THE STATUS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY EDUCATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KOREA : A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN KOREA AND JAPAN

Abstract

The treatment of environmental problems in secondary school chemistry in Korea and Japan was analyzed on the basis of the environmental content in science/chemistry textbooks. The analysis revealed that environmental problems were practically not included in chemistry textbooks until various types of pollution became serious in both countries. Many efforts to promote Environmental Education (EE) in the field of chemistry have been made but have focused mainly on environmental knowledge and did not deal with the practical aspects of solving environmental problems. It seems necessary to use other teaching materials in chemistry classes to lead students to logically understand the environment and to deepen their awareness of the importance of its protection. Significance of further development in EE and educational recommendations are also discussed.