Students' Attitudes Towards College General Chemistry: A Crucial Factor in Education

Strategic Insights -

Understanding students' attitudes towards college general chemistry is essential for improving education and enhancing learning experiences, as revealed by a study from Quirino State University. The research investigated student attitudes towards college general chemistry and their impact on academic performance, finding a predominantly negative attitude among students. This study underscored the importance of engaging teaching strategies, highlighting the practical applications of chemistry, and providing tailored instructional approaches to address students from diverse backgrounds.

Key Takeaways:

  • Research from Quirino State University found that students have an overall negative attitude towards college general chemistry, with an average score of 2.62 on a 5-point scale.
  • The negative attitude was linked to factors such as perceived difficulty, relevance, past experiences, societal influences, and learning style variations.
  • Recommendations were made to address this challenge, including improved teaching methods, supportive learning environments, bias awareness, personalized instruction, and positive chemistry experiences.
  • Inferential statistics identified distinct negative attitudes within constructs, with Interest and Utility displaying the highest negativity (m=2.853).
  • Profile variables like the SHS strand and academic standing significantly influenced attitude constructs, indicating the need for tailored instructional approaches and support for students from diverse backgrounds.
  • Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) exposed direct links among attitude constructs, emphasizing the role of interest, perceived usefulness, and emotional satisfaction in shaping student attitudes and engagement.
  • The PLS-SEM technique was used to test the measurement and structural models, with 11 hypotheses from the 3 dimensions of 8 elements showing a positive and significant effect.
  • The research concluded that emotional satisfaction had a significant impact on student attitudes and engagement.

Statistics:

  • Average student attitude score: 2.62 on a 5-point scale
  • Highest negativity in attitude constructs: Interest (m=2.853) and Utility (m=2.853)
  • Profile variable influence on attitude constructs: SHS strand (56.2%) and academic standing (42.1%)
  • Number of hypotheses with positive and significant effect: 11 out of 27
  • P-value of emotional satisfaction: 0.005

Sources:

  • Making sense of students' attitude towards college general chemistry: A partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach. Journal of Technology and Science Education, 2025,15(2):380-398.
  • Journal of Technology and Science Education - http://www.jotse.org
  • OmniaScience, publisher of Journal of Technology and Science Education.
  • Quirino State University, source of the research.
  • Health & Medicine Week, publisher of the news article.