From Childhood to Classroom: Teaching the Periodic Table of Elements through Collectible Sticker Cards

Sticker cards are widely recognized as popular memorabilia and appealing to both children and adults. Their potential as an educational tool remains largely untapped despite their versatility in teaching a wide range of concepts and topics while simultaneously serving as an engaging and active learning methodology. This study details the creation of a collection of 130 stickers depicting chemical elements of the periodic table and explores their use as an innovative resource in science education. The product was tested with 64 third-year university students as well as 20 high school students. Participants were divided into two main groups: 4 university subgroups of 16 students each and 4 high school subgroups of 5 students each. Each subgroup was provided with an album and given 5 weeks to complete it under different sets of instructions. In the university context, the activity emphasized collaboration and teamwork while reinforcing the periodic table of studies in the previous academic year. For the high school students, the cards served as a pedagogical tool to enhance motivation and encourage task completion, both in class and as homework. After the five-week period, all four university subgroups successfully completed their albums within the allotted time. Among the high school participants, three of four subgroups achieved satisfactory results. One of these subgroups completed the album a week early, while two others came close to finishing their albums. The results demonstrate a high level of engagement among participants, who were motivated to earn cards through various activities. This suggests that collectible sticker cards represent a promising educational resource for prospective educators, offering an innovative and effective methodology to enhance learning outcomes.