Introduction of Hydrosphere Environmental Problems in Lower Secondary School Chemistry Lessons

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development focuses on ensuring a healthy environment for present and future generations by avoiding risks associated with consumption, exploitation of natural resources and pollution. Maintaining an environmentally aware society to address hydrosphere environmental problems requires environmental literacy, which should be continuously improved through environmental education. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of integrating hydrosphere environmental problems into chemistry lessons through an online workshop, comparing students’ achievements and their situational and individual interest before and after participating in the workshop. Altogether, 145 students from seven Slovenian lower secondary schools participated in the study. Three-tier achievement tests assessed students’ knowledge about hydrosphere environmental problems before and after the workshop, while 15-item and 10-item questionnaires measured individual and situational interest. Results showed that 42.1% of students achieved more than half of the points on the preliminary achievement test, while following the workshop, 61.5% of students achieved better results on the achievement post-test. Students struggled to understand the chemical structures of pollutants and their effects on the hydrosphere. No significant differences in results on the post-test and delayed achievement test were identified, but high individual and situational interest positively influenced students’ results on all achievement tests.