Textbook activities for the particle theory and its contribution to the evolution of the explanatory levels

Abstract

Through the study of chemistry textbooks, from sixth grade to the first course of secondary school for the particle theory, we show the type of activities they contain, and how they progress along the courses. The analysis shows that the activities in textbooks are similar: they focus on the same paradigmatic facts, and require the same cognitive processes. The activities through the courses become more and more complex, repetitive and focused on the application of mathematical models, and it is not detected a progression in the explanatory level, hampering the development of the students explanatory models.