Why we should teach the Bohr model and how to teach it effectively

Some education researchers have claimed that we should not teach the Bohr model of the atom because it inhibits students’ ability to learn the true quantum nature of electrons in atoms. Although the evidence for this claim is weak, many have accepted it. This claim has implications for how to presen...

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Autores principales:	S. B. McKagan, K. K. Perkins, C. E. Wieman
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	American Physical Society 2008
Materias:	Special aspects of education LC8-6691 Physics QC1-999
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/5e2cb0e6d9d248618e15155109425cef
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:5e2cb0e6d9d248618e15155109425cef2021-12-02T11:51:46ZWhy we should teach the Bohr model and how to teach it effectively10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.4.0101031554-9178https://doaj.org/article/5e2cb0e6d9d248618e15155109425cef2008-03-01T00:00:00Zhttp://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.4.010103http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.4.010103https://doaj.org/toc/1554-9178Some education researchers have claimed that we should not teach the Bohr model of the atom because it inhibits students’ ability to learn the true quantum nature of electrons in atoms. Although the evidence for this claim is weak, many have accepted it. This claim has implications for how to present atoms in classes ranging from elementary school to graduate school. We present results from a study designed to test this claim by developing a curriculum on models of the atom, including the Bohr and Schrödinger models. We examine student descriptions of atoms on final exams in transformed modern physics classes using various versions of this curriculum. We find that if the curriculum does not include sufficient connections between different models, many students still have a Bohr-like view of atoms rather than a more accurate Schrödinger model. However, with an improved curriculum designed to develop model-building skills and with better integration between different models, it is possible to get most students to describe atoms using the Schrödinger model. In comparing our results with previous research, we find that comparing and contrasting different models is a key feature of a curriculum that helps students move beyond the Bohr model and adopt Schrödinger’s view of the atom. We find that understanding the reasons for the development of models is much more difficult for students than understanding the features of the models. We also present interactive computer simulations designed to help students build models of the atom more effectively.S. B. McKaganK. K. PerkinsC. E. WiemanAmerican Physical SocietyarticleSpecial aspects of educationLC8-6691PhysicsQC1-999ENPhysical Review Special Topics. Physics Education Research, Vol 4, Iss 1, p 010103 (2008)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Special aspects of education LC8-6691 Physics QC1-999
spellingShingle	Special aspects of education LC8-6691 Physics QC1-999 S. B. McKagan K. K. Perkins C. E. Wieman Why we should teach the Bohr model and how to teach it effectively
description	Some education researchers have claimed that we should not teach the Bohr model of the atom because it inhibits students’ ability to learn the true quantum nature of electrons in atoms. Although the evidence for this claim is weak, many have accepted it. This claim has implications for how to present atoms in classes ranging from elementary school to graduate school. We present results from a study designed to test this claim by developing a curriculum on models of the atom, including the Bohr and Schrödinger models. We examine student descriptions of atoms on final exams in transformed modern physics classes using various versions of this curriculum. We find that if the curriculum does not include sufficient connections between different models, many students still have a Bohr-like view of atoms rather than a more accurate Schrödinger model. However, with an improved curriculum designed to develop model-building skills and with better integration between different models, it is possible to get most students to describe atoms using the Schrödinger model. In comparing our results with previous research, we find that comparing and contrasting different models is a key feature of a curriculum that helps students move beyond the Bohr model and adopt Schrödinger’s view of the atom. We find that understanding the reasons for the development of models is much more difficult for students than understanding the features of the models. We also present interactive computer simulations designed to help students build models of the atom more effectively.
format	article
author	S. B. McKagan K. K. Perkins C. E. Wieman
author_facet	S. B. McKagan K. K. Perkins C. E. Wieman
author_sort	S. B. McKagan
title	Why we should teach the Bohr model and how to teach it effectively
title_short	Why we should teach the Bohr model and how to teach it effectively
title_full	Why we should teach the Bohr model and how to teach it effectively
title_fullStr	Why we should teach the Bohr model and how to teach it effectively
title_full_unstemmed	Why we should teach the Bohr model and how to teach it effectively
title_sort	why we should teach the bohr model and how to teach it effectively
publisher	American Physical Society
publishDate	2008
url	https://doaj.org/article/5e2cb0e6d9d248618e15155109425cef
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Why we should teach the Bohr model and how to teach it effectively

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