Home / Current Issue / Paper 1719264
Turning Chemistry into Care: Building Environmental Sensitivity Through Atmospheric Chemistry
Subject area: Science,Engineering and Technology · Area of research: Science Education
DOI: 10.64388/IREV9I12-1719264
Abstract
The escalating severity of environmental issues such as air pollution, climate change, and ozone depletion underscores the urgent need for effective environmental education that fosters both scientific understanding and affective responsibility among learners. In this context, Atmospheric Chemistry provides a critical framework for understanding the underlying mechanisms of these environmental challenges. However, conventional instructional approaches often fail to meaningfully connect scientific concepts with students lived experiences, thereby limiting the development of Environmental Sensitivity. The present study aimed to develop and evaluate an Instructional Module on Atmospheric Chemistry for enhancing Environmental Sensitivity among secondary school students. A pre-experimental design employing a single-group pre-test–post-test approach was adopted. The sample comprised 41 secondary school students selected through simple random sampling. The investigator developed an Instructional Module that served as the independent variable, while Environmental Sensitivity was treated as the dependent variable and measured using a standardised Environmental Sensitivity Test. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, a paired-samples t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA to determine the significance of differences between pre-test and post-test scores. The results indicated a statistically significant improvement in students’ Environmental Sensitivity following the intervention. Furthermore, all dimensions of Environmental Sensitivity - cognitive awareness, emotional responsiveness, adaptive plasticity, and behavioural commitment demonstrated substantial enhancement. The study concludes that integrating Atmospheric Chemistry with experiential and value-based pedagogical strategies effectively promotes Environmental Sensitivity among students. The findings highlight the potential of subject-specific Instructional Modules to strengthen environmental education and foster the development of responsible, environmentally conscious individuals.
Keywords
Atmospheric Chemistry, Environmental Sensitivity, Instructional Module, Cognitive Awareness, Emotional Responsiveness, Adaptive Plasticity, And Behavioural Commitment.
References
[1] Allen, R. J., Lee, Y. C., Thomas, A., Duarte, D., Mimi, M. S., Li, K. Y., & Clifton, O. E. (2025). Atmospheric chemistry enhances the climate mitigation potential of tree restoration. Communications Earth & Environment, 6(1), Article 367. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-01367-2
[2] Amin, S., Sumarmi, Bachri, S., Susilo, S., Mkumbachi, R. L., & Ghozi, A. (2022). Improving environmental sensitivity through problem-based hybrid learning (PBHL): An experimental study. Jurnal Pendidikan IPA Indonesia, 11(3), Article 38071. https://doi.org/10.15294/jpii.v11i3.38071
[3] Chawla, L. (1999). Significant life experiences revisited: A review of research on sources of environmental sensitivity. Environmental Education Research, 4(4), 369–382. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350462980040402
[4] Davis, N. A., Visioni, D., Garcia, R. R., Kinnison, D. E., Marsh, D. R., Mills, M., & Vitt, F. (2023). Climate variability and climate sensitivity of middle- atmosphere chemistry configurations of CESM2 (WACCM6). Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 15(9), e2022MS003579. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022MS003579
[5] Demir, S., & Koçoğlu, S. (2023). The effects of problem-based outdoor learning on students’ environmental sensitivity. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 23(1), 103–120. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1375656
[6] Kern, D. J. (2021). Atmospheric Chemistry: An overview of ozone, acid rain, and greenhouse gases.
[7] Kement, Ü., Göral, M., Bayram, G. E., Valeri, M., & Mchavu, S. U. (2024). The effect of tourist experience on environmentally responsible behaviour: The mediating role of environmental sensitivity. Revista Turismo & Desenvolvimento, (46). https://doi.org/10.34624/rtd.v0i46.
[8] Ministry of Education, Government of India. (2020). National Education Policy 2020. https://www.education.gov.in/nep2020
[9] Ram, B. (2025). Impact of climate change on atmospheric chemistry: A review of mechanistic pathways. Green Chemistry, Nanotechnology, and Sustainable Materials for Climate Action and Circular Economy, 4, Article 12.
[10] Sakarya, S., Güney, M., Akıncı Demirbaş, E., & Çakmak, A. (2025). University students’ awareness profile on environmental sensitivity and global climate change. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 27(2), 3103–3123. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-024-04060-5
[11] Sharma, D. (2002). An overview of atmosphere and atmospheric chemistry. In
[12] Engineering environmental chemistry (p. 138). Krishna Prakashan Media.
[13] Wigley, I. C. M., Nazzari, S., Pastore, M., Provenzi, L., & Barello, S. (2025). The contribution of environmental sensitivity and connectedness to nature to mental health: Does nature view count? Journal of Environmental Psychology, 102, 102541. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102541
How to cite this paper
@article{1719264,
author = {Dr. Muhammed K. V., Bella Donna Rachel Varghese},
title = {Turning Chemistry into Care: Building Environmental Sensitivity Through Atmospheric Chemistry},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {9},
number = {12},
pages = {3654-3660},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1719264.pdf},
abstract = {The escalating severity of environmental issues such as air pollution, climate change, and ozone depletion underscores the urgent need for effective environmental education that fosters both scientific understanding and affective responsibility among learners. In this context, Atmospheric Chemistry provides a critical framework for understanding the underlying mechanisms of these environmental challenges. However, conventional instructional approaches often fail to meaningfully connect scientific concepts with students lived experiences, thereby limiting the development of Environmental Sensitivity. The present study aimed to develop and evaluate an Instructional Module on Atmospheric Chemistry for enhancing Environmental Sensitivity among secondary school students. A pre-experimental design employing a single-group pre-test–post-test approach was adopted. The sample comprised 41 secondary school students selected through simple random sampling. The investigator developed an Instructional Module that served as the independent variable, while Environmental Sensitivity was treated as the dependent variable and measured using a standardised Environmental Sensitivity Test. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, a paired-samples t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA to determine the significance of differences between pre-test and post-test scores. The results indicated a statistically significant improvement in students’ Environmental Sensitivity following the intervention. Furthermore, all dimensions of Environmental Sensitivity - cognitive awareness, emotional responsiveness, adaptive plasticity, and behavioural commitment demonstrated substantial enhancement. The study concludes that integrating Atmospheric Chemistry with experiential and value-based pedagogical strategies effectively promotes Environmental Sensitivity among students. The findings highlight the potential of subject-specific Instructional Modules to strengthen environmental education and foster the development of responsible, environmentally conscious individuals.},
keywords = {Atmospheric Chemistry, Environmental Sensitivity, Instructional Module, Cognitive Awareness, Emotional Responsiveness, Adaptive Plasticity, And Behavioural Commitment.},
month = {June},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I12-1719264}
}