Towards knower awareness in chemistry and chemistry education

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dc.contributor.advisorWolff, Karinen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorAdendorff, Hanelieen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorFataar, Aslamen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorBlackie, Margaret A. L.en_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2022-08-08T05:50:58Z
dc.date.accessioned2023-01-16T12:42:37Z
dc.date.available2022-08-08T05:50:58Z
dc.date.available2023-01-16T12:42:37Z
dc.date.issued2022-12
dc.descriptionThesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this work I develop the concept of knower awareness and argue for its significance in both the practice of chemistry and in chemistry education. Knower awareness requires making the person who holds the knowledge visible. This has been achieved using a theoretical foundation of critical realism. In critical realism the scientist is not a passive observer but an active agent in the practice of chemistry. A conception of the practice of chemistry as the interplay of the physical world at the molecular level, the conceptual world and the community of chemists has been derived from critical realism. The key insight here, is that the community of chemists are profoundly important in shaping the field of chemistry and how it is practiced. It is on this basis that the notion of ‘knower awareness’ is developed. This foundation is explored in three ways. Firstly, the appropriate situating of the objectivity of scientific knowledge in the realm of the real, means that the individual creativity of the researcher comes into view as a distinct asset. The necessary logical extension to this is the substantial advantage to the practice of chemistry that is afforded by diversity. Diversity in this sense is both diversity of training and diversity of identities. This has direct implications for teaching. A conception of teaching that remains as knowledge transfer as opposed to a dialogic process cannot be intellectually sustained. It also has implications for hiring practices in higher education. Secondly, this conception of the practice of chemistry allows a clarity of distinction between chemistry as science and chemistry as technology. When chemistry is practiced as a science, the conceptual world is the field of investigation and the physical world is taken as constant. When chemistry is practiced as a technology, the conceptual world is taken as constant and is used to effect change in the physical world. This insight may be the bait for the hook required for chemists to engage with this work. Thirdly, one example of the way in which knower blindness may be actively eroded is elaborated. The epistemic assessment framework is a tool which can be used by students to foster self-reflection and to make knowledge building in chemistry visible. Thus the student is encouraged to become an active agent in the process of their own learning. This is congruent with the agency of the scientist in the practice of chemistry.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie werk ontwikkel ek die konsep van kennerbewustheid en argumenteer vir die belang daarvan in beide chemiepraktyk en in chemie-onderwys. Kennerbewustheid vereis dat die persoon wat die kennis besit, sigbaar gemaak word. Dit is bereik deur 'n teoretiese grondslag van kritiese realisme te gebruik. In kritiese realisme is die wetenskaplike nie 'n passiewe waarnemer nie, maar 'n aktiewe agent in die chemiepraktyk. 'n Begrip van die chemiepraktyk as die wisselwerking van die fisiese wereld, op molekulere vlak, die konseptuele wereld en die gemeenskap van chemie is afgelei van kritiese realisme. Die sleutelinsig hier is dat die gemeenskap van chemici uiters belangrik is in die vorming van die veld van chemie en hoe dit beoefen word. Dit is op hierdie basis dat die idee van kennerbewustheid ontwikkel word. Hierdie grondslag word op drie maniere ondersoek. Eerstens beteken die gepaste situering van die objektiwiteit van wetenskaplike kennis in die realm van die werklike, dat die individuele kreatiwiteit van die navorser sigbaar word as 'n duidelike bate. Die nodige logiese uitbreiding hiervan is die wesenlike voordeel wat diversiteit die chemiepraktyk bied. Diversiteit in hierdie sin is beide diversiteit van opleiding en diversiteit van identiteite. Dit het direkte implikasies vir onderrig. Die verstaan van onderrig as kennisoordrag, in teenstelling met onderrig as 'n dialogiese proses, kan nie intellektueel volgehou word nie. Dit het ook implikasies vir aanstellingspraktyke in hoer onderwys. Tweedens bied hierdie opvatting van die chemiepraktyk duidelikheid oor die onderskeid tussen chemie as wetenskap en chemie as tegnologie. Wanneer chemie as 'n wetenskap beoefen word, is die konseptuele wereld die veld van ondersoek en word die fisiese wereld as konstant beskou. Wanneer chemie as 'n tegnologie beoefen word, word die konseptuele wereld as konstant beskou en word dit gebruik om verandering in die fisiese wereld te bewerkstellig. Hierdie insig kan die aas wees vir die hoek wat nodig is vir chemici om by hierdie werk betrokke te raak. Derdens word een voorbeeld van die wyse waarop kennerblindheid aktief geerodeer kan word, uitgebrei. Die epistemiese assesseringsraamwerk is 'n instrument wat deur studente gebruik kan word om selfrefleksie te bevorder en kennisbou in chemie sigbaar te maak. Die student word dus aangemoedig om 'n aktiewe agent in die proses van hul eie leer te word. Dit is in ooreenstemming met die agentskap van die wetenskaplike in die chemiepraktyk.af_ZA
dc.description.versionDoctoralen_ZA
dc.format.extentxi, 142 pages : illustrationsen_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/125949
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subjectChemistry -- Study and teachingen_ZA
dc.subjectScience -- Study and teachingen_ZA
dc.subjectKnowledge -- Theory ofen_ZA
dc.subjectUCTD
dc.titleTowards knower awareness in chemistry and chemistry educationen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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