Abstract

The structure of school chemistry: A quest for conditions for escape. In this thesis I have addressed two main problems of the current school chemistry curriculum. The first problem is the problem of structure: What is the structure of the chemical concepts and chemical relationships present in school chemistry textbooks? The second problem is the problem of escape: Why do reforms of the current school chemistry curriculum lead to only marginal changes? Attempts to escape are more likely to succeed if one knows what to escape. This raises the question whether the structure of the current school chemistry curriculum is an asset or an obstacle for reforming school chemistry. The solution of the problem of escape thus bears on the solution of the problem of structure. The first condition for realising a more successful reform in chemistry education is to understand the structure of the current school chemistry curriculum. The second condition concerns the development of a coherent vision on secondary chemistry education, that is, on where to escape to, and the third condition concerns a systematic method about how to escape from the currently dominant school chemistry curriculum. In this thesis I have answered the seven research questions listed below, dealing with the problem of structure (1-3), and the problem of escape (4-7).