Assessment of Undergraduate Chemistry Students’ Difficulties in Organic Chemistry

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate specific areas of difficulty for undergraduate University students in Organic Chemistry and to identify the sources of difficulty for Chemistry students in order to scientifically determine ways of improvement. The study was conducted in three years with 177 first year Chemistry students and 4 Organic Chemistry lecturers who have minimum five years teaching experience. Document analysis of examination scripts of 177 Chemistry students based on 54 Organic Chemistry questions, interviews on sampled Chemistry students, and questionnaires administered on all the 177 Chemistry students as well as the 4 Organic Chemistry lecturers were analysed. The Chemistry teachers’ questionnaire investigated the teachers’ perceptions about teaching Organic Chemistry in terms of any difficult topics, to identify the sources of difficulty, and to identify possible ways of improvement. The document analysis was conducted to assess students’ achievement and to evaluate students’ abilities and difficulties in solving Organic Chemistry problems. The main areas of difficulty identified by teachers and students in this study include functional groups, stereochemistry, and organic reactions and mechanisms among other selected topics. Several reasons and factors were adduced for the observed difficult aspects of Organic Chemistry, among which are: inappropriate Chemistry teachers` teaching methods, nature of the subject itself, students’ attitude and learning experience and learning style. Several ways of improvement have been discussed in the paper.