J.; Rooij, E. van; Dam, M.; Fokkens-Bruinsma, M.; Goedhart, M.; ... ; Vries, M. de 2019
In recent years, the use of student data has become increasingly concernedwith management of teacher performance. However, when teachersbecome aware of specific student data directly related to... Show moreIn recent years, the use of student data has become increasingly concernedwith management of teacher performance. However, when teachersbecome aware of specific student data directly related to their approachof teaching, it could inform them about possible strengths, weaknesses orchallenges. Unfortunately, teachers generally have little time and encountersignificant problems in the interpretation and use of data for change. In thisarticle, we put forward that such problems can be avoided by offeringteachers practical frames that are aimed at the interpretation and productiveuse of student data. We report on an extensive study that was done inthe setting of reform implementation where teachers were asked to changetheir teaching practices. Participating teachers performed multiple PDCA(Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycles in which they designed and taught lessonswhere student data were collected. To interpret and make use of suchstudent data for change, we provided participants with practical frames.We examined to what extent and in what way participants used theseframes and how this influenced professional development. Results showedthat participants used frames to both interpret student data and makechanges to their teaching practices towards that required by the reform ina stepwise, rather independent way. Show less
The implementation of educational reforms requires behavioral changes from the teachers involved. Theories on successful behavioral change prescribe the following conditions: teachers need to... Show moreThe implementation of educational reforms requires behavioral changes from the teachers involved. Theories on successful behavioral change prescribe the following conditions: teachers need to possess the necessary knowledge and skills, form strong positive intentions to perform the new behavior, and have a supporting environment for change. However, existing approaches to teacher professional development in the context of educational reforms are predominantly aimed at the development of knowledge and skills and at creating a supporting environment, but lack attention to teachers’ intentions to change. In the study described in this article, we performed “motivating-for-educational-change” interviews (MECI) and explored the influence on teachers’ intentions to change in the direction of the proposed national biology education reform, that is, the introduction of a context-based curriculum. The MECI comprised two tools: building on earlier successful experiences and using lesson segments to rearrange instructional approaches. We explored the influence of the MECI technique on the strength and specificity of participating teachers’ intentions. When conducting the MECI, many participants expressed that they now realized how they had already implemented aspects of the reform in their regular instructional approaches. Furthermore, all the participants formulated stronger and more specific intentions to change their regular instructional approach towards that of the proposed reform while taking their regular instructional approach as a starting point. Show less
For a successful implementation of an educational reform, teachers need to regard the proposal as being practical. I used a modular, success-oriented approach to make a context-based reform... Show moreFor a successful implementation of an educational reform, teachers need to regard the proposal as being practical. I used a modular, success-oriented approach to make a context-based reform practical for implemtentation in Duthc biology education. educational reform, modular, teachers, biology, success-oriented, implementation, professional development Show less
