PROBLEM-SOLVING DIFFICULTIES EXPERIENCED BY NIGERIAN STUDENTS OF SCHOOLS OF BASIC STUDIES IN MECHANISTIC ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
PROBLEM-SOLVING DIFFICULTIES EXPERIENCED BY NIGERIAN STUDENTS OF SCHOOLS OF BASIC STUDIES IN MECHANISTIC ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
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Date
1987-10
Authors
SHAIBU, AMOS A.M.
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Abstract
This study concerns an investigation into the
difficulties that the students of Schools of Basic Studies
in Nigeria experience when they solve problems in mechanisms
of organic reactions. It is basically an analysis of their
conceptual and strategic or procedural difficulties in the
area specified.
The Schools offer pre-degree (A-level standard)
courses, preparatory to university entry. The sample
comprised 190 students drawn from 5 out of the 13 colleges
in the country. Their average age was 18.5 years. They
were well motivated.
The study had two major components:
(a) Diagnosis, which focused on probing the nature
and causes of the difficulties.
It comprised three parts:
(i) The preliminary part, which is dealt
with in chapters 1 and 2. It involved
a preliminary survey to establish and
define the research problem, and the
review of relevant literature that
paved the way for the development and
design of research instruments,
(ii) Part 1A, covered in chapters 3-6,
describing the paper-and-pencil method
used to investigate the difficulties,
(iii) Part IB, covered in chapters 7-9, in
which protocol analysis (referred to as
TAPS) is used for probing the
thought-processes that underlie the
students' problem solving behaviour
observed in part 1A.
(b) Remediation: This is dealt with in chapters
10-11, describing a remedial programme aimed
at reducing the students' difficulties
identified in part I of the study.
Chapter 12 is an overall conclusion of the study.
The results from the study showed that:
(a) The students possessed the requisite chemical
knowledge required for solving the problems
posed.
(b) They were, however, unsuccessful in solving
the problems. Some of the reasons are:
(i) They lack functional understanding of
the chemical concepts which they have
acquired,
(ii) They lack the requisite strategies for
solving the problems.
(c) There is a positive, but low correlation
(r = 0.45) between the students' reservoir of
chemical knowledge and their ability to
utilise the knowledge in solving problems
requiring them as pre-requisites.
(d) The students' reservoir of chemical knowledge
is not a reliable guide for predicting their
ability to solve problems requiring such
knowledge as pre-requisites.
(e) The focus of the students' ideas about organic
reactions revolve around the concepts of
charge and the electrostatic attractions
between oppositely-charged species.
(f) The students have a number of chemical
misconceptions which contributed to their
failure in solving the problems. These
include:
(i) the electronic nature of covalent
bonding.
(ii) the processes of bond-breaking and
bond-making and the accompanying
structural changes as reactants are
converted to products.
(iii) formal and partial charge symbolisms.
(iv) curved arrow formalisms.
(v) common technical terms frequently used
(by teachers and in texts) to convey
chemical ideas.
(g) The male students performed significantly
better than the female students, even though,
there seemed to be no significant difference
in their possession of chemical knowledge
(h) The students problem solving approach did not
show any clear and/or consistent pattern that
could be used to classify their strategies
into any formal categories. They were
characterised by a random, trial-and-error
search for solutions.
(i) The "structured text" remedial programme
represents an effective method of improving
the problem solving capability of the
students.
The limitations of the study are outlined, its
implications for curriculum design and instruction in
Nigeria highlighted, and suggestions for direction of
further research are made.
Description
A thesis submitted in fulfilment of
the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Chemical Education Sector,
School of Chemical Sciences,
University of East Anglia,
Norwich
ENGLAND
October, 1987
Keywords
PROBLEM,, SOLVING,, DIFFICULTIES,, EXPERIENCED,, NIGERIAN,, STUDENTS,, SCHOOLS,, BASIC,, STUDIES,, MECHANISTIC,, ORGANIC,, CHEMISTRY,