Exploring student experiences of learning chemistry using holism evolution infused poetry
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Authors
Mirkin, Philip Joshua
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer
Abstract
Holism evolution states that although energy, matter, life, consciousness and the human personality are independent
and different substances/levels of evolution, they are holistically and intimately related.
This paper presents the findings from teaching chemistry to high school science students and post-graduate university
science-education students using poetry constructed from physical science ideas embedded in holism evolution. The
research findings are based on observations of student behaviour and their written feedback from being taught chemistry
using poems on the periodic table and acids and bases. Both poems demonstrate the holism intimacy between various
substances/levels of evolution, with the periodic table poem also presenting groups of chemical elements as representing
the characteristics of infant, teenager, adult and old age of matter, presenting a holistic relationship between matter and
life. The findings indicate that using holism evolution-infused content led to a personally meaningful engagement with
chemistry even among students with limited previous interest in the subject. Many post-graduate students expressed
new levels of engagement with chemistry as well as new insights to enliven their teaching practice.
Description
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT: The data used in this research is part of ongoing research, and will be stored in the data repository of the University of Pretoria.
The anonymous raw data and summary of analysis is available from the author by request, at philip.mirkin@up.ac.za.
Keywords
Holism evolution, Chemistry, Poetry, Education, Science, Periodic table, Characterisation, SDG-04: Quality education
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG-04:Quality Education
Citation
Mirkin, P.J. Exploring student experiences of learning chemistry using holism evolution infused poetry. Discover Education 3, 13 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-024-00095-w.