Factors Contribute to Teaching Challenges in Chemistry

Teaching is a process of transporting knowledge and ideas to the learners. It is the major work
of the teachers, instructors and professors in an education system, even parents. Explanations,
elaborations and dissemination are not merely what teaching is about, but it is also about assuring a
long-term learning to students. Learning, on the other hand, is accompanied by teaching. As teaching is
a process of bestowing knowledge, learning is a process of absorbing the knowledge given. Both plays
an important role in obtaining ideas and knowledge for future applications.

Chemistry teaching is a challenging job for the teachers. From its natural complexity comprising
theories and concepts, one-way teaching is not enough. Factors of the teaching challenges occurring in
the field are present and identifiable. Teaching challenges and difficulties in Chemistry have tangible
and intangible factors that will tackle their interdependence. As the focus of this synthesis, it will
determine and evaluate the factors that contribute to the challenges or difficulties of the instruction.

One of the identified type of factors is the tangible factor. Tangible factors that contribute to the
challenges of teaching chemistry include the learning materials and laboratory works. Learning materials
such as textbooks, models and other figures help in understanding discussions. It supports preconceived
ideas of the students. Teachers also use learning materials as the source of information.

Outdated books affect the quality teaching and learning of the teachers and students. As well as
over-simplified models in textbooks utilization will have a negative effect, it is specifically
misconceptions (Nahum et al., 2010). According to Afadil et al. (2017), improved and developed learning
materials which is science-philosophy oriented help minimize the misconceptions of the students
learning the central science.

Absence of laboratory works and other teaching and learning resources also affects the
instruction of chemistry (Tilahun et al., 2016). Lack of hands-on activities diminish the big opportunity of
the students to learn by actual action. As a matter of fact, laboratory adequacy and school resources
have an influence to this (Orbe et al., 2018). Based on a study, low investment or financial support on
education and the population of the students are one of the causes of minimized laboratory activities
(“POOR SCIENCE EDUCATION…”, 2014). Additionally, maintenance and concern to the equipment and
components of the laboratory affect the possible conductibility of experiments and activities (Babatope,
2010 & Zengele et al., 2016).

The other type of the identified factor is the intangible factor. Intangible factors are focused of
what is not directly perceived and are likely to be done, thought or owned by. These mainly are the
teaching strategies, time and cognition of both teachers and learners.

Teaching or learning strategies, such as lectures and discussions, problem solving, group
activities, field observations, and even self-study, is a factor that can affect the challenges of the
chemistry instruction. Poor teaching and learning strategies can affect the performance of the students
in chemistry (Tilahun et al., 2016). It will lead to a slow coping up of the students to the lessons and a
hard time to teachers. Lecture is a common type of teaching. According to a study conducted by
Achimugu (2018) about enriched demonstration and lecture instructional strategies, those learners who
have experienced more in lecture strategy with introspection has an increased performance rather than
those students in traditional lecture strategy in chemistry. An interactive lecture between teachers and
learners makes an exchange of ideas easier.

Time, a consumable but a non-renewable resource, is also a factor. It cannot be avoided that the
time allocated for an activity, class session or laboratory session in chemistry would not suffice. As
shown in the study of Niwaz et al. (2020) that a forty-five minutes daily class in chemistry course for a
theoretical and practical content is not enough to have a full and easy understanding.

Parts of cognition includes the background (knowledge, training or experience, confidence and
interest), level of understanding, skills (mathematical and English skills) and attitude or behavior.
Considered as a factor, what was preconceived and obtained in the past years of studying is important.
Some teachers do not have enough training, knowledge, and confidence when it comes to teaching
chemistry, according to a study of Mumba et al. (2015). Low level of mathematical and English skills
proficiency of the students and lack of interest to the subject and syllabus itself contribute to the
negative attitude towards chemistry (Tilahun et al., 2016) (Yunus et al., 2012).

Therefore, factors of the challenges in chemistry instruction are learning materials, laboratory
works, teaching/learning strategies, time and cognition that are categorized as tangible and intangible.
These some factors fall for teachers and learners. Both being dependent to one another, factors that
mainly concern teachers’ intrinsically and extrinsically also affect students and vice versa. Factors are all
about what can be observed and happening inside an educational system and has unavoidable impact
both positive and negative.

References

Achimugu, L. (2018). Effectiveness of enriched demonstration and lecture instructional strategies on

senior secondary school students’ achievement in chemistry. Journal of Contemporary Education
Research (Vol. 2).

Afadil & Diah, A. W. M. (2017). Effectiveness of learning materials with science-philosophy oriented to
reduce misconception of students on chemistry (Vol. 174). Atlantis Press.

Babatope, B. A. (2010). Problems of facilities in south west Nigerian universities and way forward.
International Journal of Educational Administration and Policy Studies (Vol. 2, pp. 039-043).

Mumba, F., Banda, A. Chabalengula, V. M. (2015). Chemistry teachers’ perceived benefits and challenges
of inquiry-based instruction in inclusive chemistry classrooms. Science Education International
(Vol. 26, pp. 180-194).

Nahum, T. l., Mamlok-Naaman, R., Hofstein, A. & Taber, K. S. (2010). Teaching and learning the concept
of chemical bonding: Studies in Science Education.
https://doi.org.10.1080/03057267.2010.504548

Niwaz, A., Khan, K. & Sahibzada, H. E. (2020). Examining the challenges of course content coverage in
due time allocation and teaching practices as perceived by students in the subject of chemistry:
Research Journal of Social Sciences & Economic Review. https://doi.org/10. 36902/rjsser-vol1-
iss4-2020(265-272)
Orbe, J. R., Espinosa, A. A., & Datukan, J. T. (2018). Teaching chemistry in a spiral progression approach:
lessons from science teachers in the Philippines: Australian Journal of Teacher Education.
http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2018v43n4.2

Poor science education in the Philippines: causes, solutions and suggestions. (2014).
https://magnanamous.wordpress.com

Tilahun, K. & Tirfu, M. (2016). Common difficulties experienced by grade 12 students in learning
chemistry in Erbinat Preparatory School. African Journal of Chemical Education.
https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajce/article/view/140984

Yunus, F. W. & Mat Ali, Z. (2012). Urban students’ attitude towards learning chemistry: Procedia - Social
and Behavioral Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1016/

Zengele, A. G. & Alemayehu, B. (2016). The status of secondary school science laboratory activities for
quality education in case of Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Journal of Education and Practice
(Vol.7).