Practical activities and green and sustainable chemistry in secondary chemistry education: teachers’ reports from Slovakia

Abstract Green and sustainable chemistry (GSC) has gained increasing attention as a framework for aligning chemistry education with sustainability-oriented goals. Practical activities play a central role in chemistry teaching and offer particular potential for addressing sustainability-related issues; however, empirical evidence on how GSC is integrated into classroom practical work remains limited. This study presents a national analysis of data from Slovakia collected as part of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) Global Teacher Survey on Green and Sustainable Chemistry Practical Activities. The findings indicate that chemistry practical work is predominantly characterised by teacher-led demonstrations, with less frequent student experimentation and limited use of data-based or digital activities. Teachers prioritise pedagogical aims such as conceptual understanding, skill development, and student engagement, while structural constraints – particularly limited instructional time and access to resources – are perceived as major barriers. GSC is reported to be present in practical activities mainly in a selective rather than systematic manner, with greater emphasis on environmentally visible topics than on system-oriented aspects. By contributing national-level evidence within a common international research framework, the study provides baseline insight into teachers’ reported practices and supports cross-national comparison within the IUPAC initiative.