Analysis of Students’ Missed Organic Chemistry Quiz Questions that Stress the Importance of Prior General Chemistry Knowledge

Julie Ealy

doi:10.3390/educsci8020042

Abstract

A concern about students’ conceptual difficulties in organic chemistry prompted this study. It was found that prior knowledge from general chemistry was critical in organic chemistry, but what were some of the concepts that comprised that prior knowledge? Therefore an analysis of four years of organic chemistry quiz data was undertaken. Multiple general chemistry concepts were revealed that are essential prior knowledge in organic chemistry. The general chemistry concepts that were found pose a challenge to organic chemistry instructors who have identified those same concepts as ones they review or consider important in organic chemistry. A review of the literature provides recommendations that address the general chemistry students’ difficulties revealed in this study. Further research, however, is needed to follow through on those recommendations.

Highlights

After many years of teaching general and organic chemistry, it has been noticed that many of the students’ conceptual difficulties in organic chemistry stem from a lack of prior knowledge in general chemistry
Some of the difficulty with this question could be that the students lacked prior knowledge, that as a general rule, carbon is surrounded by four bonds
This study focused on general chemistry topics that were identified from an analysis of 234 questions each completed by 44 students

Summary

Introduction

After many years of teaching general and organic chemistry, it has been noticed that many of the students’ conceptual difficulties in organic chemistry stem from a lack of prior knowledge in general chemistry. To better understand what these barriers were, a four-year analysis was undertaken of over 10,000 questions that was based on a total of 234 questions per semester and 44 students who each answered the 234 questions. Further analysis considered only questions that required general chemistry content. The nine questions that were analyzed from each of the four years addressed multiple general chemistry concepts. Further review of the literature to understand students’ lack of prior knowledge resulted in a synopsis of data that would be of use to both general and organic chemistry instructors

Methods

Results

Conclusion