Quo Vadis, Chemistry in Eight-Year Grammar Schools?

Abstract

This article provides a more detailed insight into the scope and content of chemistry teaching in eight-year grammar schools. What is the most common year in which chemistry is started in eight-year grammar schools in the Czech Republic? What topics do students most often encounter in chemistry when they start high school? And does chemistry as a subject receive more space in eight-year grammar schools than in the sequence of primary schools followed by four-year grammar schools? These are the questions we seek to answer in this article. It turns out that, compared to primary schools, chemistry teaching starts earlier in eight-year grammar schools, by up to two years. Thus, the overall scope of chemistry teaching is significantly higher in most eight-year grammar schools than in the combination of primary schools and four-year grammar schools. In terms of teaching topics, however, eight-year grammar schools follow the usual sequence, i.e. to start with general chemistry and continue with other chemistry disciplines. Taking these findings into account, reading the article might offer to educators a reflection on the concept of teaching chemistry in future years.