Exploring Chemistry: the impact of an interactive chemistry model on student motivation in non-formal education spaces

The negative image of Chemistry that students have, associated with chemophobia, reflects the decontextualized way in which the subject is often taught. This study investigates how an interactive chemistry model, developed for a science communication exhibition, can influence high school students’ perception and motivation to learn chemistry. Based on the Theory of Self-Determination, the chemistry model illustrates Advanced Oxidation Processes in a safe, interactive and accessible way. The exhibition was visited by 250 public high school students. Data was collected based on the responses of the participants who answered the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory questionnaire and took part in semi-structured interviews conducted as part of the study. The results obtained showed that the interactive chemistry model exerted a positive impact on the following intrinsic motivation factors: interest, perceived competence, effort, value, pressure/tension, and perceived choice. The science communication activity also stimulated the participants’ interest in pursuing university education, reinforcing the role of non-formal education in helping overcome chemophobia.