DEVELOPING THE SCIENTIFIC LITERACY OF 8TH AND 9TH GRADE STUDENTS THROUGH SOLVING CONTEXTUAL CHEMISTRY PROBLEMS WITH INDUSTRIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTENT

Abstract

The article addresses the challenge of developing natural science literacy of secondary school students in the process of teaching chemistry. The didactic value of using contextual chemistry problems with industrial and environmental content for the formation of the cognitive component of natural science literacy in 8–9 grade students is substantiated. The experience of developing contextual chemistry problems that are content-related to local production and regional features based on real life situations (water quality, food composition, chemical production in the region) is described. The paper uses methods of theoretical analysis of pedagogical and methodological literature, generalization of pedagogical experience, modeling, and a pedagogical experiment (statistical and formative stages) conducted at a general education institution. A typology of contextual chemistry problems is proposed, and the stages of solving them and the criteria for selecting content are described. The results of the pedagogical experiment are presented.