New Perspectives in Science Education

Risk behaviour is characteristic of the adolescence phase [1]. Internet challenges in particular offer young people and young adults the opportunity to establish their status in their peer group and in front of an audience of millions. Health education in german grammar schools has so far mainly focused on the following health risk behaviours: consumption of alcohol, tobacco and drugs, intensive sunbathing and deviant eating habits. Internet challenges such as those shown on YouTube have only recently expanded the thematic repertoire of school health education [2]. The presentation informs about popular Challenges such as the Cinnamon Challenge, Tide Pod Challenge, Chilli Challenge, Ice-and-Salt Challenge, Deodorant Challenge and about their endangerment potentials [3]. In this context semi-structured interviews were conducted with six chemistry teachers in order to explore their perspective and state of knowledge on this type of juvenile risk behaviour. The cinnamon challenge was given special attention in these interviews. The evaluation of these interviews was based on a summarizing content analysis according to Mayring. Thus, a category system was created, which shows the current health education in chemistry classes of the teachers interviewed and their knowledge about current internet challenges, in particular the cinnamon challenge and its potential dangers.

Keywords: internet challenges, cinnamon challenge, health education, chemistry teachers, interviews, content analysis.

References:
[1] Raithel, J. (2011): Jugendliches Risikoverhalten. Eine Einführung. 2., überarbeitete Auflage. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften / Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, Wiesbaden
[2] Busse, M.-H. (2013): Mutproben aus naturwissenschaftlicher Perspektive. Befunde und Interventionsansätze zu einem aktuellen Internetphänomen. Uelvesbüll: Der andere Verlag
[3] Prechtl, M. (2016) (Hrsg.): Substanzbezogene Mutproben. Befunde zum Risikoverhalten von Jugendlichen und Interpretation der Kontexte aus chemischer und biologischer Sicht. Zweite Fassung, 2016. Weingarten.