Factors contributing to teachers’ conceptual difficulties in teaching high school organic chemistry

Abstract

Some research works have showed that Ghanaian teachers, teaching chemistry in the senior high school, have conceptual difficulties in organic chemistry. This research explored the factors contributing to teacher's conceptual difficulties on teaching organic chemistry to high school students. Through explanatory sequential mixed methods design quantitative data were collected using questionnaire and qualitative data, using semi-structured interviews. The questionnaire was responded to by 71 teachers teaching chemistry in 31 schools, and six teachers, purposively selected, interacted with researchers through interviews to triangulate any quantitative findings. From the quantitative data, four factors, tertiary exposure, professional collaboration, professional competence, and pre-tertiary exposure emerged. These factors were then used as themes to guide the analysis and presentation of results from the qualitative data.To inform further research, it is recommended that chemistry educators and researchers should examine the four factors that predict most of the teacher conceptual difficulties on organic chemistry.

Assessing the efficacy of locally constructed model kits in teaching and learning of writing and naming binary compounds

“…After learning the chemical nomenclature of the IUPAC, a chemist should be able to name a compound when given its formula or construct the formula when given its name without any ambiguity. -Gyamfi et al (2017) argue that the acquisition of chemistry concepts at the microscopic and symbolic levels presents significant challenges. This is because understanding chemistry concepts goes beyond sensory perception, as chemistry encompasses both invisible and abstract microscopic and symbolic levels.…”

“…Specifically, the WAEC Chief Examiners' reports indicated that most candidates struggle with the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) naming of inorganic binary compounds, as well as writing correct formulas for the compounds (WAEC 2017(WAEC , 2018(WAEC , 2019(WAEC , 2020. Some students say that since little or no instructional materials are used during the study of writing and naming binary compounds, they view it as too abstract (Adu-Gyamfi et al, 2017;Essiam et al, 2023). This highlights the need for effective teaching methods integrated with appropriate instructional materials, such as model kits (Erlina et al, 2021), to make the teaching of writing and naming binary compounds more effective and reduce the abstract nature of the content.…”

The influence of indigenous knowledge on chemistry metacognition

“…Pre-service science teachers find Chemistry difficult and challenging as they struggle with the Chemistry knowledge, skills and attitudes, thus resulting in poor academic performance in Chemistry at teacher education institutions ( Adu-Gyamfi and Asaki, 2023 ; Bicak, Borchert and Höner, 2021 ; Mudzakir, 2017 ; Wheeldon, 2017 ; Yalcin-Celik,Kadayifci, Uner, and Turan-Oluk, 2017 ; Cam, Topcu and Sulun, 2015 ). The researchers’ observation during the August Vacation School teaching was that there was indeed poor performance by learners in Chemistry.…”

Examining some of the challenges students face in learning about rearrangement reactions in organic chemistry

“…Furthermore, students experience difficulties with naming that involves branched and substituted chains of alkanes, alkynes, dienes, and geometric isomers (Adu-Gyamfi et al, 2017). Their poor performance was noted especially with IUPAC naming that involves writing structural formulas of alkenes, alkynes, alkanols, alkanoic acids, and alkyl alkanoates (Adu-Gyamfi et al, 2013).…”