Students’ chemical literacy improvement in culturally responsive teaching oriented toward green chemistry for stoichiometry topic

Chemistry Education Department, Yogyakarta State University, 55281 Yogyakarta, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: hajidahsalsabila.2023@student.uny.ac.id

Published online: 22 December 2025

Abstract

This pre-experimental study aimed to investigate the improvement of students’ chemical literacy through culturally responsive teaching oriented toward green chemistry (CRT-GC) in stoichiometry topic. A total of 108 high school students from two public schools in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, participated in the study, selected through random sampling. Data were collected using an adapted chemical literacy test and analyzed through a paired sample t-test and n-gain analysis. The results revealed a significant improvement in students’ chemical literacy after the implementation of CRT-GC learning approach, with an n-gain score categorized as high. Students demonstrated enhanced understanding of chemical concepts and showed the ability to relate them to real-life contexts such as the use of natural dyes in batik production, eco-friendly food preservation, and sustainable materials in cultural practices. These findings indicate that integrating culturally relevant and environmentally conscious contexts into chemistry learning can strengthen students’ chemical literacy by making scientific knowledge more meaningful and applicable. The study suggests that CRT-GC learning provides an effective pedagogical approach for fostering contextualized science learning and encouraging responsible scientific thinking among students.