Multifaceted Chemical Thinking: A Core Competence

Chemical thinking is a powerful tool for making sense of the material world and acting on it. But developing competence in chemical thinking may be challenging for students as it varies in several dimensions. This contribution seeks to guide and help chemistry educators in the design of learning experiences that support the development of "multifaceted chemical thinking" by identifying and describing different dimensions along which chemical reasoning may vary, and by discussing how to foster such a competence. In particular, the article elaborates on how chemical reasoning varies along six dimensions named Granularity, Dimension, Frame, Basis, Mode, and Focus.