Chemistry seeks to provide qualitative and quantitative explanations for the observed behaviour of elements and their compounds. Doing so involves making use of three types of representation: the macro (the empirical properties of substances); the sub-micro (the natures of the entities giving rise to those properties); and the symbolic (the number of entities involved in any changes that take place). Although understanding this triplet relationship is a key aspect of chemical education, there is considerable evidence that students find great difficulty in achieving mastery of the ideas involved. In bringing together the work of leading chemistry educators who are researching the triplet relationship at the secondary and university levels, the book discusses the learning involved, the problems that students encounter, and successful approaches to teaching. Based on the reported research, the editors argue for a coherent model for understanding the triplet relationship in chemical education.

Chemistry seeks to provide qualitative and quantitative explanations for the observed behaviour of elements and their compounds. Doing so involves making use of three types of representation: the macro (the empirical properties of substances); the sub-micro (the natures of the entities giving rise to those properties); and the symbolic (the number of entities involved in any changes that take place). Although understanding this triplet relationship is a key aspect of chemical education, there is considerable evidence that students find great difficulty in achieving mastery of the ideas involved. In bringing together the work of leading chemistry educators who are researching the triplet relationship at the secondary and university levels, the book discusses the learning involved, the problems that students encounter, and successful approaches to teaching. Based on the reported research, the editors argue for a coherent model for understanding the triplet relationship in chemical education.

During interviews preservice nurses were asked to manipulate a range of such nursing devices as syringes, drain bottles, intravenous giving sets and aspirators. They were questioned about their knowledge of aspects of fluid dynamics. They were then asked to measure the interviewer's blood pressure and asked about the pressures they observed and about their knowledge of blood flow and the function of the sphygmomanometer. They were also questioned about respiration and the function of the respirator. It was found that those who had alternative conceptions of atmospheric pressure, fluid pressure, fluid flow and equilibrium states were essentially unable to provide explanations for the function of simple nursing equipment or such physiological phenomena as blood flow, blood pressure and breathing.