This paper focuses on system concept
use in teaching either chemical
core concepts or interdisciplinary chemistry-related topics. The system
concept is important in order to develop global competences, and chemistry
teaching plays a key role in this context. A questionnaire has been
administered to two different samples, Italian teachers and International
Baccalaureate (IB) teachers, in order to investigate their opinions
about the issues involved. The most significant differences and similarities
emerging from the survey have been analyzed mostly by dendrograms
and then commented on. With due caution, it is possible to suppose
similar attitudes in the two groups of teachers except for some aspects.
For example, the analysis of system concept knowledge within pure
chemistry highlights some deficiencies: Italian teachers in particular
show a low level of epistemological awareness about the systemic character
of chemistry, whereas its knowledge would allow not only a chemistry
teaching improvement but also a productive use of chemical explanations
in other scientific and nonscientific fields, especially in the social
sciences; as a consequence, it would facilitate interdisciplinary
teaching. Therefore, science teachers need epistemological insight
into chemical systemic aspects, that may be provided by high quality
textbooks and training initiatives focusing on the systemic character
of chemistry and its interdisciplinary connections. In an analysis
of chemistry teachers only, Italian teachers support interdisciplinary
teaching more strongly than IB teachers, despite the rigidity and
the state of crisis of the Italian education system, often attributed
to a lack of broad-minded teachers. This evidence indicates a promising
resource for the Italian education system. Moreover, a similar kind
of questionnaire can be utilized by other education researchers in
order to isolate and analyze some teachers’ attitudes regardless
the very different education systems in which every sample works.