"It Happened, Whats the Problem?" and "A Guide through the Problem" - A Model for Consideration of Ecological Issues in Chemistry Education

Abstract

In order to improve the ability for application of knowledge of chemistry (acquired in the existing educational system) in real life the Model for Consideration of Ecological Issues was developed and applied in high school. The Model consists of the continuous text ("It Happened, Whats the Problem?") and the test with non-continuous text ("A Guide Through the Problem"), which are prepared for consideration of the problem of eutrophication. The all results obtained (average achievement of 70.9±14.3 %) showed that the application of the Model enabled: understanding of an ecological problem based on scientific representations of the term eutrophication given in the continuous text, realization that the pollution of our environment may be directly related to modern life, application of acquired knowledge of chemistry to observe and understand the cause and effect of eutrophication in our environment, to draw a scientific conclusion, and understanding the importance of science and technology discoveries for solving ecological problems. In addition, Model contributed to the development of students environmental literacy (ecological knowledge and cognitive skills), ability to think critically, and provided possibilities for classroom knowledge to become applicable in real life.