Analogies and modelling have been developed and applied in learning and teaching science to facilitate students’ understanding of abstract concepts, such as atomic structure. Considering few studies focus on comparing the effects of two teaching strategies—analogy-based teaching (ABT) and modelling-based teaching (MBT)—this study aims to compare the effects of ABT and MBT on high school students’ content understanding and transferability of atomic concepts in science. Implementing a quasi-experimental design with pre-post-delayed tests, the study compared learning outcomes achieved by the MBT group (N = 68) and the ABT group (N = 69). The results showed both MBT and ABT could improve students’ content understanding and promote transferability. However, the MBT group significantly outperformed the ABT group in terms of generating initial models and overall transferability. Although there was no difference in content understanding, or near or far transferability, at post-test between the two groups, the MBT group maintained more extended memory of atomic structure on the delayed post-test. Moreover, qualitative analysis of students’ drawings of atomic models revealed that both groups were able to develop and transfer their models, but inadequate scientific knowledge affected the quality of the transfer product. These findings have implications for designing and implementing instructional approaches that leverage analogy and modelling in the science class. Keywords: analogy-based teaching, atomic concepts, modelling-based teaching, science education

Although active learning places more responsibility and emphasizes the learners themselves, as compared to the traditional learning approach, teaching guidance is still essential in the active learning environment. In most chemistry classes, students are provided with limited opportunities to explore the atomic structures at the sub-microscopic level or participate in learning activities. To address these issues, an effective teaching approach enabling students’ active learning called “Analogy integrated Scientific Modeling” (AiSM) has been proposed with the aim of facilitating students’ learning of abstract chemistry concepts. This chapter introduces how AiSM approach is integrated into chemistry class and promotes students to understand the atomic structure. The chapter starts with a theoretical background, which consists of analogy in teaching the atomic structure, the scientific modeling, and the AiSM approach. Subsequently, two lesson exemplars illustrate how the analogy and the scientific modeling can get integrated into a chemistry class. Last, the initial results of a pilot study are discussed to demonstrate the effects and benefits of the AiSM approach on promoting students’ active learning in chemistry classes.

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