Green chemistry education driving sustainability transformations : a prisma-based systematic literature review

Ferk Savec, Vesna (author), Mlinarec, Katarina (author)

A framework of competencies for advancing sustainability transformations outlineseight key competencies (systems-thinking, futures-thinking, values-thinking,strategies-thinking, implementation, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and integrationcompetencies). The present review aims to identify which of these competencies ismost frequently emphasized in the literature within the context of green chemistryeducation, at which educational levels, and which teaching-learning approaches areused. The literature review covered 196 articles (published in the period 2015–2024)indexed in the Web of Science, Scopus, and ERIC databases, following the PRISMAguidelines. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 72 articles wereselected for in-depth analysis. The findings showed that systems-thinking (n = 53),implementation (n = 48), and strategies-thinking (n = 33) competencies were the mostfrequently emphasized, whereas values-thinking (n = 11), integration (n = 10) andintrapersonal (n = 5) competencies were the least addressed. Most studies focused ontertiary education, particularly non-pedagogical programs (n = 58). Meanwhile,laboratory-based (n = 33) and hands-on-based (n = 20) approaches were frequentlyaddressed. These findings highlight the need to systematically integrate varioussustainability competencies into green chemistry education across all educationallevels – especially lower levels, future teacher education, and in-service teacher training.

• Language: English
• Keywords: chemistry education, competencies for advancing sustainability transformations, education for sustainable development, green chemistry, teaching-learning approaches
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: PEF - Faculty of Education
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 1-21
• Numbering: Vol. 19, no. 1, art. 2687904
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-184221
• UDC: 54
• ISSN on article: 1751-7192
• DOI: 10.1080/17518253.2026.2687904
• COBISS.SI-ID: 283200771
• Publication date in RUL: 02.07.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Green chemistry letters and reviews
• Shortened title: Green chem. lett. rev.
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 1751-7192
• COBISS.SI-ID: 18054166

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
• Description: A creative commons license that bans commercial use, but the users don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: poučevanje kemije, kompetence za pospeševanje trajnostnih preobrazb, izobraževanje za trajnostni razvoj, zelena kemija, pristopi poučevanja in učenja, kemija, vzgoja in izobraževanje