Difficult Concepts in Chemistry and their Effects on the Achievement of Students

Difficult Concepts in Chemistry and their Effects on the Achievement of Students.

Abstract

This research work was carried out to investigate the difficult concepts in chemistry and their effects on the achievement of students’ in some secondary schools in Sokoto metropolis.

Criteria used in selecting schools were stratified random selection in which Five(5) schools were selected within Sokoto metropolis comprising of two (2) all female school,

two (2) all male school and a mixed school so as to determine whether there is significance gender difference in students’ perception of difficult concepts in chemistry.

Analysis of the data collected reveals that; concepts students perceived as difficult in chemistry and gender differences has little or no effect in the academic achievements of students’.

Table of Contents

TITLE PAGE

CERTIFICATION

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER ONE

• Introduction 1
• Background to the study 2
• Statement of the Problem 2
• Purpose of the Study 3
• Significant of the Study 4
• Research Questions 4
• Hypothesis 5
• Scope and Delimitations 5

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

• Introduction 6
• Areas of Difficulty 7
  • Curriculum Content 7
  • Overload of the student working memory space 11
  • Language and Communication 12
  • Concept Formation 14
  • Motivation 16
• Reducing obstacles to learning 19
  • Working memory space overloads 19
  • Recording previous knowledge 21

CHAPTER THREE:    RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

• Introduction 23
• Research Design 23
• Population of the study 24
• Sampling techniques 24
• Instrument for collection of data 25
  • Validity of the instrument 27
  • Reliability of the instrument 27
• Procedure for Data collection 27
• Method of data analysis 28
• Problems encountered in administering the questionnaire 28

CHAPTER FOUR:       DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

• Introduction 29
• Data analysis 30
• Answering research questions 31
• Hypothesis testing 42
• Discussion 45

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

• Summary 50
• Conclusion 52
• Recommendations 54

REFERENCES

Introduction

Background of Study

Chemistry as defined by Okeke and Ezekamgha(2000) as a branch of science that deals with composition and changes of matter. Chemistry is highly important for technological development and advancement of any nation.

The number of chemists, physicists, doctors and science educators in a nation tells if the nation is developed, developing or underdeveloped.

Chemistry is regarded as the “central science” because everything from our skin to the air we breathe is made up of atoms and this is what chemistry revolves around.

This phrase (central science) was popularized in a textbook by Theodore.

Brown and H. Eugen Lemay titled “chemistry; the central science” which was first published in 1977 with a Thirteenth edition published in 2014.

Chemistry uses particles models to account for abstract constructs.

Therefore, chemical processes such as melting, evaporation, dissolving, diffusion, electron transfer, ion conductor, intermolecular bond and many others are fundamental to learning of chemistry in schools and colleges.

A concept is defined as a “perceived regularity in objects or events” Or a record of events designed to be labeled.

References

Abraham, M.R. Williamson, V.M. and Westbrook, S.L. (1994). A Cross-Age Study of the Understanding           Five concepts. Journal of research in science teaching, 3(2), 147-165
Anderson, B. (1990), Pupils’ Conceptions of Matter and its Transformation (Age 12-16), studies in science education. 18, 54-85.
Ausubel, D.P. (1968). Educational Psychology: A cognitive View, New York. Halt, Reinhart and Winston.
Ayas, A. and Costu, B. (2002). Levels of understanding of the evaporation concepts at secondary stage. The first international education conference. Changing needs Eastern Mediterranean University.
Baddeley, A.D. (1999). Essential human memory. Hove: psychology press.
Barker. V. and Miller. R. (2000). Students’ reasoning about basic chemical thermodynamics and chemical bonding: what changing occurs during a context-based post-16 chemistry course? International journal of science education, 22(11), 1171-1200