Enhancing chemistry understanding and attitudes through an outreach education program on circular plastic economy: a case study with Thai twelfth-grade students

4.1 Format of the OEC-circle program

The OEC-Circle program was designed as a 6-day intensive camp spread over 3 weeks, integrating both context-based and inquiry-based educational frameworks. This integrative approach effectively engages students by illustrating the interplay between various disciplines and emphasizing real-world applications, which enhances the long-term retention of concepts. The curriculum systematically breaks down conventional chemistry concepts into comprehensive subtopics, ensuring a coherent and progressively challenging learning experience anchored in real-life contexts.

The OEC-Circle camp focused on the CPE, utilizing everyday scenarios to connect related ideas and foster systems thinking. The program comprised three distinct learning modules – Plastic Smart City, circular plastic economy, and sustainable polymer – each designed to provide comprehensive insights into different aspects of the circular plastic economy. Students were organized into mixed-gender groups to promote collaboration and inclusivity, engaging in activities such as chemistry demonstrations, hands-on experiments, field research, and brainstorming sessions. These activities were meticulously structured to reinforce the core principles of the circular plastic economy, ensuring an immersive and holistic learning journey supported by expert mentors.

4.2 Learning modules from the OEC-circle program

The OEC-Circle program employed a “living laboratory” approach, leveraging the school campus and local community as practical venues for experiential learning. ²⁶ This approach allowed students to apply classroom knowledge directly to their immediate environment, facilitating a deeper understanding of the circular economy from a scientific perspective. The program was divided into three equally timed modules, each encompassing in-class, in-lab, and in-field activities.

1. Module 1: Plastic smart city. This module introduced the concept of smart cities committed to zero plastic leakage, exploring the integration of circular economy principles within urban environments. Students engaged in citizen inquiry projects focused on plastic management within their school and community, fostering an understanding of systemic approaches to plastic pollution.

2. Module 2: Circular plastic economy. Building on the first module, this segment delved deeper into the principles of reuse, reduce, and recycling of plastic materials. Through guided-inquiry laboratory activities and field research, students investigated innovative recycling technologies and strategies to reduce plastic waste, enhancing their practical and analytical skills.

3. Module 3: Sustainable polymer. The final module focused on the development of sustainable polymers, exploring biodegradable alternatives and the chemistry behind polymer degradation. Interactive experiments enabled students to comprehend the lifecycle of plastics, and the scientific advancements aimed at mitigating environmental impact.

To provide clarity on the instructional design and pedagogical structure of the OEC-Circle program, Figure 1 presents a schematic diagram illustrating the three learning modules and their sequential integration. Each module is purposefully designed to build upon the previous one, enabling students to develop a comprehensive understanding of plastic-related chemistry through escalating complexity and contextual relevance.

Figure 1:

A visual schematic of the three learning modules of the OEC-CIRCLE program with their sequential flow and pedagogical interconnectedness.

Figure 1 illustrates both the logical sequence and thematic interconnectedness of the modules, with the circular arrow indicating a continuous learning cycle. Each module transitions into the next by building upon prior knowledge – starting from understanding plastic waste issues in urban contexts, progressing through designing circular solutions, and culminating in the development of sustainable polymer alternatives. This integrated flow ultimately leads students toward proposing science-based, systemic solutions for realizing a Plastic Smart City. In addition, these modules were designed to make chemistry education engaging and relevant, encouraging students to develop a genuine interest in chemistry and its applications in sustainability. Teamwork, cooperation, and creative problem-solving were emphasized, with activities tailored to promote inclusive and collaborative learning experiences. Table 1 provides an overview of the three learning modules designed in the OEC-Circle program. Each module was developed around core chemistry content related to plastics, sustainability, and circular economy principles. To ensure the program supported both conceptual learning and attitudinal development, each module was also aligned with specific and measurable learning outcomes. These outcomes address two key domains: (1) chemistry content knowledge; and (2) student attitudes toward chemistry. This alignment between content and outcomes allowed for a holistic chemistry education experience, tailored to real-world sustainability challenges.

4.3 Pedagogical applications in the OEC-circle program

The OEC-circle program integrates two primary pedagogical approaches: citizen inquiry and guided inquiry. These methodologies complement each other to provide comprehensive learning experience.

1. Citizen inquiry involves community-driven research projects where students identify and investigate real-world issues relevant to their environment. ²⁷ In the OEC-Circle program, students utilized digital platforms such as nQuire ²⁸ for collaborative data collection and analysis. Additionally, Facebook community group was employed to create project pages, fostering a sense of community and democratizing scientific inquiry. This approach empowered students to act as active contributors to scientific research, bridging the gap between academia and everyday life.

2. Guided Inquiry focuses on structured experimental learning within laboratory settings, allowing students to explore scientific concepts through hands-on activities under the guidance of educators. ²⁹ In the Sustainable Polymer module, students conducted experiments using smartphones equipped with light sensors and thermal infrared imaging plugins. The incorporation of 360-degree video lessons, originally introduced in the Journal of Chemical Education, provided an immersive learning experience, enhancing their understanding of experimental procedures and outcomes. ^{30 , 31}

By blending citizen inquiry with guided inquiry, the OEC-Circle program promoted both collaborative and individual learning, fostering critical thinking and practical skills essential for addressing complex sustainability challenges. This holistic approach ensured that students not only gained theoretical knowledge but also developed the ability to apply it in real-world contexts. Table 2 shows the details of the modules and their learning facilities and support.

4.4 Description of the OEC-circle learning activities and its implementation

The OEC-Circle program comprised a series of structured learning activities conducted on weekends over 3 weeks for a total of 36 h. Thirty-two twelfth-grade students (ages 17–18) from a public school in northeastern Thailand participated. The activities were thoughtfully designed to provide a balanced mix of theoretical knowledge and practical application, fostering an engaging and immersive learning environment. The learning activities are as follows.

1. Prelab Video: Prior to each laboratory session, students engaged with a 60 min 360-degree interactive prelab video introducing the fundamentals of bioplastic formulation, degradation processes, and laboratory safety. This immersive video provided a virtual walkthrough of the procedures, enabling students to visualize techniques and understand scientific concepts before entering the lab. As a result, in-lab time could be dedicated more fully to experimentation and data analysis, enhancing students’ readiness, confidence, and engagement. The use of 360-degree video encouraged active exploration and curiosity, creating a more personalized and meaningful learning experience. The pedagogical value of such video-based preparation is supported by Nadelson et al. (2014), who reported improved student performance and efficiency in organic chemistry labs when prelab instructional videos were used. ³² Ardisara and Fung (2018) further demonstrated that 360-degree videos offer a wider visual field, improving clarity in complex experimental setups. ³³ In parallel, Fung et al. (2019) applied immersive VR environments in environmental chemistry, confirming the benefits of interactive digital tools for enhancing conceptual understanding. ³⁴ Together, these tools foster better preparation, deepen understanding of chemical practices, and promote student-centered learning in chemistry laboratory education. Figure 2 illustrates a screen example of the prelab 360-degree video.

2. Pre-test session: The OEC-Circle program commenced with a 60 min pre-test session designed to assess the baseline understanding of plastic-related chemistry among the participating students. A 21-item multiple-choice conceptual chemistry questionnaire aligned with the chemistry content of the program (Supplementary Material 1). For the questionnaire, items were reviewed by three chemistry education experts to ensure content validity and then a pilot test with 25 twelve-grade students was conducted to refine wording and assess clarity. Its reliability was confirmed with a KR-20 coefficient of 0.82. Administered at the beginning of the program as a pre-test, this session provided critical insights into the students’ initial knowledge levels and misconceptions. Prior to the pre-test, students received clear instructions emphasizing the importance of honest and individual responses to ensure the accuracy of the assessment.

3. Module 1 – Plastic Smart City: This module spans two days and a total of 12 h. It introduced students to smart city initiatives focused on achieving zero plastic leakage through the application of circular economy principles in urban settings. Students were organized into mixed-gender groups of 4–5 participants. Each group worked collaboratively during the brainstorming, citizen inquiry, and community-based data collection tasks. Group sizes were intentionally kept small to promote active participation, equitable task distribution, and collaborative problem-solving throughout the 12 h module. Before launching into the learning module, students participated in structured training sessions designed to equip them with the digital skills needed to carry out citizen inquiry tasks effectively. The module began with a 180 min introductory session where students received guided instruction on how to use the nQuire platform for data logging and geo-mapping in their citizen science investigations, as well as training on Facebook community group for collaborative communication and sharing results with peers. After that, students collaboratively brainstormed strategies for managing plastic waste within their school and local community. This was followed by a 150 min “Plastic in Our School” citizen inquiry project and a 180 min “Circular Economy in Our Community” project, where students identified plastic pollution sources, collected and analyzed data, and developed actionable mitigation strategies. The module concluded with a 30 min summary session and individual video reflections. Throughout, mixed-gender groups engaged in hands-on activities, field research, and collaborative problem-solving, fostering critical thinking, teamwork, and a deep understanding of sustainable plastic management practices. Supplementary visual documentation of student activities and outputs from this module is presented in Figure 3, offering direct insight into students’ learning, performance, and reflection of their understandings throughout the Plastic Smart City experience.

4. Module 2 – Circular Plastic Economy: The same student groups from Module 1 (4–5 members per group) were retained to ensure continuity in teamwork and inquiry progression. In the beginning of the module, students received hands-on practice using smartphone-integrated light sensors and thermal infrared imaging attachments, which were used in guided inquiry labs for analyzing material properties and recycling processes. These training activities were facilitated by instructors and peer mentors and were embedded in the learning sequence to ensure that students had both the technical confidence and digital fluency necessary to fully participate in the inquiry tasks. This module spanned two days and 9 h of immersive learning. Students assumed the role of “plastic detectives,” utilizing the nQuire application to investigate local community plastic usage patterns. Through these citizen inquiry activities (180 min), they promoted economical plastic use and gained insights into plastic consumption behaviors. The module featured hands-on demonstrations on waste utilization via pyrolysis (150 min), enabling students to understand the thermal decomposition of plastics into usable products. Additionally, students explored the conversion of waste into value-added products, such as activated carbon (180 min), enhancing their practical knowledge of recycling technologies. The module concluded with a 30 min summary session, which reinforced key concepts and encouraged students to reflect on their sustainability initiatives and the impact of their projects on the community. Additional evidence of students’ citizen inquiry-based learning processes and empirical outcomes within this module is presented in Figure 4, showcasing their in-field participation and guided inquiry outputs on sustainable plastic solutions.

5. Module 3 – Sustainable Polymer: This module encompassed two and a half days and 15 h of comprehensive learning. For laboratory-based guided inquiry and data analysis activities in the module, students were placed in groups of 3 to 4. This smaller grouping allowed students to rotate roles (e.g., recorder, experimenter, analyst, and reporter) during experiments. The module began with a 90 min interactive lecture introducing polymers and plastics, laying the foundational knowledge for students. Students then engaged in a 270 min laboratory session focused on polymer classification, attributes, and formulation, enhancing their technical understanding. This was followed by a 180 min hands-on experience in bioplastic formation and degradation laboratories, deepening their practical insights into sustainable polymers. A 180 min brainstorming session encouraged innovative ideas on plastic utilization and sustainable alternatives. The module concluded with a 120 min circular plastic economy exhibition, where students showcased their projects. Throughout, students developed critical thinking and applied their knowledge to real-world sustainability challenges. Figure 5 provides visual evidence of student engagement in bioplastic experimentation, data analysis, and knowledge communication, thereby illustrating how this module deepened their practical understanding of sustainable polymer chemistry and its real-world implications.

Figure 2:

Posters from two student groups in module 1 – plastic smart city: group 1 illustrates their initial ideas (what they think), field-based findings (what they found), and proposed solutions for plastic waste management (what they propose) (left); and group 2 presents similar outputs, reflecting their understanding of smart city concepts and sustainable practices (right).

To substantiate the effectiveness of the OEC-Circle program on each module, Figure 6 presents consolidated visual evidence of individuals and groups of student learning and engagement across all three modules. These visuals offer concrete examples of how students applied chemistry knowledge, engaged in real-world inquiry, and reflected on sustainability concepts – thereby directly supporting the stated learning outcomes.

1. Post-test Session: Upon completion of the three-week OEC-Circle program, a post-test session was conducted to evaluate students’ learning gains and attitudinal shifts resulting from their participation. This session included two assessment instruments. First, a 60 min conceptual post-test, identical in structure and content to the pre-test, was administered using a 21-item multiple-choice format to ensure consistency in measuring students’ chemistry understanding. This test aimed to capture knowledge acquisition and assess the effectiveness of the instructional interventions implemented across all three modules. Immediately following the conceptual test, students completed a 10-min, 50-item, 5-point rating scale questionnaire, known as the chemistry version of the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS-Chem) ¹⁵ (Supplementary Material 2). This validated instrument was used to measure students’ attitudes toward chemistry learning, including their interest, confidence, and perceived relevance of chemistry to real-world issues. Together, these assessments provided a comprehensive evaluation of both cognitive and affective learning outcomes achieved through the OEC-Circle program.

Figure 3:

An example of digital evidence obtained from students’ learning outcome in module 2 – circular plastic economy, recorded via the nQuire platform: observer details, time, and geolocation of the observation (left); and photographic evidence, plastic type identification, and notes on plastic circularity (right).

Figure 4:

Practical activities from module 3 – sustainable polymer: thermal imaging of a thermoplastic heating investigation by students (left); and a bioplastic formulation experiment and producing molded bioplastic keychains produced by students (right).

Figure 5:

A screen example of the interactive 360-degree video lesson.

Figure 6:

Student work samples showing the diversity of connections made between plastics and issues in the community and the world: (A) incorporating ideation about plastic smart city within their local community; (B) investigating plastics and circularity behaviors in their local community hosting; (C) experimenting with bioplastic formulation and degradation in a laboratory setting; (D) presenting scientific understanding on how polymer formed using video clip; and (E) presenting final idea on circular plastic economy via exhibition.

4.5 Program evaluation

In the realm of educational research, measuring students’ progress via pre-test and post-test assessments is a common approach to determining the effectiveness of a particular instructional intervention. The success of the program was evaluated with the use of a 21-item multiple-choice conceptual chemistry test, and it was administered to all 32 students to complete in 60 min as a pre-test and post-test, which was taken before and after the program intervention. To examine the program efficacy, a data set was not normally distributed (p = 0.000) which also showed that the means were not equivalent. Therefore, non-parametric statistics of paired-sample Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to compare a significant difference in their chemistry understanding between the pre-test and post-test scores. Evidence of learning from the Wilcoxon test comparing the pre-test and post-test revealed a distinct progression of students’ plastic-related chemistry understanding. The result shows a statistically significant difference (Z = −4.873, p < 0.01) between the pre-test (Mean = 11.28, SD = 2.23) and post-test (Mean = 17.09, SD = 1.35) scores in a large effect size (r > 0.8), which underscores the magnitude of the program intervention’s impact as displayed in Table 3.

In addition to ensuring effective content delivery through the program structure, measuring students’ scientific attitudes emerged as a progressively significant consideration. The CLASS-Chem was also administered immediately to them after finishing the OEC-Circle program. To visualize their learning attitude toward the program intervention, descriptive statistics, i.e., arithmetic mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage were used to analyze post-test questionnaire scores. The post-test results of students’ learning attitudes toward chemistry, as measured by the CLASS-Chem revealed a significant positive shift across several key areas. A majority of students exhibited increased interest and engagement in the subject, with 50 % (n = 16) reporting that they thought about chemistry in their everyday lives, reflecting a stronger personal connection to the material. Additionally, 56.25 % (n = 18) of students felt that learning chemistry helped them understand its real-world applications, demonstrating the success of the program in making chemistry more relevant and practical. In the area of Problem Solving, 43.75 % (n = 14) of students expressed greater confidence in their ability to tackle chemistry problems, particularly those related to sustainability and plastic chemistry. Furthermore, 50 % (n = 16) of students reported improved problem-solving confidence, indicating that the program enhanced their ability to approach complex challenges. The Sense Making/Effort section also showed a positive impact, with 43.75 % (n = 14) of students indicating that they dedicated more time and effort to understanding challenging chemistry problems, reflecting an increased commitment to deepening their understanding. Overall, the CLASS-Chem’s post-test results highlight the OEC-Circle program’s success in enhancing students’ interest, confidence, and problem-solving skills in chemistry, particularly by connecting the subject to real-world sustainability issues. These findings suggest that the program effectively fostered a positive shift in students’ attitudes toward chemistry. Figure 7 presents percentages of the students’ learning attitude about chemistry.

Figure 7:

Percentages of the students’ learning attitude about chemistry.

Despite the overall success of the OEC-Circle program, several implementation challenges were noted. These included time constraints during transitions between activities, particularly when transitioning between field-based and laboratory-based activities, where some student groups required more time than anticipated for data analysis or experimental setup. To address these issues in future iterations, we recommend providing additional orientation time, incorporating scaffolded materials for diverse learners, and exploring modular or hybrid formats to enhance flexibility that provide more flexibility in pacing and support. These improvements can strengthen the program’s adaptability and effectiveness across broader educational contexts.