Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Students’ Attitudes Towards Science: the Contribution of a Citizen Science Project for Monitoring Coastal Water Quality and (micro)plastics

This study found that middle school students participating in a citizen science project monitoring coastal water quality and microplastic pollution showed improved attitudes toward science, particularly in critical thinking and perceived scientific self-efficacy. Hands-on engagement with real environmental monitoring activities can effectively improve science literacy and positive attitudes toward environmental issues in young people.

2021 Journal of Baltic Science Education 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Students’ attitudes towards the environment and marine litter in the context of a coastal water quality educational citizen science project

Middle school students who participated in a citizen science project monitoring coastal water quality and microplastic pollution showed significantly more positive environmental attitudes afterward compared to a control group. The study suggests that hands-on engagement with real microplastic research can be an effective way to build environmental awareness in young people.

2023 Australian Journal of Environmental Education 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Creative-Motivated Citizen Science After-School STEAM Programme for Motivating Actions Related to the Oceanic Microplastics Problem

Researchers designed and evaluated a nine-week citizen science STEAM after-school programme for primary school children focused on microplastic sampling and local ocean pollution solutions, finding that creative and motivational activities sustained family engagement for at least 10 months beyond the programme's conclusion.

2025 Citizen Science Theory and Practice
Article Tier 2

School science activities with contributions from STEM practices: A study to address complex problems in elementary school classes, in the case of microplastics and their harmful effects

Researchers developed a theoretical and explanatory framework identifying which aspects of STEM education can strengthen the design of school science activities addressing complex problems such as microplastic pollution in elementary school settings. The study proposes a model for integrating STEM practices into classroom activities to build students' capacity to engage with real-world environmental challenges.

2025 Repositorio Universidad Distrital
Article Tier 2

Desenvolvimento da literacia química de alunos do ensino básico

A Portuguese citizen-science project engaged over 500 middle-school students in testing coastal water quality and learning about microplastic pollution through hands-on chemistry investigations. The program significantly improved students' attitudes toward chemistry and their conceptual understanding of water parameters and polymers compared to a control group, demonstrating that microplastic science can be an effective hook for building broader scientific literacy in young people.

2024 Educación Química 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Do future teachers’ sustainability commitments really relate to action-oriented educational approaches?

Researchers analyzed educational proposals designed by 130 future secondary school teachers addressing the socioecological problem of microplastic pollution, examining the relationship between teachers' own sustainability perceptions and their selection of action-oriented educational approaches through mixed qualitative and quantitative methods.

2024 Environmental Education Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Can we investigate microplastic pollution with school students? Experiences from eight years of citizen science research

Researchers reported on eight years of citizen science microplastic research conducted with school students through the Plastic Pirates program, sharing methodological experiences and lessons learned from involving more than 24,000 participants across Germany and other European countries in rigorous environmental monitoring.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Systematic Review Tier 1

Citizen Science Project's Contribution to Science Learning Outcome: Systematic Literature Review

This systematic review identified 19 types of citizen science projects that contribute to science learning at school and university levels, finding that six key learning outcomes are most commonly achieved, including content knowledge and scientific inquiry skills. This study is not related to microplastics but was included due to its systematic review methodology.

2023 EDUSAINS 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Student participation in a coastal water quality citizen science project and its contribution to the conceptual and procedural learning of chemistry

Researchers developed a citizen science project involving students in monitoring coastal water quality parameters and detecting microplastics, finding that participation improved both conceptual understanding of chemistry and procedural laboratory skills. The study demonstrates the value of citizen science as a formal chemistry learning tool at the secondary level.

2021 Chemistry Education Research and Practice 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Curriculum development for student agency on sustainability issues: An exploratory study

Researchers developed an exploratory middle-school sustainability curriculum designed to foster student agency by challenging students to analyze real-world data, construct scientific arguments, and engage in activism around sustainability issues framed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

2022 Frontiers in Education 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Upper secondary students’ ways of positioning the science studies course as potentially relevant to their lives

Researchers examined how Swedish upper secondary students position a general science course as relevant to their lives, conducting six focus groups with 24 students in non-science programmes. Through thematic analysis, five relevance themes emerged — vocational life, self-fulfilment, everyday actions, information handling, and societal impact — offering teachers a framework for joint reflection on science education relevance.

2025 Nordic Studies in Science Education
Article Tier 2

Citizen Science as a Pedagogical Tool in Chemistry Education: Students’ Attitudes and Teachers’ Perceptions

This study explored student attitudes toward chemistry and the effects of participating in a citizen science project on those attitudes. Citizen science is highlighted as a potential tool for building chemistry literacy and environmental engagement in young students.

2022 Interdisciplinary Journal of Environmental and Science Education 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Citizen_Labs – conception and evaluation of a course on plastic waste and microplastic in adult education

Researchers conceived and evaluated a citizen science laboratory course on plastic waste and microplastics for adult education, examining how experiential learning formats can raise environmental awareness and scientific literacy about plastic pollution among non-specialist participants.

2022 CHEMKON 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Citizen observation of plastic pollution in coastal ecosystems to address data gaps in marine litter distribution

Researchers launched the COLLECT citizen science project in seven African and Asian countries, training 15-18 year-old students to sample and analyze macro-, meso-, and microplastics in beach sediments using standardized scientific protocols, while simultaneously measuring shifts in ocean literacy and pro-environmental behavior to quantify the educational impact of the intervention.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Psychological outcomes from a citizen science study on microplastics from household clothes washing

Researchers reported on the psychological outcomes for participants in a citizen science project studying household microplastic sources, finding that engagement with microplastic research increased environmental awareness and motivated behavior change around plastic use.

2025
Article Tier 2

Fostering Transversal Skills through Open Schooling with the CARE-KNOW-DO Framework for Sustainable Education

This large cross-national study examined how open schooling programs help students develop skills like problem-solving, self-initiative, and scientific citizenship across five countries. Researchers found that the majority of students reported strong skill development, though there were notable differences by country, gender, and age group, with nonbinary students reporting lower confidence in some areas.

2024 Sustainability 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Community-Engaged Research Projects in School Settings: Science Teachers’ Practices and Reflections

Not relevant to microplastics — this education research study analyzes how nine teachers implemented community-engaged research projects addressing environmental justice issues in their classrooms, focusing on pedagogy, student empowerment, and institutional challenges.

2024 Social Sciences 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Qualitatively recognizing the dimensions of student environmental identity development within the classroom context

This study qualitatively identified eight dimensions of environmental identity development in elementary school students engaged in a pollution-focused science curriculum, finding that emotional responses and personal meaning emerged as distinct dimensions not previously captured in adult environmentalist research.

2023 Journal of Research in Science Teaching 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis of Students' Sustainability Awareness of the Environment

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it assesses the environmental sustainability awareness of high school students in West Java, Indonesia, using a descriptive quantitative educational research approach.

2023 Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Increasing knowledge and awareness of microplastic pollution in United States middle school students in a hybrid-classroom setting through science education

Researchers assessed microplastic pollution knowledge and awareness among middle school students in the United States, finding significant gaps in understanding of microplastic sources, pathways, and human health implications. The study highlights an educational opportunity and suggests targeted curriculum integration could improve scientific literacy around plastic pollution in younger generations.

2024 Journal of Geoscience Education 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Engage. Equipping the next generation for active engagement in science. Periodic report number 2.

This report describes the ENGAGE educational project aimed at preparing students to engage with socio-scientific issues including environmental topics like microplastics. The initiative embeds Responsible Research and Innovation principles into secondary school science curricula across Europe.

2017 SHURA (Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive) (Sheffield Hallam University) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Real action based on search solve create and share (SSCS) model to improve sustainability awareness of junior high school students

Researchers implemented a real-action project using the Search-Solve-Create-Share (SSCS) learning model with an education for sustainable development approach to improve sustainability awareness among 7th-grade students in Siak, Riau Province, Indonesia. A quasi-experimental design comparing SSCS-taught and control classes found the model effective at enhancing student understanding of local environmental issues including water and air pollution.

2023 JPBI (Jurnal Pendidikan Biologi Indonesia) 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Fourteen-Year-Old Students’ Understanding of Problems Related to Microplastics in the Environment

Researchers assessed 14-year-old Slovenian students' understanding of microplastics in the environment, a topic absent from the national curriculum. The study found that students had limited knowledge, though performance correlated with grades in chemistry and biology, and exposure through informal or extracurricular science activities improved understanding.

2025 Sustainability
Article Tier 2

Taking care of our planet: measuring and managing the environmental impact

This educational project engaged high school students in measuring and analyzing environmental impacts related to ocean health as part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The project aimed to raise awareness about marine pollution, including plastic waste, among young citizens.

2023