DIFFICULT CONCEPTS IN CHEMISTRY AND THEIR EFFECTS ON THE ACHIEVEMENT OF STUDENTS

DIFFICULT CONCEPTS IN CHEMISTRY AND THEIR EFFECTS ON THE ACHIEVEMENT OF STUDENTS. A RESEARCH PROJECT TOPIC ON SCIENCE EDUCATION

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’.

CHAPTER ONE

1.1       Introduction

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. L. 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.

DIFFICULT CONCEPTS IN CHEMISTRY AND THEIR EFFECTS ON THE ACHIEVEMENT OF STUDENTS. A RESEARCH PROJECT TOPIC ON SCIENCE EDUCATION