A Comparative Study Of Model In Chinese And American High School Chemistry Textbooks

Based on the literature review of the model and the interpretation of the nature of the model,and combining the characteristics of Chemistry discipline,this study adopts the methods of text analysis,literature analysis and comparative study to compare and analyze the models in the Chinese People's Education Edition High School Chemistry Compulsory Course(2019)and the American basic Chemistry textbook Essencial Chemistry(2018).The table and bar chart are used to compare and analyze the number of models,the types of models,the representation of models,the position of models and the forms of models.So we can draw the following conclusions.First,in terms of the number of models,the total number of American textbooks is more than that of Chinese textbooks,because the American textbooks are not consistent with the required content of PEP,and the distribution of the number of models in each unit is slightly different.Textbooks in the United States are similar to compulsory textbooks for people's education.However,due to the different presentation form and typesetting order of the content in the textbook,the application of the model is also different.The reason for this phenomenon is the difference in thinking logic between China and the United States.It can also be seen that the number of models used is not the more the better,but depends on the generation of knowledge and the way of understanding.It can also be seen that the number of models used is not the more the better,but depends on the generation of knowledge and the way of understanding.In general,American textbooks attach importance to the application of models in textbooks,while China lacks in this aspect.Therefore,Chinese textbooks should strengthen this in the next step.Secondly,the most prominent model in the two textbooks is the symbolic model,which is determined by the characteristics of the chemistry discipline itself,mainly including the symbolic model of organic and inorganic substances.However,it is also obvious that the material model in the textbooks of the American version is larger than the compulsory textbooks of the People's Education Edition,because American education pays more attention to the connection between the reality of social life and the knowledge of chemistry.However,the number of cognitive models in both the US edition textbooks and the PEP edition compulsory textbooks is a little insufficient,which requires teachers to recognize this point so as to consciously guide students to build cognitive models step by step in the teaching process.In addition,there are more mathematical models in the textbooks of basic chemistry in the United States than in the compulsory textbooks of PEP.In the textbooks of basic chemistry in the United States,there are a large number of mathematical formulas,tables,pie charts,bar charts,line charts and so on.When analyzing and explaining problems,the data presented are also more sufficient.Thirdly,both Chinese textbooks and American textbooks attach importance to the symbolic representation of models in terms of the representation of models.The difference lies in that the American textbooks also pay attention to the mixed representation and micro-representation of models,while the Chinese textbooks also pay attention to the mixed representation of models,but the number of models is not fully reflected.There are some similarities between the PEP textbook model and the American textbook model in terms of macroscopic representation,but the difference in quantity between the PEP textbook model and the American textbook model results in the difference in content.Fourthly,the presentation form of the model.It can be seen that both editions of the textbooks attach importance to the use of pictures to display the model,because pictures are more intuitive and concise,and can transform abstraction into intuition.However,relatively speaking,there are many models in Chinese textbooks that are presented in words,which require students to further abstract and summarize,and rarely present models in mixed forms.However,American basic chemistry textbooks pay more attention to presenting models in mixed forms,such as material structure model and periodic law model of elements.Mixed forms of models can help students to understand chemical problems from multiple perspectives,which is worth learning in the textbooks of PEP.Meanwhile,in the teaching process,we should also use more mixed models and help students construct models.Fifthly,in terms of the presentation position of models,it can be found that models are presented most frequently in the text part and the thinking and discussion column of PEP and American textbooks,followed by the review and improvement part.The review and improvement of some PEP editions include unit summaries and after-class exercise questions,while the American textbooks are just after-class exercise questions.Therefore,the review and improvement of some PEP required textbooks can provide students with more ideas of model construction and make students' knowledge of each unit more structured and systematic.The model set in American basic chemistry textbooks requires students to independently refine,summarize and sublimate the unit knowledge.