Abstract
Teachers’ knowledge of students’ difficulties is a major component of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and a key element for effective instruction. The current research aims to identify teachers’ PCK for: difficult topics in the chemistry curriculum; reasons for student difficulty; students’ interest towards difficult topics and the skills needed to be successful in chemistry. For this purpose a questionnaire survey was conducted among 20 chemistry teachers from different schools in Bulgaria. Participating teachers consider Chemical equilibrium, Chemical calculations and Organic chemistry as being most difficult. Metals, nonmetals and their compounds, Redox reactions and Atomic structure on the other hand are viewed as easier and more interesting. Understanding scientific concepts, principles and laws, self-studying and logical thinking are the skills students need to be successful in chemistry. Teachers believe student difficulties are due to: the abstract nature of chemistry; the fact that learning chemistry requires effort, regular study and prior mathematical knowledge; insufficient instructional time and lack of interest towards the subject.
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