Innovative Approaches to Teaching and Learning the Periodic Table: A Literature Review

Abstract

The periodic table is a fundamental framework in chemistry, linking atomic structure with elemental properties and periodic trends. However, instruction on the periodic table has often emphasized memorization of symbolic information rather than conceptual understanding, limiting students’ ability to use it for chemical explanation and reasoning. This article aims to review and synthesize research on instructional innovations to teaching and learning the periodic table in chemistry, with a focus on developing students’ structural and conceptual understanding. This study employs a literature review methodology, analyzing research in chemistry education from both international and national sources, with particular emphasis on articles published in the Journal of Chemical Education and Thai academic journals. The reviewed studies were examined and categorized according to their theoretical perspectives, instructional approaches, and types of instructional innovations. The results of the review can be synthesized into four major themes: (1) a shift from rote memorization toward structural and conceptual learning; (2) the role of the periodic table as a cognitive tool for explanation, prediction, and chemical reasoning; (3) diverse instructional innovations, including inquiry-based learning, collaborative learning, educational games, and digital media and technologies; and (4) emerging trends, strengths, and limitations of instructional innovations. Overall, the synthesis indicates that effective instructional approaches should be grounded in robust chemical concepts and support continuous use of the periodic table as a cognitive tool to promote meaningful, long-term learning in chemistry.