The mole concept is one of the fundamental concepts in chemistry. However, a number of studies carried out in various countries have shown that teachers and learners face many difficulties in teaching and learning the concept. One of the underlying sources of teaching and learning difficulties of the mole concept identified in literature is the gap in understanding the link between atomic theory and the mole concept. Therefore, the focus of this study was to assess teachers’ conceptual understanding of the link between the atomic theory and the mole concept in selected secondary schools in Kitwe District in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. The study was conducted in six secondary schools with a study sample of 30 chemistry teachers. Data were collected using the following multiple data collection strategies: questionnaire, lesson observations and focus group interviews. The study found that teachers understood how the atomic theory links to the mole concept in terms of the number (N) of atoms or formula units. They understood that a mole is equal to $\mathbf{6.02}\times {\mathbf{10}}^{\mathbf{23}}$ atoms or formula units. However, their conceptual understanding of the link between relative atomic/formula mass and molar mass as the second linking idea between atomic theory and the mole concept was inadequate, because they did not fully understand relative atomic/formula unit mass and molar mass. The study recommended that professional development initiatives need to be organised with a focus on the updated definition of the mole and the key role of the unified atomic mass unit as the mass scale for microscopic entities in the understanding of the link between relative atomic/formula mass and molar mass. This is key for the conceptual understanding of the mole concept.

摩尔概念是化学中的基本概念之一。然而，在不同国家进行的许多研究表明，教师和学习者在教学和学习这一概念时面临许多困难。文献中发现的关于痣概念的教学和学习困难的根本原因之一是在理解原子理论和痣概念之间的联系方面存在差距。因此，本研究的重点是评估赞比亚铜带省基特威地区部分中学的教师对原子理论与摩尔概念之间联系的概念理解。这项研究是在六所中学进行的，其中有30名化学老师作为研究样本。使用以下多种数据收集策略收集数据：问卷，课程观察和焦点小组访谈。研究发现，教师们从数量上理解了原子理论与摩尔概念的联系（N）个原子或式单元。他们了解到痣等于$\mathbf{6.02}\times {\mathbf{10}}^{\mathbf{23}}$原子或公式单位。但是，他们对相对原子/分子质量与摩尔质量之间的联系（作为原子理论与摩尔概念之间的第二个联系概念）的概念理解不充分，因为他们没有完全理解相对原子/分子质量与摩尔质量之间的联系。该研究建议，应组织专业发展计划，重点是对摩尔的最新定义以及统一原子质量单位作为微观实体的质量尺度在理解相对原子/分子质量之间的联系方面的关键作用。和摩尔质量。这是对痣概念的概念理解的关键。