Education for Sustainable Development: Transforming Pedagogies for Teaching Secondary School Chemistry

Abstract

Teaching and learning of chemistry is critical for equipping learners with knowledge, skills and values to understand and respond to social scientific issues such as pollution, climate change, sustainable consumption and other sustainable development issues facing the world today. This can only be achieved by embracing the dimensions of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the design and implementation of chemistry curriculum. The ESD focuses on content that responds to Sustainable Development (SD) issues and transformative pedagogies that are key in promoting learner’s capacity to use their knowledge in real life scenarios as well as to solve problems they encounter in their communities. The study therefore, explored how the Zambian chemistry curriculum and pedagogies used to teach chemistry reflect principles of ESD. It was grounded in the expansive theory of learning, which emphasises the acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes relevant to work collaboratively in solving societal problems. The study used lesson observations, document analysis and focus group discussion to collect data. The findings showed that one of the general aims of the chemistry curriculum was anchored within the dimensions of ESD, however there is a mismatch between the aim and specific outcomes. The specific outcomes focus on acquisition of knowledge as opposed to transformational learning outcomes.  The curriculum contains various topics that speak to current SD issues. The pedagogies used by teachers were mostly teacher centred characterised by delivery of factual knowledge.  The study therefore, recommended for the reorientation of the chemistry curriculum and pedagogies within the framework of ESD principles so as to enhance the relevance of chemistry in learners’ lives as well as its critical role in sustainable development.

Keywords: Education for sustainable development, Chemistry, Pedagogy, Curriculum

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/16-3-16

Publication date: March 30^th 2025