From Green Chemistry to Sustainable Citizenship: Transformative Teaching Approaches

Amid increasing global issues of climate change, environmental degradation, and pollution, chemistry education is being recognized as an important instrument for promoting sustainable development and environmental consciousness. In this chapter, we reflect on the nature of developments occurring in educational practices in chemistry, i.e., from the traditional inscriptions of technical knowledge to a much fuller, wide-ranging and transformative engagement of students in becoming holistic sustainable citizens. It is a critique of content-oriented, traditional pedagogies, and raises new issues and arguments for the integration of green chemistry and the most basic competencies, including ethical reasoning, systems thinking and socscientific argumentation. Chapter 5 is informed by international educational theory and evidence base supporting sustainability policy frameworks, and examines new and emergent pedagogies including curriculum transformation, inquiry and problem based learning, and socio-scientific issue (SSI) approaches, as well as community engaged service learning and interdisciplinary learning. Using extensive case studies of both secondary and tertiary students, the book provides clear insight into how such an approach supports the deep learning that is needed to have a significant impact on students’ lives. They contribute to the production not just of scientific literacy, but of critical thinking, moral understanding, and self-confidence to act for social justice and environmental sustainability. Finally, this chapter provides a road map of change for those educators, policymakers, and curriculum designers committed to reshaping our chemistry classrooms toward fostering a cadre of environmental innovators and maruchalas4 for the world. It only strengthens the argument that proper training in chemistry is inherently tied to the larger task of educating people who will help us all live in a more sustainable, more just world.