Integration of a sustainability-oriented socio-scientific issue into the general chemistry curriculum: Examining the effects on student motivation and self-efficacy

Abstract

This study evaluates the effects of integrating the socio-scientific issue of phosphate sustainability into a large enrollment general chemistry course. The integration was based on the use of a digital learning environment designed by the software Prezi. The learning environment introduced the structure and the properties of phosphate, its economic importance and uses, and the associated challenges, including supply risk. The study examined the effects of the intervention on students’ motivation and self-efficacy. A total of 760 students participated in the study and completed pre- and post-intervention surveys, as well as participated in group discussions with specific roles. The analysis of open-ended questions and the results of the statistical tests indicate that the topic and the associated digital materials were received positively by the students. The findings did not reveal any significant differences between male and female students, but the data showed that ethnic groups perceived the intervention differently.