Students´ Knowledge about Nanotechnology and the Importance to Introduce Nanotechnology into Chemistry Lessons

Abstract

The primary objective of this study was to find out what students already know about nanotechnology in order to design a context based module with a nanotechnology background. Therefore a questionnaire was distributed to 116 German students in grade 11. Questions referred to the first thought of the students´ mind when they hear the word nanotechnology, to the size of a nanometer, to if something can be seen at the nanometer scale with the unaided eye, to their self-assessment concerning nanotechnology and to the surface-to-volume ratio of nanoparticles. The findings of the students´ answers were informative and allowed us to design a module in the future that can lead students at school level to understanding nanotechnology.