Pedagogical content knowledge of organic chemistry mechanisms

Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) goes beyond general pedagogy used for a subject. PCK involves very specific pedagogical elements germane to content, combines them with content knowledge and general pedagogical attributes and produces best practices for that content. When a physician graduates from medical school, the physician walks away with a kit of best practices for their specialty as well as for physician-patient interactions. A first-time professor is handed a book, maybe an old syllabus and confronts a sea of students.;Organic chemistry is considered to be a difficult content area by a considerable number of students. One of the main skills required for organic chemistry is student ability to solve mechanistic problems. This exploratory qualitative research study investigated instructor mental models of organic reaction mechanisms and detailed the pedagogical content knowledge of instructors and textbooks regarding the introduction of organic reaction mechanisms to students.;The study (1) reveals and describes instructors' symbolic and three-dimensional mental models of organic reaction mechanisms and (2) discusses the relationship between instructors' mental models and the presentation and learning of organic reaction mechanisms by students.;An integrated two part cognitive model consisting of a structural mental model for molecules and species involved in a chemical reaction and a functional mental model for the movement of electrons during a chemical reaction was used to analyze instructor mental models. This same cognitive model was used to analyze organic chemistry textbooks introduction to organic reaction mechanisms and curved arrow formalism.