SI in Education - Analytical Chemistry (ACS Publications)

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Editors' Column

GET IT ALL TOGETHER!

SI in Education Communication among university, college, and school teachers is the aim of the Committee on Teaching of Chemistry (CTC) of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). T h e information gathered through the committee is disseminated in the "International Newsletter on Chemical Education". This publication is available free-of-charge from the Secretariat of IUPAC (Bank Court Chambers, 2-3 Pound Way, Cowley Centre, Oxford 0 X 4 3YF, UK). However, there is no mechanism for automatic mailing of the newsletter except to subscribers of the IUPAC "Information Bulletin" ($25 U.S., Pergamon Press, Headington Hill Hall, Oxford OX3 0BW, UK). A recent issue of the newsletter (No. 10) presented a report on a survey on problems of conversion to SI units and its effect on the teaching of chemistry in schools. T h e survey, invited by the CTC, was conducted, and the report prepared, by Brian T. Newbold of the Université de Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. T h e questionnaire used in the survey included the following questions: • Has your country introduced SI units into the school system? • If yes, in what year and to what level (school years)? • What year for chemistry and what levels of chemistry? • Have booklets, etc., been prepared for teachers and pupils to help them to teach and learn how to use SI units in science and particularly chemistry? If yes, please give some idea of the scope of such booklets and their sources. • What problems are encountered in using SI units to teach chemistry in schools? Please indicate specific areas in the curriculum t h a t are affected, pedagogical difficulties, and any other problems involved. • If SI units have yet to be adopted by the school system in your country, please indicate if introduction of said units is presently contemplated, and what year SI units are likely to be introduced. CTC has National Representatives from 41 countries including the United States. All 41 were sent the questionnaire; 19 replies were received. T h e respondents represented Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Federal Republic of Germany, Finland, France, German Democratic Republic, Greece, Hungary, India, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Republic of South Africa, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, and Yugoslavia.

SI units have been introduced into school systems in 17 countries. Except for Brazil (1962), France (1955), and Sweden (1966), the introduction has taken place in the 1970's. Greece is expected to convert within the next two years. It is expected that it will be quite some time before SI units are introduced into schools in Japan. T h e use of SI units is compulsory by law in Finland and the Federal Republic of Germany. T h e level at which the units are introduced in schools varies greatly, although in chemistry they appear to have been universally adopted. In the majority of countries responding, instruction in teachers' colleges and publications for teachers and pupils are available on the use of SI. In France, there is no apparent need for special publications because of the long period of exposure to SI units. Except for Greece and Japan, textbooks using SI units are available. What problems are encountered in using SI units to teach chemistry in schools? Denmark, Finland, France, Netherlands, Republic of South Africa, and Spain reported no problems. According to Newbold, the problems raised by the other countries can be briefly summarized as follows: values of equilibrium constants (Australia); pressure and concentration (Canada); joules (Federal Republic of Germany and Canada); computational difficulties (German Democratic Republic); textbooks using non-SI data (New Zealand and Canada); equipment calibrated in non-SI units (New Zealand); recalculation of constants based on the new definition of the standard state (Sweden); problems of technicians trained in the use of SI units having to use mixed units in industry (United Kingdom); and the resistance of teachers to the changeover to SI units (Canada, Federal Republic of Germany, German Democratic Republic, and Hungary). Overall, the problem with acceptance of SI units seems to be one of the teacher rather than of the pupil. Obvious in this survey's results is the absence of any response from the United States. Perhaps, as in the case of Canada where data from only the provinces of New Brunswick, Quebec, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island, and the Northwest.Territories were available, the coordination of data from 50 states was too complex. Or is the problem the same as Japan's where there is no strong push for SI units? Α. Α. Ηusov.skν

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