Teachers Awareness and Analysis of the Current Status of Disposable Plastic in Science Textbooks for Elementary School

This study analyzed the disposable plastic experiment equipment and materials included in science textbooks for elementary schools to understand their current status and surveyed elementary school teachers on their awareness of the need for such equipment to be included in textbooks, their educational benefits, and possible alternatives. The analysis of the inquiry activities revealed that various disposable plastic equipment and materials were included for different grades and domains. The annual consumption of such experiment equipment and materials in the scientific inquiry in each year was estimated based on the consumption amount by school years and items. The survey of the teachers indicated that most used plastic in their inquiry activities and had a positive idea on the use of plastic equipment and materials in consideration of the interest, safety, and convenience for students. They also agreed that disposable plastics need to be substituted, which should be reflected in the scheduled revision of textbooks.