Call for papers: Chemical Education in Contemporary Global Society

2025-06-26

Vol. 17, Issue 2 (Year 2027)

Issue Editors: Iztok Devetak, Seamus Delaney and Vesna Ferk Savec

Chemical education serves two primary roles: fostering scientifically literate citizens and cultivating competent chemists capable of addressing global challenges. In order to achieve these aims, the development of specific competencies is essential across all educational levels. These competencies should include the analytical and problem-solving skills necessary for tackling complex issues in modern society, from drug development to environmental remediation. Furthermore, they should encompass the ability to collaborate and communicate effectively within a globalised context and the capacity to utilise advanced technologies, ranging from high-tech analytical instruments to computer simulations and modelling tools.

In parallel, chemistry instruction must remain responsive to emerging societal developments, which inevitably permeate the educational environment. Consequently, chemistry educators are encouraged to adopt innovative teaching methodologies, including digital and virtual laboratory approaches. Such methods not only enhance safety and accessibility, but also provide opportunities for flexible exploration of complex chemical reactions beyond the constraints of traditional laboratory settings. Moreover, digital technologies can significantly enhance the understanding of submicroscopic chemical phenomena through carefully designed programming that incorporates the full spectrum of extended reality environments, including augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) and virtual reality (VR).

An additional imperative for chemistry educators is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into teaching practices. These technologies can support research-based learning approaches, enabling students to engage in authentic scientific inquiry and to construct knowledge in a more personalised and data-informed manner. Anchoring chemical education in inquiry-based learning not only deepens students’ understanding of the scientific process, but also equips them for subsequent academic pursuits and careers in chemistry, as well as in the broader fields of science, technology and engineering.

Amid ongoing environmental crises, the emphasis on sustainability and green chemistry within chemical education is of paramount importance. Chemistry educators at all levels are thus encouraged to embed the principles of green and sustainable chemistry in their instruction, with particular attention to environmental chemistry. In doing so, ethical considerations must also be addressed, particularly those pertaining to public health and environmental safety, as these are integral to responsible chemical education in the contemporary world.

 

This issue will focus on the following key themes in contemporary chemical education:

  • Competence-based chemistry education, with an emphasis on the development of employability skills across all educational levels.
  • The role of chemistry education in fostering responsibility and sustainability, particularly through the integration of green, sustainable, circular and environmental chemistry.
  • The incorporation of systems thinking into chemical education to support holistic understanding and interdisciplinary connections.
  • The role, effectiveness and (re)organisation of experimental work in modern chemical education.
  • The application of the full continuum of realities in chemistry education, including real environments, extended reality (augmented reality, cross reality, augmented virtuality), mixed reality and virtual reality.
  • The use of artificial intelligence in chemical education to enhance learning.
  • Innovations in curriculum content, pedagogical approaches and assessment strategies in the chemistry classroom at all educational levels.
  • The use of diverse media sources, such as news, scientific documentaries, science fiction and social media, as tools for enhancing chemical education.
  • The development and implementation of research-based chemistry curricula.
  • The role of chemical education in promoting chemistry outreach and science communication across educational contexts.
  • Addressing the needs of students with special educational requirements, with a particular focus on gifted learners in chemical education.
  • The professional development of university-level chemistry teaching staff.
  • Pre-service and in-service chemistry teacher education.

 

Article submission timeline:

30 December 2025: submission of paper title and abstract with up to five keywords [250 words max.]

30 September 2026: paper submission

June 2027: publication of the accepted papers in the CEPS Journal, prior to which the papers will be published online ahead of print with a DOI number

 

Please send the abstract to editors@cepsj.si clearly stating the title of this issue.

Manuscripts should be from 5,000 to 7,000 words long, including the abstract and reference list. They should be written in UK English. Submissions should be original and unpublished work not currently under review by another journal or publisher.

When preparing the manuscript, please follow our author’s guidelines, which are available here: https://cepsj.si/index.php/cepsj/about/submissions.