Developing schoolchildren’s functional literacy in chemistry lessons (practical session)

As part of the methodological support for teachers of the region, a ZOOM practical session was held on the topic “Developing schoolchildren’s functional literacy in chemistry lessons” for teachers of East Kazakhstan region. The event was organized by Örken East Kazakhstan Regional Scientific and Methodological Center for Informatization and Education Development of Education Administration of East Kazakhstan region. The participants included teachers of chemistry who are interested in updating methodological approaches and enhancing practice-oriented learning.   

The speaker was Olga A. Ovchinnikova, a teacher of chemistry from Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of Ust-Kamenogorsk city. The webinar discussed methodological strategies aimed at developing students’ ability to apply chemical knowledge in real-life situations. Special attention was paid to the organization of educational experiments as a key tool for fostering functional literacy. The speaker demonstrated how problem-based tasks, research questions, and analysis of experimental results can develop students’ critical thinking, the ability to draw conclusions, interpret data, and substantiate their own viewpoints.

Using lesson fragments and tasks from the presented materials, Olga A. Ovchinnikova illustrated how research activities can be effectively integrated into the learning process without overloading the curriculum. The session addressed various forms of student-centered learning: research mini-projects, laboratory workshops with elements of project-based learning, and group discussions of experimental findings. Special emphasis was placed on reflection as an essential stage in developing conscious learning activities.    

The conducted webinar was of high practical value for chemistry teachers. The proposed approaches can be adapted to different levels of student preparation and applied both as part of the updated educational content and in preparation for international assessments such as PISA, as well as national assessment studies. The event served as an effective platform for experience exchange and professional growth of teachers of East Kazakhstan region, confirming the relevance of the experimental research approach in shaping graduates’ functionally literate.