Factors Influencing High School Chemistry Teachers’ and Students’ Teaching and Learning of Organic Qualitative Analysis: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

<p>Identification and characterisation of the structures of unknown substances are important parts of learning organic chemistry. This paper reports on a study that investigated factors that influence the teaching and learning of organic qualitative analysis in organic chemistry. In all, three teachers and nine students from three different categories of schools participated in the study. Interview guides and an observation checklist were developed and used to obtain qualitative data. The qualitative data gathered from the interview were transcribed by reducing them to patterns and themes and analysed thematically. The study revealed, among others, that teaching and learning resources, practical-based instruction and the nature of the chemistry curriculum were the factors that impede chemistry teachers’ and students’ teaching and learning of organic qualitative analysis in organic chemistry.</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0945/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Assessing conceptual difficulties experienced by pre-service chemistry teachers in organic chemistry

“…Organic chemistry is widely recognized as a challenging subject for learners (Anim-Eduful & Adu-Gyamfi, 2022b;Ayalew, 2015;Cartrette & Mayo, 2011), primarily due to its teaching methodology. Popova and Bretz (2018) examined students' comprehension of leaving groups and found that their knowledge structures were fragmented.…”

“…Previous studies have also investigated the misconceptions experienced by undergraduate students in learning organic chemistry concepts (Alsfouk, 2022;Anim-Eduful & Adu-Gyamfi, 2022b;Durmaz, 2018). However, the occurrence of misconceptions, specifically about the concept of organohalides and stereochemistry, is relatively scarce.…”

Nature of senior high school chemistry students’ alternative conceptions in organic qualitative analysis

“…Researchers have revealed that students have difficulties in many of these concepts in organic chemistry. For instance, concepts of nomenclature of organic compounds using IUPAC system by (Adu-Gyamfi et al, 2013, organic reactions and mechanisms (Bhattacharyya & Bodner 2005;Ferguson & Bodner, 2008;Graulich, 2015;Tang et al, 2010;Wasacz, 2010) functional groups detection (Adu-Gyamfi & Anim-Eduful, 2022;Anim-Eduful & Adu-Gyamfi, 2021, 2022b. For example, we reported in our study (Anim-Eduful & Adu-Gyamfi 2022b) that senior high school (SHS) chemistry students demonstrated conceptual difficulties at a level of no scientific understanding in the detection of organic functional groups such as hydrocarbons (such as alkenes, alkynes, and benzene), alkanols, alkanoic (carboxylic) acids, alkylalkanoates (esters), alkanals (aldehydes), alkenones (ketones) and amides using a two-tier diagnostic test.…”

“…Students' deep knowledge of chemical analysis in functional group detection enhances their conceptual understanding of and help improve their scientific reasoning in other chemistry concepts (MOE, 2010). However, notwithstanding the importance of chemical analysis to students, empirical studies (Adu-Gyamfi & Anim-Eduful, 2022;Anim-Eduful & Adu-Gyamfi, 2022a, 2022b have reported students' difficulties in learning OQA concepts.…”

“…Many studies have revealed students' difficulties in organic chemistry concepts (Adu-Gyamfi & Asaki, 2022, 2023Adu-Gyamfi et al, 2013Bhattacharyya & Bodner, 2005;Childs & Sheehan, 2009;Ferguson & Bodner, 2008;Graulich, 2015;Wasacz, 2010). However, very few focused on OQA concept (Adu-Gyamfi & Anim-Eduful, 2022;Anim-Eduful & Adu-Gyamfi, 2021, 2022a, 2022b in organic chemistry. An examination of literature on students' difficulties in learning OQA have shown that all these studies mainly focused on investigating students' level of understanding and their conceptual difficulties (that is, their factual difficulties and their alternative conceptions) in OQA.…”