Chemophobia Misconceptions among Greek Science Teachers

Abstract

Chemophobia is an irrational fear of chemicals in daily life and students’ anxiety toward Chemistry as a school subject. While this study acknowledges both aspects, its primary focus is on the first as it is expressed by educators. A total of 195 in-service science teachers (chemists, physicists, biologists) completed a 25-item questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis were conducted, identifying four underlying dimensions. The results underscore the persistent nature of chemophobic misconceptions even among science teachers, emphasizing the importance of early interventions to challenge such perceptions and promote chemical literacy. The findings also reveal that gender is not a definitive factor in shaping sciences teachers’ attitudes; however, discipline background appears to influence the adherence to chemophobic attitudes, with chemists exhibiting lower levels of chemophobic beliefs. This study aspires to inform teacher education programs and support broader efforts to strengthen public understanding of chemistry and advance evidence-based science instruction.