The Potential of Non-Formal Laboratory Environments for Innovating the Chemistry Curriculum and Promoting Secondary School Level Students Education for Sustainability

Abstract

Developing skills and attitudes among students in terms of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) requires that educators address issues of sustainability in both formal and non-formal education. However, up to now, ESD seems to have been insufficiently implemented in secondary science education in many countries in general, and in high school chemistry learning in particular. A lack of suitable experiments, coupled with missing teaching and learning materials and insufficient teacher professional development have been identified as the reasons for this gap. This paper describes a project of innovation and research in the field of ESD for secondary school chemistry education. Within the project, both half-and full-day learning environments have been developed for non-formal, laboratory-based learning of secondary level students at the university. The research-based development focuses on teaching-learning modules which link formal and non-formal learning. The pedagogy employed is both learner-centered and inquiry-based. All the modules focus on sustainability issues in chemistry-related contexts. Data was collected by questionnaires from teachers and students both prior to and after the visit of the non-formal learning environment. Likert-items were analyzed statistically and the evaluation of the open-ended questions was done by Qualitative Content Analysis. An overview of the project, OPEN ACCESSSustainability 2015, 7 1799 a case from the non-formal laboratory setting, and findings from accompanying research and evaluation are discussed in this paper. Potential impacts on teacher professional development and curriculum innovation are also outlined.

The Use of Comics in Experimental Instructions in a Non-formal Chemistry Learning Context

“…Only very few non-formal laboratory-based science learning courses, as e.g. described in Garner, Siol & Eilks (2015) or Affeldt, Tolppanen, Aksela & Eilks (2017) have thus far been described using comics in intense practical work but did not present findings about their use from a student perspective.…”

The promotion of sustainable environmental education by the Zimbabwe Ordinary level science syllabi

“…The integration of ESD requires the nurturing of skills for the care and protection of the environment such as solution finding and multifaceted problem solving in the real world (Warner & Elsier, 2015). Similarly, there is an increasing integration of green or sustainable chemistry in chemistry education as a way of implementing ESD (Karpudewan et al, 2012;Bertolin et al, 2013;Makoni, 2013;Jegstad & Sinnes, 2015;Garner, Siol & Eilks, 2015). The purpose of the study was to develop and implement placebased pedagogy activities for the integration of ESD and green chemistry in the teaching and learning of the environmental chemistry component of the Zimbabwe schools examination council (ZIMSEC) physical science 5009 syllabus in rural settings.…”

“…The frameworks have an ultimate goal of reducing and/or eliminating the generation and release of toxic materials (Garner et al, 2015;Karpudewan, Ismail & Mohamed, 2011). Burmeister, et al (2012) mention four ways to integrate green chemistry into chemistry education.…”

“…Green chemistry is based on the 12 principles as propounded by Anastas and Warner, 1998. Summarised, the principles advocate for the prevention of excessive generation of waste, the reduction of excessive consumption of materials including energy and the prevention of the release of hazardous chemicals into the environment (Karpudewan et al, 2012, Garner, Siol & Eilks, 2015Warner & Elsier, 2015). Instructional strategy implications include the use of local place examples as a springboard to understand global environmental issues.…”

Incorporating Sustainability in Higher Chemistry Education in Indonesia through Green Chemistry: Inspirations by Inquiring the Practice in a German University

“…Interestingly, while there is no specific course in green chemistry for bachelor chemistry students, laboratories in the University of Bremen offer practical work for secondary school students to conduct experiments focusing sustainability and green chemistry (Garner, Siol & Eilks, 2015;Affeldt, Weitz, Siol, Markic & Eilks, 2015). Secondary students from many schools in Bremen and its surrounding come to the university laboratories to explicitly learn about chemistry's contribution to sustainability.…”