Some of the difficulties in teaching chemistry as a core module in other science disciplines such as biology, is the inability of many students to establish a link between what they learn in chemistry and their field of study, and the absence of a consensus among academics on the degree of complexity that should be covered in an introductory chemistry module. Some academics argue that more emphasis should be placed on the applications and less on the theory. The potential risk of such an approach is the superficial learning of fundamental concepts with further implications in the learning of related interdisciplinary concepts. Such fundamental concepts that are key to mastering a subject have been identified by Meyer and Land as threshold concepts and described as “portals to previously unknown ways of thinking” (Land, R., Meyer, J., Smith, J. (2008). Threshold concepts within the disciplines. Roterdam: Sense Publications). They are defined by the following characteristics, irreversible, transformative, troublesome, integrative and bounded and can be identified for any discipline. Although most threshold concepts are specific to a particular discipline they can link concepts among different disciplines. Atomic structure has been identified as a threshold concept in chemistry. It constitutes a fundamental basis for understanding some of the foundations of chemistry and is therefore, transformative; it corresponds to conceptually difficult knowledge and is therefore, troublesome and mastering atomic structure can assist the learning of related concepts within the discipline and associated concepts in other disciplines such as, macromolecular structure, in Biochemistry. This project investigates students’ understanding and conceptual development of atomic structure in the first year module Chemistry for Biologists at Middlesex University, UK, by introducing learning interventions designed to enhance learning of the concept. A baseline of the students’ mental models of atomic structure is established at the beginning of the module and the progression of students’ understanding of atomic structure is monitored through the course of the module, using diagnostic questionnaires. Further focus is placed on the challenges associated with teaching threshold concepts in chemistry, with special emphasis on preconceptions and secondary education in UK.

Teaching atomic structure as a threshold concept in chemistry for biologists

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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