L’insegnamento/apprendimento della chimica in Italia è in buona salute?

Both international and Italian literature denounce serious problems in the understanding of basic chemical concepts by high school students. Despite the efforts to innovate chemistry teaching in upper secondary schools, the outcomes of the teaching/learning activities remain largely unsatisfactory. This article presents and comments the results of a survey carried out on a limited sample of students in terminal classes of Scientific High School (applied science option). Aim of this survey was to verify the level of chemical competence possessed by students which are about to leave the high school cycle.