A Study on Teaching Materials and Approaches for Chemistry in Salters Advanced Chemistry

Abstract

This study aims to characterize materials and approaches in Salters Advanced Chemistry (SAC), which has been developed for GCE-A level students, who wish to go on to tertiary institutions in science in England and Wales. SAC has three materials, "Chemical Storylines", "Chemical Ideas" and "Activities". "Chemical Storylines" plays an important role in introducing the contexts within which chemical ideas and skills are developed and indicates the contents of students' learning in "Chemical Ideas" and Activities". "Chemical Ideas" systematically draws together chemical principles from different parts in "Chemical Storylines". "Activities" provides a wide range of activities, not only practical work, but also group activities, data analysis and application of information technology. We found that; SAC adopts a 'context-based approach', so students learn chemistry through the use of contexts as starting points; the concepts that students learn are divided into pieces so it is possible to introduce them on a "need to know" basis, so students learn chemical ideas to understand a story in "Chemical Storylines"; and as a result, SAC adopts a 'drip feed approach'.