Pixel International Conferences

According to the concept of education for sustainable development (ESD), science education is aimed at enabling students to act and think sustainably, which is a key competence for future in in the context of global challenges.[1] In this context, UNESCO officially proclaimed the “Decade of Action” for progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from 2020 to 2030.[2] The meaning of future topics and sustainability for didactics was already underlined in critical-constructivist didactics by Wolfgang Klafki: Educational content has to bear a meaning in future life of students.[3][4] In this article, future topics are at first defined by their focus on technologies which contribute to the solution of key human challenges like environmental pollution, nutrition, mobility and healthcare. Therefore, the question arises whether future technologies are addressed in chemistry education. To investigate this question, trend reviews of chemistry education were analyzed regarding the “Top Ten Emerging Technologies in Chemistry”, which are annually published and contain future technologies in chemistry chosen by selected experts.[5] The research clarifies that chemistry education does not sufficiently focus on technologies contributing to deal with future challenges, which is surprising because of students’ increasing interest in sustainability. As a conclusion, explanations for these deficits (missing experimental approaches/teacher training) and propositions for further research are formulated.

Keywords: future technologies, chemistry education, education for sustainable development

References:

[1] Burmeister, M., Rauch, F. & Eilks, I. (2012). Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and chemistry education. Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 13(2), 59–68. https://doi.org/10.1039/C1RP90060A">https://doi.org/10.1039/C1RP90060A

[2] UNESCO. (2020). Education for Sustainable Development: A roadmap. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000374802.locale=en">https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000374802.locale=en

[3] Klafki, W. (1995). Didactic analysis as the core of preparation of instruction (Didaktische Analyse als Kern der Unterrichtsvorbereitung). Journal of Curriculum Studies, 27(1), 13–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/0022027950270103">https://doi.org/10.1080/0022027950270103

[4] Stuckey, M., Hofstein, A., Mamlok-Naaman, R. & Eilks, I. (2013). The meaning of ‘relevance’ in science education and its implications for the science curriculum. Studies in Science Education, 49(1), 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057267.2013.802463">https://doi.org/10.1080/03057267.2013.802463

[5] Gomollón-Bel, F. (2019). Ten Chemical Innovations That Will Change Our World: IUPAC identifies emerging technologies in Chemistry with potential to make our planet more sustainable. Chemistry International, 41(2), 12–17. https://doi.org/10.1515/ci-2019-0203">https://doi.org/10.1515/ci-2019-0203