Integrating the Green Chemistry Principles into the Teaching Chemistry in Higher Education and Students’ Attitudes

Abstract

This study examines the integration of green chemistry principles into chemistry teaching in higher education institutions in Kazakhstan, as well as students’ attitudes and practical skills in this area. The main objective is to determine the level of organization of green chemistry courses in higher education institutions in Kazakhstan and to study students’ attitudes towards green chemistry and their practical skills in its application. The study is of great scientific and practical importance, as the integration of green chemistry into the educational process contributes to the formation of environmental awareness among students and guides future specialists towards making decisions in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. This approach makes it possible to improve the quality of education and organize laboratory experiments in accordance with environmental safety requirements. The study was conducted using qualitative and quantitative methods, with data collected from the Unified Platform of Higher Education Programs of Kazakhstan and a survey of 156 students. Analysis of the data collected from the unified platform made it possible to determine the degree of inclusion of courses prepared in the field of «Green Chemistry» in educational programs. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, mean value, standard deviations were used to analyze the survey data, and Spearman’s rank correlation and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used. The results showed that students have a high level of awareness of green chemistry, but their practical skills are at an average level. No statistically significant differences between courses were found, indicating the same level of attitude and practical application among all students. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of integrating green chemistry principles into higher education and provides recommendations for improving educational programs. The practical significance lies in developing students’ environmental competence, bringing laboratories into line with the principles of green chemistry, and ensuring the sustainable integration of green chemistry into the educational process.

Keywords: green chemistry, environmental competence, sustainable development, ecology, integrated learning.