Education of Nanotechnology: An Integration of Multiple Disciplines

Riam Abu Much, Salam Ali

Nanoscience and nanotechnology (NST) are at the forefront of the modern science in the 21st century. It is a multidisciplinary science field that combines chemistry, biology, physics, technology, mathematics and even engneering science. In the past few years, the demand for teaching NST in schools and academic institutions have been increased. This study aims to investigate the effect of teaching chemistry topics in context with NST applications on student`s motivation and learning achievements. The uniqueness of nanoscience and nanotechnology stems from the fact that it is a multidisciplinary scientific field that could combines the main disciplines identified in STEM education.

The study was carried out on high-school students from the Arab sector in Israel, who studied chemistry topics in the context of nanotechnology applications. The main hypothesis driving this proposal is that teaching basic science topics in context with NST applications will enhance student`s motivation to learn science and contribute to a better understanding of basic science topics. The proposed research is an opportunity to enrich the science teaching curriculum in high schools with nanoscience and nanotechnology topics, and to enable the students to expand their skills to integrate between different scientific fields and its impact on our modern life.