Innovating Chemistry Education: Integrating Cultural Knowledge through a Practical Guide and Augmented Reality

There is a clear need for strategies that bridge the gap between theory and practice in chemistry education, particularly in terms of incorporating ancestral and ethnographic knowledge into research activities. Thus, this study aims to explore the design and implementation of an innovative practical guide that integrates local cultural knowledge into the teaching of chemistry for high school students. This qualitative research gathers the perspectives of 74 students and 5 teachers from an educational institution in the Province of Pastaza, Ecuador. The proposed guide is based on seven local cultural knowledge aspects and aims to transform the teaching of chemistry into a meaningful and inclusive activity. The practices are developed using an ethnographic, scientific, and investigative approach, involving a comparison between local knowledge and the prescribed chemistry curriculum. This integration promotes constructivist learning, encourages critical thinking, and motivates students by making science relevant to their cultural and social context. Preliminary results indicate that this strategy has been well received by both students and teachers, who report an improved understanding of chemistry and a greater appreciation for their cultural traditions. While this research primarily focuses on the implementation of the practical guide, future plans include digitizing the guide to expand its reach and enhance its interactivity. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.