CHEMISTRY TEACHING IN YOUTH AND ADULT EDUCATION: EDUCATIONAL BARRIERS, SCIENTIFIC LITERACY, AND NEW HORIZONS IN SCIENCE EDUCATION

Abstract

Youth and Adult Education (YAE) constitutes an essential pillar in reducing educational disparities and ensuring the constitutional right to lifelong learning. In the field of Chemistry, this educational modality requires specific pedagogical strategies capable of establishing meaningful connections with students’ social experiences, work contexts, and culturais backgrounds. The present study critically analyzes the challenges and potentialities of Chemistry teaching in Youth and Adult Education, prioritizing scientific literacy and a teaching practice integrated with the nexus among science, technology, work, and society. Through a qualitative research approach of a bibliographic and documentary nature, the study examines academic publications and current educational guidelines. The analysis indicates that a fragmented curriculum, the predominance of memorization-based methods, and the lack of specific teacher training for Youth and Adult Education constitute structural barriers to effective learning. Conversely, thematic contextualization, the recognition of students’ prior knowledge, and problem-based learning emerge as effective pedagogical pathways. It is concluded that didactic innovation in Chemistry can foster critical formation and strengthen the civic agency of these learners.