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Transformation of organic chemistry for teaching and learning PDF

150 Pages·2012·14.86 MB·English
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STUDENT NUMBER: 7603279 Transformation of organic chemistry for teaching and learning: An analysis of Grade 12 South African textbooks and examination guidelines. A research project submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the MSc Degree. Fiona Newell 11/5/2012 ABSTRACT In the context of educational transformation in South Africa the organic chemistry content of science textbooks needs to be mediated by the authors of the books profoundly and flexibly so as to provide for the diverse abilities and backgrounds of South African learners. This mediation requires critical interpretation of the curriculum documents [examination guidelines], representation and selection of the instructional ideas by using pedagogical content knowledge [PCK] so as to make the content accessible to the learners and to help them prepare for examinations. The purpose of this content analysis which used PCK as a theoretical framework was to establish how the grade12 organic chemistry content has been transformed for teaching and learning by the textbook authors and what teaching methods have been used, as not all the textbooks seem to cover the same content. To capture the PCK of the authors a representation of the content or CoRe was used for each of the books analysed using the Big Ideas from the text as well as the Bishop and Denley’s six knowledge bases of PCK. The study showed that although all the books analysed showed evidence of the authors’ PCK none of them mediated the content sufficiently to cater adequately for the learners’ needs. ii DECLARATION I declare that this research report is my own unaided work, except as indicated in the acknowledgements, the text and the references. It is being submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. It has not been submitted before for any degree or examination at any other institute. Signed___________________________________Date________________ Fiona Anne Newell iii Dedication: This project is dedicated to my family- my husband Tony and my daughters Kim and Megan. Acknowledgements: Without the help of many people this project would not have been possible. I would like to express my very great appreciation to Professor Marissa Rollnick for helping me figure out what I wanted my project to be about; providing direction and for all the hours she spent mentoring me. I would also like to offer special thanks to my family for their understanding, support and encouragement along the way. Without you I would never have completed this arduous task. I would also like to acknowledge the support of my colleagues at work especially Dina who understood that I needed some extra time to complete this task. Lastly I would like to thank my learners for providing me with the need to see this through. iv CONTENTS: 2 CHAPTER 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION 2 1.2 RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY 2 1.3 AIM OF THE STUDY 4 1.4 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 4 1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 6 1.6 SEQUENCE OF THE RESEARCH REPORT 6 9 CHAPTER 2 2.1 TEXTBOOKS, TEACHERS AND MEDIATION OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 9 CONTENT: 2.2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE (PCK) 10 2.2.1 ANALYSING FOR PCK 11 2.2.2 CAPTURING PCK 13 2.3 TEXTBOOKS AND THE CURRICULUM 14 2.4 QUALITY OF TEXTBOOKS 15 2.5 FUNCTIONS OF TEXTBOOKS 16 2.6 SOUTH AFRICAN PHYSICAL SCIENCE TEXTBOOKS 16 2.7 TEXTBOOKS AND EDUCATIONAL REFORM 17 2.8 TEXTBOOKS, TEACHERS AND LEARNERS 18 2.9 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY CONTENT IN TEXTBOOKS 18 2.10 IMPLICATIONS FOR THIS STUDY: 20 22 CHAPTER 3 3.1 INTRODUCTION: 22 3.2 TYPE OF RESEARCH: 22 3.3 TRUSTWORTHINESS OF THE STUDY 23 3.4 SAMPLE 24 3.5 TOOLS FOR ANALYSIS 25 3.5.1 TEXTBOOK ANALYSIS TOOL 25 3.6 ANALYSIS OF DATA 26 3.6.1 CONTENT REPRESENTATION 27 3.7 ETHICS 27 3.8 CRITIQUE OF DATA COLLECTION METHODS 27 CHAPTER 4 30 4.1 INTRODUCTION 30 4.1.1 THE LEARNER’S BOOK 31 4.1.2 THE TEACHER’S GUIDE 35 4.2 MEDIATION OF CHEMISTRY CONTENT. 37 4.2.1 The CoRe 37 4.2.2 BIG IDEA 1: ORGANIC COMPOUNDS ARE MADE FROM CARBON CHAINS WITH 41 OTHER ELEMENTS TO MAKE DIFFERENT COMPOUNDS WITH SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS CALLED FUNCTIONAL GROUPS 4.2.3 BIG IDEA 2: ORGANIC COMPOUNDS ARE NAMED ACCORDING TO VERY 43 SPECIFIC RULES SET OUT BY IUPAC. 4.2.4 BIG IDEA 3: THE PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF ORGANIC 44 COMPOUNDS ARE LINKED TO THEIR FUNCTIONAL GROUPS. 4.2.5 BIG IDEA 4: THE CHEMICAL PROPERTIES THAT ORGANIC COMPOUNDS 45 UNDERGO ARE LINKED TO THEIR MOLECULAR STRUCTURES AND THEIR FUNCTIONAL GROUPS 4.2.6 ANALYSIS OF PCK 48 4.2.7 KNOWLEDGE OF THE CURRICULUM 49 4.2.8 KNOWLEDGE OF THE CONTENT 51 v 4.2.9 KNOWLEDGE OF THE CONTEXT. 52 4.2.10 KNOWLEDGE OF VALUES, ENDS AND PURPOSES 53 4.2.11 KNOWLEDGE OF LEARNERS AND LEARNING 53 4.2.12 GENERAL PEDAGOGICAL KNOWLEDGE 54 4.3 OVERVIEW OF THE CHAPTER 54 58 CHAPTER 5 5.1 INTRODUCTION 58 5.1.1 THE LEARNER’S BOOK 60 5.1.2 THE TEACHER’S GUIDE 66 5.1.3 THE EXAM BANK CD ROM 67 5.1.4 THE FET PRACTICALS BOOK 67 5.1.5 THE EXAM PRACTICE BOOK 68 5.2 MEDIATION OF CHEMISTRY CONTENT. 69 5.2.1 BIG IDEA 1 CARBON IS UNIQUE 72 5.2.2 BIG IDEA 2 THERE ARE MULTIPLE WAYS OF REPRESENTING ORGANIC 73 SUBSTANCES WHICH ARE NAMED USING A STANDARD SYSTEM (IUPAC) OF NAMING. 5.2.3 BIG IDEA 3: ORGANIC COMPOUNDS SHOW DISTINCTIVE PHYSICAL AND 74 CHEMICAL PROPERTIES 5.2.4 BIG IDEA 4: ORGANIC REACTIONS DEPEND ON THE DISTINCTIVE PHYSICAL 76 AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF ORGANIC MOLECULES TO DETERMINE THE TYPES OF REACTIONS THEY UNDERGO 5.2.5 KNOWLEDGE OF THE CURRICULUM 78 5.2.6 KNOWLEDGE OF THE CONTENT 80 5.2.7 KNOWLEDGE OF THE CONTEXT 82 5.2.8 KNOWLEDGE OF VALUES ENDS AND PURPOSES 84 5.2.9 KNOWLEDGE OF LEARNERS AND LEARNING 85 5.2.10 GENERAL PEDAGOGICAL KNOWLEDGE 86 5.3 OVERVIEW OF THE CHAPTER 87 90 CHAPTER 6 6.1. INTRODUCTION 90 6.1.1 THE LEARNER’S BOOK 91 6.1.2 THE TEACHER’S GUIDE 95 6.2 MEDIATION OF CHEMISTRY CONTENT 97 6.2.1 The CoRe: CONTENT REPRESENTATION 97 6.2.2 BIG IDEA 1 CARBON HAS SPECIAL PROPERTIES WHICH MAKE IT UNIQUE 102 6.2.3 BIG IDEA 2: ORGANIC COMPOUNDS ARE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO THEIR 105 BONDS OR STRUCTURES 6.2.4 BIG IDEA 3: ORGANIC COMPOUNDS ARE NAMED AND REPRESENTED 108 ACCORDING TO IUPAC RULES 6.2.5 BIG IDEA 4: ORGANIC COMPOUNDS HAVE CHARACTERISTIC CHEMICAL AND 110 PHYSICAL PROPERTIES 6.2.6 BIG IDEA 5: REACTIONS THAT ORGANIC SUBSTANCES UNDERGO ARE 113 DETERMINED BY THEIR CHARCTERISTIC CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES 6.2.8 KNOWLEDGE OF THE CURRICULUM 117 6.2.9 KNOWLEDGE OF THE CONTENT 118 6.2.10 KNOWLEDGE OF VALUES, ENDS AND PURPOSES 119 6.2.11 KNOWLEDGE OF THE CONTEXT 119 6.2.12 KNOWLEDGE OF LEARNERS AND LEARNING 119 6.2.13 GENERAL PEDAGOGICAL KNOWLEDGE 120 6.3 AN OVERVIEW OF THE CHAPTER 122 CHAPTER 7 7.1 INTRODUCTION 123 7.2 CRITICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE STUDY 123 7.3 RESEARCH QUESTION 1 127 vi 7.3.1 COMPARISON OF THE BIG IDEAS AND PCK 127 7.3.2 COMPARISON OF GENERAL FEATURES OF THE TEXTBOOKS 129 7.4 RESEARCH QUESTION 2 131 7.5 CONCLUSIONS 134 7.6 RECOMMENDATIONS 135 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1 Bishop and Denley's model of PCK (2007) 13 Figure 4.1: Details of Study and Master Physical Sciences. (Cambridge University Press 30 Core South African Textbooks, 2011) Figure 4.2: Introduction to unit 3, Study and Master Physical Sciences. 3 1 Figure 4.3: pg 237 Study and Master Physical Sciences 3 4 Figure 4.4: Did you know? 3 5 Figure 4.5: Applying IUPAC Rules and functional groups 3 6 Figure 4.6: Classification of organic compounds 42 Figure 4.7: Three dimensional structures 42 Figure 4.8 Textbox containing highlighted information 43 Figure 4.9: Table of homologous series 43 Figure 4.10: Naming of organic compounds 44 Figure 4.11: Table showing molecular formula, melting point, boiling point and phase at room 45 temperature. Figure 4.12: Smell or flavour of different esters 45 Figure 4.13: Activity on preparing an ester 47 Figure 4.14: Assessment task on applying organic reactions 48 Figure 4.15 Spinning Top Model (Bishop & Denley, 2007) 49 Figure 4.16 Naming organic compounds 51 Figure 4.17: Welding with an oxy-acetylene torch 52 Figure 4.18: Description of alkynes 52 Figure 4.19: Example of solution to question on drawing a structural formul a 54 Figure 5.1 Cover-Focus on Physical Sciences 58 Figure 5.2: Focus on Physical Sciences Exam Bank 59 Figure 5.3: Description of the Focus Series 59 Figure 5.4: Learning Outcomes and Assessment Standards pg151 60 Figure 5.5: Mind Map Chapter 5 Focus on Physical Sciences pg 151 62 Figure 5.6: Example of definitions from glossary page 274 62 Figure 5.7: Example from index Focus on Physical Sciences 62 Figure 5.8: Note Rules for naming organic compounds page 153 63 vii Figure 5.9: Mind Map page 154 64 Figure 5.10: Signposts to information in another chapter 64 Figure 5.11: Example of a safety note 65 Figure 5.12: Activity examining the relationship between the size of an alkane and its boiling 66 point page 158 Figure 5.13: Observation Checklist for Organic chemistry practical in Practicals Book 68 Figure 5.14: Table on functional groups 73 Figure 5.15: In chapter activity 73 Figure 5.16: Worked example on isomers 74 Figure 5.17: Picture showing an oxyacetylene torch 75 Figure 5.18: Case study: Health risks of benzene in coal and tobacco smoke 76 Figure 5.19: Examples of substitution reactions 76 Figure 5.20: determining whether hydrocarbons are saturated or unsaturated -substitution and 77 addition reactions Figure 5.21: Oxidation reactions, halogenations reactions and elimination reactions as well 77 as signposts to other chapters. Figure 5.22: Activities on understanding and making esters and esters as functional groups 78 Figure 5.23: Learning Outcomes and Assessment standards for Activity 5.16 79 Figure 5.24: Naming Alkanes 81 Figure 5.25: Worked example and solution to naming a branched alkane 81 Figure 5.26: Uses of Alcohol 82 Figure 5.27: Hydrogen bonding in alcohols 82 Figure 5.28: How to approach an examination question in a practice exam as well as part of 83 the question. Figure 5.29: Summary Activity 84 Figure 5.30: Summary of principle functional groups. 87 Figure 6.1 Teacher's Guide 90 Figure 6.2 Learner's Book 90 Figure 6.2.1 Get the facts 92 Figure 6.3 Glossary Physical Sciences Explained 93 Figure 6.4 Page 147 Physical Sciences Explained 93 Figure 6.5 Review it now 94 Figure 6.6 Picture from Physical Sciences Explained showing sources of carbon 95 Figure 6.7 Example of encouraging learner's to access prior knowledge 96 Figure 6.8 Organic products from fossil fuels 103 Figure 6.9 Different carbon structures 103 viii Figure 6.10 Aufbau Diagrams for carbon in its ground and excited state. 104 Figure 6.11 Facts about carbon and how it bonds. 104 Figure 6.12 Concept map of classification of organic compounds 106 Figure 6.13 Ball and Stick models and structural formulae 107 Figure 6.14 Table relating names, numbers of carbons, condensed formulae and prefixes 107 Figure 6.15 Cartoon about the importance of rules 109 Figure 6.16 Example to show how multiple groups would be numbered and named 109 Figure 6.17 Worked examples on naming organic compounds 110 Figure 6.18 Butane as a convenient fuel supply for portable appliances 111 Figure 6.19 Revision of intermolecular forces 112 Figure 6.20 Different representations of benzene 113 Figure 6.21 Pictures of different uses of alcohol 114 Figure 6.22 Elimination reactions of alcohols 114 Figure 6.23 Investigate it now activity 115 Figure 6.24 Missing content 116 Figure 6.25 Science in our world. 117 Figure 6.26 Get the facts 118 Figure 6.27 Questions and skills for learners. 118 LIST OF TABLES Table 4.1: Details of textbook Study & Master Physical Sciences 30 Table 4.2 The CoRe- Study & Master Physical Sciences Big Ideas 1&2 39 Table 4.3 The CoRe- Study & Master Physical Sciences Big Ideas 3&4 4 0 Table 4.4 Missing information in textbooks 5 0 Table 5.1 Details of textbook Focus on Physical Sciences 58 Table 5.2 CoRe Big Ideas 1&2 70 Table 5.3 CoRe Big Ideas 3&4 71 Table 5.4 Missing Information from Physical Sciences Explained. 80 Table 6.1 Details of Physical Sciences Explained. 91 Table 6.2 Big Ideas 1&2 Physical Sciences Explained 99 Table 6.3 Big Ideas 3&4 Physical Sciences Explained 100 Table 6.4 Big Idea 5 Physical Sciences Explained 101 Table 7.1 Comparison of Big Ideas 127 Table 7.2 Comparison of general features in the textbooks 131 Table 7. 3 Missing Information from Examination Guidelines 133 ix APPENDICES APPENDIX 1 Chapters 1-7 in PDF on CD 1 A1 APPENDIX 2 Scans in PDF on CD 2 A2 Focus on Physical Sciences Physical Sciences Explained Study and Master Physical Sciences APPENDIX 3 Textbook Analysis Tool Study and Master Physical A3.1 Sciences DoE Examination Guidelines Focus on Physical Sciences A3.2 Reading Ease Test- Focus on Physical Sciences & Physical A3.3 Sciences Explained CoRe -Study & Master Physical Sciences A3.4 Coding of Data-Study & Master Physical Sciences A3.5 DoE Examination Guidelines 2009/2010/2011 A3.6 Textbook Analysis Tool A3.7 x

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