Integrating the Atom Economy in Chemistry Teaching: What Do Students' Drawings Show Us?

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Published: Apr 7, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/codiste.7769
Keywords:
Drawings, Green Chemistry, stoichiometry, sustainable development
Evangelia Gkogia
National and Kapodistian University of Athens
Katerina Salta
National and Kapodistian University of Athens
Katerina Paschalidou
National and Kapodistian University of Athens
Abstract

The connection between Green Chemistry (GC) and sustainable development has made it necessary to integrate GC principles into the teaching of Chemistry to develop students' scientific literacy. This study explores students’ ideas about the GC principle of atom economy (AE) through their drawings produced at the end of a Chemistry lesson that aimed at integrating this principle. Eleventh grade students who have already been taught stoichiometry participated in this lesson. The introduction of AO was made by using a drawing-analogy (gift wrapping materials-not desired product). Analysis of 41 drawings showed that 26 students were able to express the principle of atom economy using either a chemical reaction or an analogy and 10 students demonstrated some connection between chemistry and the environment, most of them with an optimistic perspective.

Article Details
  • Section
  • 14th Panhellenic Conference of Didactics in Science Education
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