Methodology for integrating socio-humanitarian safety into the training of future chemistry teachers

Abstract

This study explores the integration of socio-humanitarian safety components into the chemistry curriculum for secondary education, emphasizing how contextual and competency-based assessments can enhance the preparedness of future chemistry teachers. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research evaluates the effectiveness of traditional, contextual, and competency-oriented assessment methods in measuring and fostering key competencies among 11th-grade chemistry students. Quantitative data were gathered from traditional assessments, contextual tasks, and the Unified National Testing (UNT), while qualitative insights were obtained from teacher interviews and classroom observations. The findings reveal significant discrepancies between traditional assessment scores and those from contextual and competency-based tasks, with weak correlations between traditional methods and both contextual (r = 0.48) and competency-oriented assessments (r = 0.43). A moderate correlation (r = 0.65) was observed between contextual tasks and competency-oriented tests, suggesting that these methods are more aligned with practical, application-based learning. While traditional assessments effectively evaluate theoretical knowledge and show a strong correlation with UNT scores (r = 0.83), they are insufficient for measuring higher-order competencies. The study underscores the necessity for a balanced assessment framework that incorporates both conventional and innovative methods to fully capture the spectrum of student competencies essential for socio-humanitarian safety in science education. These findings have significant implications for curriculum design, indicating that a diversified assessment approach can better prepare students for real-world challenges by fostering a comprehensive understanding of chemistry beyond rote memorization.