Bridging Green and Sustainable Chemistry and Classroom Practice: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry of Secondary Science Teachers in SDO San Juan City, Philippines

Jonas Feliciano Domingo; Maria Eliza P. Cruz-Ocampo

doi:10.55927/fjst.v5i9.152

Authors

Jonas Feliciano Domingo Curriculum Implementation Division, Schools Division Office of San Juan City
Maria Eliza P. Cruz-Ocampo College of Education, San Beda University, Manila

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55927/fjst.v5i9.152

Keywords:

Green Chemistry, Mixed Methods, Systems Thinking, Teacher Readiness.

Abstract

This sequential explanatory mixed-methods study evaluated secondary science teachers' (N = 30) awareness, perceived curricular integration, classroom implementation, and systems-thinking alignment with Green and Sustainable Chemistry (GSC) principles in SDO San Juan City, Philippines. Quantitative survey data (α = 0.971) revealed high general GSC awareness (M = 2.740) alongside extremely low confidence in formal training (M = 2.266). Critically, correlational analysis showed no significant relationship between teachers' GSC awareness and actual laboratory implementation (r = 0.072, p = 0.844), proving cognitive knowledge alone is insufficient to drive sustainable practice. Actual lab practices did not vary significantly by gender (p = 0.175) or level taught (p = 0.825). Qualitative thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews clarified this decoupling, exposing a division-wide "institutional ceiling" shaped by technical, financial, pedagogical, and cultural barriers (e.g., lack of fume hoods, congested curricula, and student expectations of "visual theater"). To bridge this translational gap, the study proposes the "Lab Beyond the Classroom" professional development program and a localized, division-wide implementation plan

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