ARE CHEMISTRY TOPICS DIFFICULT TO LEARN? THE STANCE OF GHANAIAN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

The study explored the chemistry topics in the Ghanaian Senior High School curriculum that students found difficult to learn, as well as the reasons for those difficulties. The study's participants (96) were all third-year science students at a well-endowed school chosen at random from the Central Region's well-endowed schools. Students were given a three-point Likert scale questionnaire containing topics from the Ghanaian chemistry syllabus. A focus group discussion was held with students to determine the reasons for their opinions on the topics. The final stage involved observing chemistry lessons at the school. According to the study's findings, approximately 66.7% of the chemistry topics examined were difficult for students. Students attributed their reasons to poor teaching techniques, a lack of practical activities, and an absence of extra tuition. The findings also revealed that, despite the teachers' subject matter mastery, their lessons are more teacher-centered with little interaction. Furthermore, assignment-based summative assessment was the most commonly used in the classroom. The study suggests that chemistry teachers use variety of teaching methods such as hands-on activities, assess student understanding through a variety of methods and also offer extra help and support to students who may be struggling.

Keywords: Chemistry, curriculum, difficult topics, teaching techniques.

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