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2. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

3. Level of awareness in green chemistry and sustainability among in-service and students’ teachersin the Arab sector and their attitudes towards environmental education, AR style Dr. Ahmad Basheer & Ayshi Sindiani Limerick, Ireland - July, 2018

4. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK • Green chemistry is a chemistry that reduces or prevents pollution and producing waste that is difficult to get rid of. • processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances in the design, manufacture and application of chemical products. • Green chemistry refers to chemicals, chemical processes and chemical reactions. • (Karpudewan, Wolff-Michael & Sinniah, 2016)

5. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK • Leading researchers have formulated 12 principles that characterize green chemistry and are universally accepted (Anasta & Eghbali, 2010; Karpudewan.et al., 2009; Hjeresen et al., 2000): • Prevention. • Atom Economy. • Less Hazardous Chemical Syntheses. • Designing Safer Chemicals. • Safer Solvents and Auxiliaries. • Design for Energy Efficiency. • Use of Renewable Feed-stocks. • Reduce Derivatives. • Catalysis. • Design for Degradation. • Real-time analysis for Pollution Prevention. • Safer Chemistry for Accident Prevention.

6. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK • Researches show that teachers have low awareness to green chemistry and related issues. (Said et al., 2003, Burmeister & Eilks, 2013, hameda et al., 2017) • A study on 296 teachers in Malaysia showed that although teachers had general knowledge of environmental issues, 50% of them had no knowledge of green chemistry and at the same time did not know the reasons for the problems of the environmental issues. (Said et al., 2003)

7. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK • Sustainabilityis a situation that used resources that can be renewed at a faster rate than the rate of its consumption or equal to it, and thus allowing that this resources maintained for a long time (Burmeister & Eilks, 2013). • Sustainable development means, to satisfy the needs of today’s generation without compromising that future generations will be able to satisfy their needs.

8. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK • Various studies have shown that the level of awareness of sustainability among science teachers and students’ teachers is relatively low. (Emanuel & Adams, 2011; Burmeister & Eilks, 2012; 2013) • It is very important to integrate the sustainability and green chemistry topics in the curriculum of all the students, especially students’ teacher. (Karpudewan.et al., 2009; 2016) • Researches found that the level of environmental literacy among teacher education programs is low and insufficient (Avishar and others, 2014).

9. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK • A study on 406 Pre-service science teachers shows that 60% of them have low awareness of sustainability. (Emanuel & Adams, 2011) • 97 Germany students’ teachers were examined during their period of experience, ie, in the "training phase" for green chemistry and sustainability. (Burmeister & Eilks, 2012) • 70% of the teachers did not hear about green chemistry, and of those who heard 30%, they could not present detailed knowledge of the subject or enumerate some of the principles of green chemistry. • In addition, 60.8% of students’ teachers do not have a deep awareness of sustainability.

10. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK • A study on 16 in-service teachers in Germany, shows that nine teachers have heard about the concept of "green chemistry" as a theoretical concept and have succeeded in associating this concept with research in chemistry and industrial work methods.(Burmeister & Eilks, 2013) • When they were asked about the key principles of green chemistry, the answers were shallow, indicating a lack of knowledge about these principles and the indifference of teachers to the environment and related issues.

11. 2. Planning the research 3. Datacollecting and analyzing 1. Identification of the problem and selecting a research question 4. Implementing the change 6. Evaluating and reflecting 5. Data collecting and analyzing The Various Stages of Action Research

12. The Purposes of the research • To examine the level of awareness among students’ teachers about green chemistry, sustainability and environmental education. • To examine the effectiveness of running an intervention program on bio-plastics on improving the awareness of students’ teachers toward green chemistry and sustainability and their responsibility for the environment.

13. Research questions What is the extent of awareness to green chemistry, sustainability and attitudes to environmental education among students’ teachers compared to in-service science teachers? To what extent will an intervention of a sub-unit on “Plastic and Bio-plastic“ affect the level of awareness on green chemistry, sustainability and attitudes to environmental education among students’ science teachers?

14. The sample • The study included • 148 students’ teachers who are studying science (chemistry-biology, elementary track and junior high school track). • 29 of them in their 4th and last year in junior high school track.

15. Research tool • The first tool we used was a questionnaire with 33 statements. • The questionnaire consists of four parts • background variables, • awareness of green chemistry, 11 statements • awareness of sustainability, 11 statements • attitudes toward the environment and environmental education, 11 statements. • Another research tool was a questionnaire with 12 statements and an open question to examine students' attitudes regarding the intervention program. • An interview with selected students.

16. Research process • Selection of students’ teachers from a colleges to participate in the research. They learn in a variety of study tracks and their specialties are different. • Distribution of an awareness questionnaire among among students’ teachers • Selection of students’ teachers (29 students), specializing in chemistry and biology, in the fourth and last year of their studies. They underwent an intervention program on “plastic & bio-plastic” as part of the course "Polymers and Plastic Materials".

17. The intervention program “plastic & bio-plastic” includes seven stations related to the research topics, including presentations, videos, analysis of articles from the media and experiments. Research process • Fill out the same questionnaire of awareness and environmental behavior that was distributed prior to intervention.Filling out a questionnaire of satisfaction with the intervention program. • Interviewing 11 students’ teacher. • Analysis of the results and comparison of the results before and after the intervention.

18. The effect of intervention program on awareness to green chemistry, sustainability and environmental education (students’ teachers, 4thyear)

19. The intervention program • 29 Students who study chemistry-biology in a college for education in their 4th and last year where chosen to undergo intervention program and they filled out the questionnaire before the program start. • students studied in an intervention program (plastic & bio-plastic) in the course "Polymers and Plastic Materials”. • The intervention program includes two “two-hour” lectures concentrated on sustainability, green chemistry principles and environmental issues. • After the second lecture, a “three-hours” workshop was held, including 7 stations, including presentation related to plastic and bio-plastic, presentation of related videos, preparation of biodegradable plastic, and more (all stations next slide). • During the intervention program, the students were divided into groups (each group had 4-5 students). All the students were exposed to all the activities in all 7stations.

20. The intervention program Station 1Activity: Let's guess what that means? Station 7Experiment: preparation of plastics from starch Station 2Presentation: How is the plastic formed and what its chemical structure? Study in stations: the chemistry of plastic Station 6The plastic in the media Station 3Activity: Where are plastic products that can not be recycled? Station 5Presentation: What is "green plastic" or "bio-plastic“? Station 4A video that accompanies a worksheet

21. The intervention program Station 1: Let's guess what it is?Various images were presented relating to the impact of plastic products on the environment and on animals. Discussion and reflection (feeling) on what they see in the pictures.

22. The intervention program Station 2: Presentation: How is the plastic formed its chemical structure? Eight slide were presented to students that explain how to prepare and what is the structure of the plastic. Station 3: Where are plastic products that can not be recycled? Each student was asked to take a picture that describes the damage caused by plastic products that can not be recycled, and then to explain and reflect to the group about the picture he saw. Station 4: A video that accompanies a worksheet Two videos were shown for 4:56 minutes (1:08 and 2:48) explaining the effect of plastic on the environment in general, and the life of the water turtles in particular.

23. The intervention program Station 5: Presentation of "Green Plastic" or "Bioplastic“ A presentation of 11 slides explaining green plastic was presented to the students. Station 6: The plastic in Medea The students were asked to chose a short scientific text on the plastic that was published in the media and then each one will explain to the group about the text he read. Station 7: Experiment: preparation of plastics from starch. Each group was asked to prepare "green plastic" as detailed in a experiment guidelines page

24. A comparison of the average of the responses of students’ teachers before and after the intervention program (N= 29) The average number of responses on the Likert scale is from 1 to 5 Before the intervention program After the intervention program Sustainability awareness Attitudes towards the environment Green chemistry awareness • The awareness of students’ teachers toward green and sustainability increased greatly after the intervention program. • In addition, their attitudes toward the environment & environmental education have become more positive.

25. Satisfaction with the intervention program among the students’ teachers My opinion on plastic products and their use has not changed at all I did not like the intervention program because it dealt too little with chemistry content and experiments I did not like the intervention plan because I had to read too much I don’t doing what the agencies of consumer tests saying because I don’t learn anything during the intervention Chemistry classes have become more interesting through the use of new and innovative methods The item I liked the intervention program because I had to work something as a group with my classmates I don't agree at all I partly agree I loved the intervention program because I was dealing with things that were important to me I moderately agree I moderately agree I’m agree I loved the intervention program because it gave me knowledge beyond "chemical content" I totally agree I feel that I understand better what is sustainability Now I'm more considerate of reports from consumer testing agencies I think about plastic in a different way than I did at the beginning of the intervention program The intervention program made me more considerate of my choice of plastic The students responses on the Likert scale is from 1 to 5 in percentage (%) • Most students were satisfied with the intervention program and their awareness of plastic had changed after the intervention program.

26. Summary • The awareness of students’ teachers toward green chemistry and sustainability increased greatly after the intervention program. • In addition, their attitudes toward the environment & environmental education have become more positive. • The students’ teachers were so satisfied from the program of the intervention.

27. Conclusions & Recommendations • The intervention program (plastic and bioplastic) for students’ teachers in science, helps to increase the awareness of environmental issues among the students. • The principles of green chemistry should be more integrated into the curriculum (universities, colleges and schools), which increases chemical education and helps build foundations for a sustainable society. • Teachers are the educators, mentors and role models of their students, and it is important that they have sufficient knowledge to environmental issues (including green chemistry and sustainability) in order to ensure the successful implementation of environmental education for the young and new generation.

28. Implementation in my institution • Inserting topics related to green chemistry, sustainability and environmental education for the curriculum for science students’ teachers. • Integration green chemistry, sustainability and environmental education, not only in the curriculum of the students’ teachers, but also in the curriculum of students of all ages.

29. Acknowledgements thanks to Ayshi Sindiani & You for your attention!