A Model for Developing Innovative Competencies and Shaping Sustainable Development Principles in Chemistry Education Based on the Integration of the 5e–4k Framework, Environmental Projects, and Experimental Learning

Chemistry education aims to connect science and sustainability, but an environmental theme or hands-on element in itself does not necessarily produce innovative capacity or responsible decision-making. In this paper, we put forth an integrated model that uses the 5E constructivist learning cycle, four Ks of learning and innovation, environmental projects, and supervised experimental learning. We based this model on a careful review of 22 research and practice-related resources that inform the model’s evidence base, design criteria, stage alignment, and assessment. The 4K competencies include critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication. The resulting model highlights the 5E phases’ connections to actionable outcomes through students’ conduct, chemical explanations, sustainability, and performance indicators. A six-week teaching project about water treatment is used to discuss the integration of guided research, iterative design, and comparative analysis of the solution’s environmental trade-offs and costs. The proposed rubrics differentiate between chemical literacy, 4K skills, and sustainability reasoning, and a future evaluation using a cluster design is discussed to address learning transfer, retention, implementation fidelity, and group member variability. The paper’s contribution lies in its traceable process of designing an environmental chemistry course and assessing its intended outcomes. No intervention was conducted, as the authors aimed to develop a conceptual model and set criteria for educational research. The paper does not provide empirical evidence of improvements in innovative learning or environmental reasoning among the target population.