Educational Modules for Increasing Indigenous Australian Students’ Involvement in Chemistry

• Published in: Journal of chemical education Vol. 96; no. 9; pp. 1914 - 1921
• Main Author: Scholes, Colin A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Easton American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc 10.09.2019; Division of Chemical Education, Inc; American Chemical Society
• Subjects: Aboriginal Australians; Chemistry; College Students; Culturally Relevant Education; Disproportionate Representation; Foreign Countries; Glass transition temperature; High School Students; Higher education; Indigenous Knowledge; Indigenous Populations; Inorganic Chemistry; Instructional Effectiveness; Isomers; Learning Modules; Minority Group Students; Modules; Native North Americans; Organic chemistry; Organic compounds; Pigments; Plants (Botany); Science Education; Student Interests; Student Participation; Students; Toxins; Transition temperatures; Australia; Hands-On Learning/Manipulatives; Natural Products; Laboratory Instruction; Student-Centered Learning; Minorities in Chemistry; High School/Introductory Chemistry; Plant Chemistry; Dyes/Pigments
• ISSN: 0021-9584; 1938-1328
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00207

Indigenous Australians are significantly underrepresented in chemistry based professions, which arises from their low participation in physical science subjects in secondary and tertiary education. This is a multifaceted issue with a number of identified solutions, one of which is to link chemistry with aspects of Indigenous culture. Here, four modules are presented that examine traditional Indigenous Australian practices in detail through a chemistry perspective. These modules assist students to better identify with chemistry principles and therefore encourage further inquiry. The first module is based on toxin removal from plant seeds through water solubility; the second is based on the medicinal properties of the tea tree, which results from isomers of organic compounds. The third module presents color hues of ochre pigments, which are dependent on inorganic chemistry, and the fourth module utilizes plant resin adhesive properties, which are based on glass transition temperatures. These modules have been assessed with Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, who demonstrated increased interest in chemistry. There is also encouraging evidence that these modules have assisted students in taking up additional chemistry subjects.