A systematic review of the green and sustainable chemistry education research literature in mainland China

Abstract This paper describes state-of-the-art green and sustainable chemistry education (GSCE) research in mainland China based on a systematic review of the literature. The current situation in secondary and tertiary education is explored and compared. Our analysis found that research in GSCE for secondary education basically focuses on the introduction of teaching strategies and on ‘greening’ required chemistry experiments. Socio-scientific issues-based teaching is initially concerning. Secondary school students' and teachers' awareness of and behaviors surrounding green chemistry are generally weak; related teaching examples or models remain a rare occurrence. In tertiary education, multiple teaching methods are reported and changes in practical work are more elaborated. Overall, GSCE research literature in mainland China is in its preliminary stage, while the currently used chemistry curriculum standards highlight the importance of GSCE at the high school level, which brings a new chance for developing GSCE in Chinese chemistry education. Some suggestions for GSCE in mainland China are derived from the results.