Zurida Ismail

Ensuring sustainability of tomorrow through green chemistry integrated with sustainable development concepts (SDCs)

The purpose of this article is to describe a best practice: an approach to teaching chemistry that our quantitative research has shown to produce large differences between experimental and control groups in terms of achievement, pro-environmental attitudes, values, and motivation. Our interest in teaching chemistry by focusing on sustainable development arises from the environmental concerns that as the country of this study, Malaysia is facing in many different areas—including rampant logging and pollution. As educators, we are interested in educating future generations so that they can cope with the environmental challenges that not only this nation but also the world as a whole is increasingly facing. The “green chemistry” approach we describe here may be just the answer that other developing nations and emergent economies in closing the gap with industrialized nations. We provide a detailed description of how green chemistry has been implemented in a curriculum for pre-service science teachers and in the curriculum of secondary school chemistry.

Promoting pro-environmental attitudes and reported behaviors of Malaysian pre-service teachers using green chemistry experiments

Environmental degradation is a general problem but it is often more serious in developing nations where levels of awareness are lower than in industrialized countries. There is, therefore, a need particularly in developing countries to increase pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. In this paper, we report the results of a quasi-experimental study designed to change environmental attitudes and environmental behaviors among 263 science pre-service teachers. The treatment consisted in the form of a green chemistry curriculum. We found statistically reliable changes in environmental attitudes, as measured by the New Ecological Paradigm, and in eight self-reported environmental behaviors. The Bayesian t-test suggests that the evidence for the changes to have been the result of the green chemistry curriculum is decisive. We conclude that the green chemistry curriculum constitutes a suitable context: (a) for supporting pre-service teachers in their development of pro-environmental attitudes and (b) for changing the levels of self-reported pro-environmental actions.

The effect of an individualized laboratory approach through microscale chemistry experimentation on students' understanding of chemistry concepts, motivation and attitudes

The main goal of this study was to investigate whether the use of an individualized approach through microscale chemistry experiments in secondary schools can increase students’ understanding of chemistry concepts, improve attitude towards chemistry practical work and motivation. Two comparable groups of Form Four students (16 years old) participated. The students in the experimental group (83) worked individually on ten microscale chemistry experiments, whereas the control group (87) worked in groups on traditional experiments both for a period of 8 weeks. Pre and post tests were conducted before and after the treatment for both groups. Teacher and student perceptions of microscale experimentation are also reported. Findings showed that the microscale approach can increase understanding of chemistry concepts, however, there was no significant difference in attitude and motivation among the students. Teachers and students both had a positive view of microscale experiments.

Greening a Chemistry Teaching Methods Course at the School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia

Green chemistry is the design, development and implementation of chemical products and processes to reduce or eliminate the use of sub-stances hazardous to human health and the environment. This article reports on the integration of green chemistry and sustainable development concepts (SDCs) into an existing teaching methods course for chemistry pre-service teachers. Incorporation of SDCs with green chemistry enhances the interdisciplinary nature of green chemistry. It is in line with the course purpose of introducing instructional strategies for teaching chemistry at the secondary level. Through the experiences of hands-on activities, writing lesson plans and integration of SDC content into lectures and discussion, pre-service teachers learned how to integrate these elements into their own courses. The design of this course is an example of how to integrate green chemistry incorporated with SDCs into a teacher education curriculum.

Malaysian Primary Pre-Service Teachers’ Understanding and Awareness of Environmental Knowledge

The quality of the environment is threatened by problems such as global warming, water pollution, fast decline of forests, and desertification (World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED, 1987). Global issues on environmental destruction have created space for more environmental related research to be conducted to overcome the notion that people’s awareness over these issues is still at infancy. Due to this ignorance, human being continues to exploit the environment to an unprecedented scale to accommodate the expanding human needs and wants. According to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA, 2005), over the past 50 years human activities have changed vital ecosystem services more rapidly extensively than in any comparable period of history. It is perceived that rapid growing demand for fuel, food, and water is likely to exacerbate the current problems. As the global population grows and standards of living improve, there will be increasing stress on the world’s limited resources. Contemporary exponential increase in the price of crude oil further heightens this problem. Current degradation of natural environment has farreaching consequences both to mankind and nature. This situation would require both present and future generations to use the earth’s resources more efficiently and to produce less waste.

CHAPTER 13:Education in Green Chemistry: Incorporating Green Chemistry into Chemistry Teaching Methods Courses at the Universiti Sains Malaysia

Green chemistry aims at preventing pollution and sustaining the earth; it is commonly practised in the production of industrial applications. While predominantly being applied in industrial applications it can be also adapted in education through laboratory-based experiments and classroom activities. It is also imperative to educate the future teachers (pre-service teachers) on green chemistry because these teachers have the power to access many generations of students near future. As a response to the UN declaration of a Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD), at the School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia, green chemistry has been integrated into chemistry teaching methods and courses. In this chapter we first provide an argument why learning chemistry becomes relevant and we discuss (1) how green chemistry can be adapted in chemistry teaching methods course, (2) the feasibility of integrating green chemistry experiments, and (3) the effectiveness of green chemistry in enhancing environmental awareness and concern as well as bringing attitudinal, motivation and value change in solving environmental issues.