Reflection on the impact on chemistry when creating multimodal texts that employ critical literacy and meaningful, contextualized learning

Abstract

Chemistry is often perceived as an abstract, complex discipline, far removed from the reality of students. Therefore, this article reflects on the potential of multimodal texts and critical literacy to reduce demotivation and foster meaningful, more inclusive, and contextualized learning. The study is situated in public schools in South Carolina, characterized by diverse classrooms with students facing economic hardship, learning in multiple languages, or exhibiting varying learning abilities. These factors influence how chemistry is viewed, often as irrelevant or inaccessible. The central objective is to rethink a curriculum based on memorization, standards, and institutional rigidity, incorporating innovative strategies that allow for the representation of abstract chemical phenomena through multimodal texts. The theoretical framework highlights the use of different semiotic modes and links critical literacy to prior knowledge, the classroom, problem-solving, and the social environment. It is argued that these strategies strengthen student autonomy and allow for individual learning paces. However, the analysis identifies gaps, such as a scarcity of studies in diverse contexts, a lack of teacher training, and institutional resistance. In conclusion, new ways of teaching school chemistry are proposed.