TY - JOUR AB - Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to describe the collective exploration, process and knowledge production made in a learning study about solution chemistry.Design/methodology/approach– Secondary school teachers conducted a learning study with variation theory as a guiding principle, supervised by a researcher. The relationship between teaching and learning was analyzed and evaluated in a learning study cycle of three lessons.Findings– Critical aspects when teaching solution chemistry were identified, as well as enacted patterns of variation that significantly improved students’ learning. Examples of critical aspects were the particulate character of matter, especially the feature of “empty space” between particles, the connection between macroscopic phenomenon and sub‐microscopic explanations and the difference between answers with everyday language and scientific language.Practical implications– The paper suggests that teachers in a learning study can produce new knowledge as well as use earlier research results when creating teaching activities that can improve their own practical work and students’ learning.Originality/value– The study represents an example of research with the aim to improve teachers’ practice by generating knowledge in connection with teachers’ professional tasks. VL - 2 IS - 1 SN - 2046-8253 DO - 10.1108/20468251311290114 UR - https://doi.org/10.1108/20468251311290114 AU - Vikström Anna AU - Billström Anna AU - Fazeli Parviz AU - Holm Monica AU - Jonsson Kerstin AU - Karlsson Gunilla AU - Rydström Peter PY - 2013 Y1 - 2013/01/01 TI - Teachers’ solutions: a learning study about solution chemistry in Grade 8 T2 - International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies PB - Emerald Group Publishing Limited SP - 26 EP - 40 Y2 - 2024/04/20 ER -