Perception of Chemistry and Chemistry Education: a Case Study and Some Reflections

Perception of chemistry in the general public has been object of several investigations in the past, putting in evidence the diffusion of neutral or negative attitudes, which can be summarized in the so-called ‘chemophobic’ behaviour. In the present study we analysed the results obtained from a structured survey aimed to intercept Italian young people and to investigate the relationships among their chemistry perception, school experiences and chemistry background. The complete questionnaire was made of 29 questions (25 multiple choice questions and 4 open questions) and the analysis of results was performed on 431 participants, which were selected among initial 627 ones to exclude chemists or students in chemistry. The investigated sample gives a snapshot of Italian young people of medium-high school education, and it reveals a general not-negative perception of chemistry, but a relatively low engagement toward chemistry-related subjects. Interestingly, most people are aware of the role of chemistry teachers and school experiences in their attitude toward chemistry and, at the same time, the participants to the survey demonstrated to have a relatively poor knowledge of the main concepts of chemical science. These aspects may be helpful for chemistry educators at different levels, from primary schools to the universities.