A Chemistry Inquiry into Material Degradation in the Context of Sustainability with Secondary School Students

Abstract

Chemistry is essential for improving life quality and reducing pollution, requiring regulations, green innovations, and sustainable action. One significant environmental issue is the material degradation, which affects their chemical structure and functionality, requiring solutions to minimize their environmental impact. Chemistry education supports sustainability by raising environmental awareness and empowering responsible citizens. Inquiry-based learning approach can link chemistry education with sustainability, allowing students to develop scientific skills, environmental awareness, and teamwork while experimenting with real-world problems. This study presents an inquiry conducted by ninth-grade secondary school students on material degradation in the context of sustainability. The inquiry is developed as a collaborative project, with students working together throughout most stages, while some tasks like data collection and analysis are done individually to encourage autonomy. Furthermore, the inquiry spans a full quarter, enabling students to observe long-term changes, deepen their understanding of the studied processes, and engage more fully with the environmental issue. Among their key findings, students concluded that a period of 100 days is insufficient for the complete degradation of paper, cardboard, plastic, or metal, with the latter two showing minimal changes despite exposure to environmental conditions that favor photodegradation (solar radiation), thermal degradation (temperature fluctuations between day and night), hydrolytic degradation (humidity variations on rainy days), biodegradation (fungal growth), and chemical degradation or corrosion. Additionally, they developed explanatory models on material degradation, considering environmental factors and their impacts, which allowed them to reflect on sustainability, responsible consumption, and the importance of green chemistry. The study reveals that students indirectly reflect on five principles of green chemistry through these findings: waste prevention (principle 1), less hazardous chemical synthesis (principle 3), use of renewable feedstocks (principle 7), design for degradation (principle 10), and real-time analysis for pollution prevention (principle 11), especially during the planning and conclusion phases of the inquiry. The study concludes that inquiry-based learning is an effective approach that deepens understanding of material degradation and its environmental impact while fostering the integration of the principles of green chemistry. The approach is well-received by students and encourages positive emotions.