Understanding Academic Performance in Organic Chemistry

Abstract

Successful completion of organic chemistry is a prerequisite for many graduate and professional programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, yet the failure rate for this sequence of courses is notoriously high. To date, few studies have examined why some students succeed while others have difficulty in organic chemistry. This study examines factors related to student performance in organic chemistry courses. Results indicate that high-achieving students, as measured by course grades, score higher on measures of conceptual performance and problem-solving while seeking assistance and engaging in practice problems earlier in the semester than low-achieving students. Case studies illustrate how students engaging in such behaviors can overcome poor prior grades while those not engaging in such behaviors can perform poorly despite strong prior grades. Overall, study behaviors and conceptual understanding outweigh prior academic standing in predicting final course grades. These analyses suggest potential intervention targets for educators addressing students at risk for poor organic chemistry performance.

Student Perceptions of Online Homework Use for Formative Assessment of Learning in Organic Chemistry

“…Improved study habits are important since research indicates that “study behaviors can overshadow prior grades” (p 1241) in organic chemistry coursework. 5 We found no significant gender differences in students’ attitudes toward use of online homework or in their success rates (%ABC letter grades) in the organic chemistry course. Richards-Babb and Jackson, in their research on online homework use in general chemistry coursework, also found no significant gender differences in students’ success rates with its use, but did find a significant female to male success rate gap without its use.…”

“…2 Further, Ferguson and Bodner stress the need for “process-oriented” skills in organic chemistry relative to the “product-oriented” skills of general chemistry, 3 perhaps due to organic chemistry involving learning at the higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. 4 As such, students who more fully understand the underlying organic chemistry concepts, 5,6 steadily building up their conceptual knowledge base throughout the semester, 7 enabling them to apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate, are rewarded on organic chemistry course assessments. Moreover,

an understanding of external representations (symbolic visualizations) used in chemistry, 8

competence in communicating chemistry knowledge using external representations, 8

an ability to formulate internal representations (mental models), 8

the ability to interconvert readily from one representation to another (e.g., line structure to condensed structure, internal to external, two-dimensional to three-dimensional, verbal/linguistic to symbolic), 8–10

facility in representational processing (e.g., use of curved arrows to document mechanisms), 11,12 as well as,

facility in spatial reasoning skills 13 (e.g., mental rotations, three-dimensional visualization from two-dimensional representation)

also affect learning of organic chemistry.…”

Ethnically diverse students' knowledge structures in first‐semester organic chemistry

“…Although scholars have questioned the role of GPA as a measure of understanding, our own research using concept maps has demonstrated a significant relationship between concept map performance and course grades. For example, Szu et al () investigated factors related to student performance in undergraduate organic chemistry. Using a mixed methods approach, the authors' found that final course grades significantly predict concept map performance ( R 2 = 0.57).…”

Evaluation of a Voluntary Tutoring Program in Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics for First-year Undergraduates at Universidad Andres Bello, Chile

“…Successful completion of these courses is a prerequisite for many graduate and professional programs; however they failure rates are considerably high, which is a concerning situation for many universities at national and international levels (Barr, Matsui, Wanat, & Gonzalez, 2010;Freeman, Haak, & Wenderoth, 2011;Szu et al, 2011). Failure in science and mathematics courses has been attributed to several factors, such as the abstract nature of these disciplines, the negative perception of students about science and mathematics, the lack of proper academic background to face university studies and the widespread persistence of instructional methods based on lectures delivered to large enrollment classes, where students remain essentially passive (Alberts, 2005;Freeman et al, 2014;Kardash & Wallace, 2001;Wieman, 2006).…”