Identification of the Areas of Students Difficulties in Chemistry Curriculum at the Secondary School Level

Abstract

This study focused on identification of difficult chemistry topics on the secondary school curriculum. Three research questions and one hypothesis guided the study. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain data from fifty students by simple random sampling technique. Frequency and mean were used to answer the research questions. The results obtained indicated that eight topics out of eighteen topics listed in the chemistry curriculum are difficult. The results also revealed that there is a relationship between the students' interests and the topics they considered difficult and that there is a significant difference between the topics considered difficult by the male and female students. Based on the findings of this study, the researcher made a number of recommendations, including; training and refresher courses for chemistry teachers, employment of professionally qualified chemistry teachers, use of discovery approach in teaching chemistry, among others. Introduction The development and greatness of any country to a large extent depend on how the country has been able to provide quality and functional education to her citizens. Education is the training given to the child/individual to enable him/her becomes useful and contributory member of his society. Azegba (2010) observed that education has to be in all aspects of life that will guide the behaviour of man. Science Education is the education that involves Science and Technology. A nation is classified as developed or underdeveloped as a result of her level of scientific and technological development. Omiko (2005) and Azegba (2010) were of the same opinion when they observed that a developed nation is the one that has attained a high standard in science and their applications which is technology. Any country that cannot provide standard and effective science education to her younger generation is still underdeveloped. Chemistry is a branch of science which deals with the study of matter, its compositions, properties and reactions. It has the following branches, biochemistry, pure chemistry, analytical chem.-istry, organic chemistry petroleum chemistry, polymer chemistry, food-chemistry, physical chemistry, inorganic chemistry. These branches of chemistry are very useful in the development of a nation. Therefore if any country wants to join other developed countries of the world, that country had to work hard towards implementing effective science Education in their school system. This implies that it has to ensure optimal realization of the quality indices in science education courses in the colleges of Education and Faculties of Education in the Universities. By providing all the necessary instructional materials in science Education, a bright future is assured in that nation's march towards scientific and technological excellence (Chibuogwu and Anacke, 2008; and Azegba, 2010).