Nanotechnology and the Necessity of Teaching it in Schools; Investigation of Challenges

The development of nanotechnology has caused a revolutionary wave in the education systems of countries around the world, to train experts in this field. The various educational programs for different age categories show a comprehensive focus on the investment in this field of technology. The expansion of the use of nanotechnology in various fields of industry, medicine, electronics, agriculture and health, persuaded the educational systems to increase students' knowledge of this science by providing concepts and topics related to nanomaterials and its applications. The lack of knowledge of the students can be partially compensated by gradually incorporating of the nanotechnology-related contents into high school science and chemistry textbooks. However, basic education of this technology requires principled training. The use of appropriate tools, images, and research in the classroom can be very helpful to teach the main concepts to the students and better understanding of the scales. Therefore, we hope to see the introduction of nanotechnology concepts into the schools in Iran and expanding of the students' knowledge of the progress by investigating the necessary conditions and facilities. The results show the lack of a written framework, lack of adequate infrastructure, high volume of textbooks and lack of adequate teachers are the main challenges in the field of nanotechnology education.