Green Chemistry Education: Toward a Greener Day

This article analyses Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in chemistry by reviewing existing challenges and future possibilities on the levels of the teacher and the student. Pedagogical frameworks that are found eligible in practice are reviewed. Lesson themes that are suitable for implementing socio-scientific issues (SSI) related to ESD into basic chemistry education at schools are discussed. Based on this analysis, three new demonstrative pedagogical models for ESD in chemistry are presented to help guide the work of teachers. The models draw on an interdisciplinary reading of research in the field of SSI-based science education, sustainability science, green chemistry and environmental education. The current state of ESD in Finnish chemistry education is used as an example case throughout the article. Two tasks where future development is required were recognised. The first task concerns supporting chemistry teachers in overcoming the challenges with SSI and ESD they face in their work. The second task is to ensure that students are more often provided with more relevant and flexible chemistry content and studying methods.

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Socio-Problematization of Green Chemistry: Enriching Systems Thinking and Social Sustainability by Education

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11247123 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (24) ◽

pp. 7123 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Leonardo Marcelino ◽

Jesper Sjöström ◽

Carlos Alberto Marques

Keyword(s):

Green Chemistry ◽

Systems Thinking ◽

Chemistry Education ◽

Social Issues ◽

Social Sustainability ◽

Social Dimension ◽

The Social

The current research on systems thinking criticizes the additive nature of green chemistry (GC) not being supportive of systems thinking to achieve holism in its practices. This paper argues that systems thinking should comprise of the social issues, and, therefore, it studies renowned papers by GC pioneers and reviews on the field regarding how they address the social dimension of sustainability. It points out how GC has ignored social sustainability in its discourses, practices, and evaluations, leading to a reductionist interpretation of sustainability. Then, this paper presents some challenges to be overcome in order to achieve balanced sustainability. A systemic chemical thinking is advocated, considering chemistry in culture and chemistry as culture, expanding the chemistry rationality from ontological and technological dimensions into the epistemological and ethical ones. It is then discussed how chemistry education can help to promote sustainability in a broad and systemic way.

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Systems thinking approaches for international green chemistry education

Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry ◽

10.1016/j.cogsc.2020.02.004 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 ◽

pp. 93-97 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Glenn A. Hurst

Keyword(s):

Green Chemistry ◽

Systems Thinking ◽

Chemistry Education

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Green chemistry education in the Middle East

Physical Sciences Reviews ◽

10.1515/psr-2017-0002 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 (6) ◽

Author(s):

Larry Kolopajlo

Keyword(s):

Middle East ◽

Green Chemistry ◽

Chemistry Education

AbstractThe Middle East once dominated the age of alchemy, and today it is experiencing a resurgence by transforming the age of petroleum chemicals into a greener science through

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What Lies Behind Teaching and Learning Green Chemistry to Promote Sustainability Education? A Literature Review

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17217876 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (21) ◽

pp. 7876

Author(s):

Meiai Chen ◽

Eila Jeronen ◽

Anming Wang

Keyword(s):

Preservice Teachers ◽

Green Chemistry ◽

Teaching Methods ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Chemistry Education ◽

Thinking Skills ◽

Chemistry Teaching ◽

Learning Skills ◽

Interdisciplinary Learning ◽

Chemistry Learning

In this qualitative study, we aim to identify suitable pedagogical approaches to teaching and learning green chemistry among college students and preservice teachers by examining the teaching methods that have been used to promote green chemistry education (GCE) and how these methods have supported green chemistry learning (GCL). We found 45 articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals since 2000 that specifically described teaching methods for GCE. The content of the articles was analyzed based on the categories of the teaching methods used and the revised version of Bloom’s taxonomy. Among the selected articles, collaborative and interdisciplinary learning, and problem-based learning were utilized in 38 and 35 articles, respectively. These were the most frequently used teaching methods, alongside a general combination of multiple teaching methods and teacher presentations. Developing collaborative and interdisciplinary learning skills, techniques for increasing environmental awareness, problem-centered learning skills, and systems thinking skills featuring the teaching methods were seen to promote GCL in 44, 40, 34, and 29 articles, respectively. The results showed that the integration of green chemistry teaching (GCT), e.g., with sustainable education, promoted GCL by fostering environmental consciousness and behavioral change and cognitive processes in a sustainable direction.

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Preface

Pure and Applied Chemistry ◽

10.1351/pac20118307iv ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 83 (7) ◽

pp. iv

Author(s):

Philip G. Jessop

Keyword(s):

Energy Efficiency ◽

Green Chemistry ◽

Chemistry Education ◽

Green Energy ◽

Unintended Consequences ◽

The Road ◽

New Ideas ◽

Green Transportation ◽

Green Chemical Synthesis ◽

Terminal Olefins

The 3rd International Conference on Green Chemistry (ICGC-3) was held in Ottawa, Canada, 15-18 August 2010, with the theme “The Road to Greener Industry”. Bringing together academia and industry to trade ideas about green chemistry was the purpose of the meeting. Dedicated sessions on industrial aspects, presented by industry speakers, were well attended by both academics and industrial representatives. Academic sessions, in turn, presented new ideas to both groups. Major topics in the conference were green energy (biofuels, H2 production, CO2 capture), green engineering (energy efficiency, greener processes, separations), policy (industry, government, NGOs), green chemistry education, green transportation (materials, additives, powertrain) and green chemical synthesis (benign routes, solvents, catalysts, biopolymers). The 348 delegates travelled to Ottawa from 33 countries, making it a truly international discussion.This issue contains five important lectures from the conference. Peter Wells gives us a rather sobering discussion of some of the unintended consequences of green improvements. Zheng Cui, Evan S. Beach, and Paul T. Anastas describe many of the exciting green chemistry developments coming from China in the past three years. John Andraos announces a new database and algorithm that allows industry to evaluate the efficiency of synthesis plans. Achim Stolle and Bernd Ondruschka compare the performance and energy efficiency of solvent-free reactions performed by ball milling versus other methods such as microwave. Ken Seddon describes the use of new ionic liquids as catalysts for the oligomerization of linear terminal olefins to make lubricant oils.May these articles continue the discussion, stimulate more ideas, and help us all go down the Road to Greener Industry.Philip G. JessopConference Chair and Conference Editor

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