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

Abstract

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 promotion of sustainable environmental education by the Zimbabwe Ordinary level science syllabi

“…Based on the findings in this study it is concluded that the place-based approaches are also good at preparing learners for achievement tests. Karpudewan et al (2012) demonstrated that when green chemistry and sustainable development principles were integrated in instructional strategies, students' performance in achievement tests improved. The experimental group however, outperformed the control group in the problem-solving activity and the environmental awareness questionnaire suggesting that place-based approaches better prepare learners for problem-solving.…”

“…The integration of ESD requires the nurturing of skills for the care and protection of the environment such as solution finding and multifaceted problem solving in the real world (Warner & Elsier, 2015). Similarly, there is an increasing integration of green or sustainable chemistry in chemistry education as a way of implementing ESD (Karpudewan et al, 2012;Bertolin et al, 2013;Makoni, 2013;Jegstad & Sinnes, 2015;Garner, Siol & Eilks, 2015). The purpose of the study was to develop and implement placebased pedagogy activities for the integration of ESD and green chemistry in the teaching and learning of the environmental chemistry component of the Zimbabwe schools examination council (ZIMSEC) physical science 5009 syllabus in rural settings.…”

“…For example, topics such as the fractional distillation of petroleum diesel may be replaced with the production of biodiesel (Karpudewan et al, 2012). The topic on polymers may be replaced with biodegradable polymers just as the synthesis of polymers may be replaced with the synthesis of biodegradable polymers.…”

“…Following the above impetus, there are notable efforts in chemistry education to foster ESD (Burmeister &Eilks, 2012;Eissen, 2012). One significant way of implementing the environmental dimension of ESD has been done through the integration green chemistry principles (Burmeister, Rauch &Karpudewan, Ismail & Roth, 2012). Green chemistry is based on the 12 principles as propounded by Anastas and Warner, 1998.…”

“…Green chemistry is based on the 12 principles as propounded by Anastas and Warner, 1998. Summarised, the principles advocate for the prevention of excessive generation of waste, the reduction of excessive consumption of materials including energy and the prevention of the release of hazardous chemicals into the environment (Karpudewan et al, 2012, Garner, Siol & Eilks, 2015Warner & Elsier, 2015). Instructional strategy implications include the use of local place examples as a springboard to understand global environmental issues.…”