Teaching Chemistry for a Sustainable Future

The 5th African Conference on Research in Chemical Education (ACRICE-5) was held under the main theme Teaching Chemistry for a Sustainable Future, 7-9 Dec 2022. ACRICE-5 was hosted by Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt, and endorsed by Egyptian Academy of scientific Research and Technology (Egyptian Committee of pure and Applied Chemistry), the Federation of African Societies of Chemistry (FASC), and IUPAC. The four previous conferences were held in Ethiopia (Dec. 2013), South Africa (Nov. 2015), Algeria (Oct. 2017), and Nigeria (Sept. 2019).

The conference was intended to act as a platform for enhancing chemical education for the preparation of a new generation of African citizens who are able to deal with international global challenges like climate change. Educators and researchers at all levels are invited to share their vital knowledge about the 4th Industrial Revolution (4th IR) and its impact on the future labor market, chemical pollution and its impact on the climate changes. They also engaged in a recent innovative teaching and learning strategies like Systemic Approach in Teaching and Learning (SATL) and STEM education.

A diverse group of speakers (representing USA, Russia, Canada, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Turkey, Croatia, China, India, Taiwan, Oman, Malaysia, Bolivia, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Benin, and Egypt) participated in 5th ACRICE. Plenary, keynote, and workshops presentations were given by eminent experts in the appropriate fields of research in the chemistry education.

In teaching process, it is important to promote learning and developing the various interpersonal skills for the student and promoting teaching methods and the widespread familiarity with the terms of teaching methods by using the accurate of the terms. The advancement in science and technology put the 21st century educational systems into a new era characterized by a lot of innovations that promote the reform of teaching and learning chemistry at all levels of education. Most educational policies are carefully planned and include essential features for diversity, digitalization, and sustainability.

Chemistry plays a critical role in solving problems affecting society and plays an essential role in helping society achieve the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Chemistry education has received a lot of attention in recent years, as well as the reconsolidation of chemistry education through innovative teaching strategies. The education for sustainable development is the goal of education which increasing importance as the recognition of the urgency for sustainable development. Now Chemistry curriculum learning contexts at all education levels are develop in accordance with SDGs.

Some challenges face chemistry educators in the global age; that they prepare their graduates in most of what they learn linearly and then asking them to think and act systemically also they prepare their graduates to face a global job market based on the 4th Industrial revolution including robotics, Internet connectivity Artificial intelligence, etc. and they assess their students linearly which enhances the surface learning and linear thinking. Also, they teach students environmental sciences including environmental chemistry and the students polluted their environment and finally they prepare their students traditionally for sustainable future.

IUPAC endorsed the conference because chemistry education is an important subject to support as the conference discussed the innovation of teaching chemistry for a sustainable future, as the world is challenged with development chemistry education for sustainability.

The lectures and workshops at this conference added to chemistry education research the most important innovations about teaching and learning for sustainability.

Javier Martinez, the president of IUPAC, gave the plenary lecture: “Circular Chemistry: Reengineering our Relationship with the Planet at Molecular Scale.”

A panel discussion entitled: “How does systems thinking affect decision making” was aimed at increasing the degree of awareness of audience towards the use of chemistry education in enhancing systemic decision making and its objectives to understand a system’s dynamics—analysis & system’s hierarchy—synthesis to develop systemic solutions for global problems and raise the degree of awareness towards the role systems (systemic) thinking in sustainability.

The aim of the panel is to increase the degree of awareness of audience towards the use of chemistry education in enhancing systemic dissection making and its objectives to understand a system’s dynamics—analysis & a system’s hierarchy— synthesis to develop systemic solutions for global problems and raise the degree of awareness towards the role systems (systemic) thinking in sustainability. Attendees should understand the role of chemistry education in enhancing systems thinking and creativity. Recommendations of the panel discussion are that Chemistry Educators from around the world are invited to prepare their students to live and work in the global systemic age filled with global systemic problems via:

1. Global collaboration to move urgently towards new educational systems that prepare new generations to be systems thinkers & systemic decision makers able to solve the global systemic problems and crises systemically and innovatively.

2. Intensifying systems (systemic) thinking by redesigning chemistry curricula and course content beside assessment types on a system bases (systemic assessment).

The first workshop at the conference with the title: “Systems Thinking in Chemistry Education” (STICE) is a collaboration project in IUPAC between the 5^th African Conference and the Committee on Chemistry Education (CCE). The aim of the workshop is to prepare students to know basic characteristics of Systems Thinking and to explain the relevance of Systems Thinking to chemistry education, particularly towards reaching the UN SDGs & IYBSSD and explain how Systemic Thinking complements green chemistry and chemistry for sustainability and finally to recognize the advantages and the challenges associated with introduction of STICE. Thus, students start planning and designing activities to introduce Systems Thinking to their students through chemistry education via:

1. It is imperative for chemistry education to be oriented towards sustainability to equip graduates with knowledge and skills to address the challenges facing the world.

2. Chemistry graduates using systems thinking skills to contribute meaningfully to sustainability.

3. Systems thinking is essential not only for deep learning of chemistry but generally in the global future professions of the 4th Industrial Revolution.

The second workshop was “STEM Education and 4^th Industrial Revolution.” In the global age, chemistry educators face the challenge of preparing students in a traditional, linear way to face global job markets based on the 4th Industrial revolution including robotics, Internet connectivity Artificial intelligence, etc. This workshop explores frameworks for integrated STEM and how to implement integrated STEM for workshop attendances by engaging in hands-on activities.

The integrated STEM Education is a global phenomenon with countries across the world engaged in efforts to engage students in interdisciplinary approaches to science learning. Characteristics of intelligent STEM includes: (a) instruction is guided by an engaging real-world context, (b) explicit connections between science, technology, engineering and mathematics; (c) an understanding of different STEM career pathways. (d) intentional development of 21^st century competencies.

To prepare students for the global future through the development of 21st century skills in addition to learning contents. Students need to be able to apply knowledge to solve the global challenges facing humanity. These challenges are multidisciplinary and complex that requiring the implementation of new innovated approaches to teaching and learning via:

1. Development of assessment strategies for interdisciplinary learning and 21st century skills (Capstone Projects).

2. Workshops to support greenness and implementation of teaching that supports the developments of 21st century skills.

3. Workshops to enable the STEM higher education community to connect with one another and to share best practices in teaching and pedagogy.

4. Connecting teachers with STEM professionals who can provide equipment, materials, and/or ideas.

5. Workshops to support teachers learning about interdisciplinary approaches

6. Workshops to support awareness and implementation of teaching that support the development of 21st skills.