Aniline and Beyond: A Multifaceted Case Study for a Bildung-Focused Chemical Education

In the chemical education field, the Johnstone’s triangle represents three learning levels (symbolic, macroscopic, and molecular) needed for students. Afterwards, Mahaffy suggested a tetrahedron model based on this triangle, where the top represents the human element. Subsequently, Sjöström proposed...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Teresa Celestino
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Organics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2673-401X/6/2/20
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:In the chemical education field, the Johnstone’s triangle represents three learning levels (symbolic, macroscopic, and molecular) needed for students. Afterwards, Mahaffy suggested a tetrahedron model based on this triangle, where the top represents the human element. Subsequently, Sjöström proposed a subdivision of the top into three other levels: applied chemistry, socio-cultural context, and critical–philosophic approach. These six dimensions of chemical knowledge will be examined in relation to the discovery of aniline, its chemistry and applications. The historical and epistemic aspects of this topic, gradually broadening the focus to the social, political, and artistic backdrop, can provide a more effective approach to teaching the subject. The major impact of the synthetic dye industry makes this field of study particularly important for a Bildung-focused chemistry education.
ISSN:2673-401X