Attitudes and experiences among first-year regional Australian undergraduate students toward the study of chemistry

Both attitude and previous experiences play a large role in shaping a student’s approach to and achievement in a given subject. Similarly, students’ enjoyment of their learning experiences is an important factor in determining their retention in their course of choice. Here, we explore the attitudes toward the study of chemistry amongst a cohort of first-year undergraduate students at a regional Australian university, including assessing these parameters at the beginning of their first term, the end of the first term and the end of their second term. In addition, metrics on the students’ experiences of studying chemistry were collected at the latter two timepoints. Generally, student attitudes toward chemistry were positive, as were student learning experiences in most instances. Two-step cluster analysis revealed the presence of two distinct clusters of students within the data, differing significantly in their overall attitude toward the study of chemistry. Students who had studied chemistry in Year 12 did not show any significant differences in their attitudes toward chemistry, when compared to students who had not studied Year 12 chemistry; however, their learning experiences in first-year chemistry were rated as being significantly more positive. We attribute this to their increased ability to engage with and successfully learn from the topic material presented in lectures and tutorials, as their previous exposure to the ‘language’ of chemistry may provide them with an advantage over chemistry-naïve students.

ANALISIS ATTITUDES TOWARD CHEMISTRY (ATC) PADA MATERI KIMIA DASAR DENGAN PEMBELAJARAN DALAM JARINGAN (DARING)

Penelitian ini penting dilakukan karena sikap mahasiswa ketika pembelajaran dilakukan secara daring akan memberikan outcome yang berbeda. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui profil sikap mahasiswa kimia dan pendidikan kimia dalam mempelajari mata kuliah kimia dasar yang dilakukan secara daring. Ini merupakan penelitian kualitatif dimana data dihasilkan dari penyebaran Kuesioner yang diberikan kepada mahasiswa kimia dan pendidikan kimia, kemudian dilanjutkan dengan wawancara lebih lanjut terhadap subjek penelitian Data yang dihasilkan kemudian dianalisis dengan menghitung skor rata-rata dari setiap item pertanyaan yang kemudian diprosentasikan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa sikap mahasiswa kimia dan pendidikan kimia di UIN Walisongo Semarang masuk dalam kategori sangat baik. Pada indikator terkait dengan praktikum, mahasiswa cenderung kurang senang dengan praktikum yang dilakukan secara virtual melalui video. Sedangkan pada indikator terkait kebermanfaatan dan pentingnya mempelajari mata kuliah dasar menghasilkan skor tertinggi dari keempat indikator yang ada.

Investigation of Attitudes Toward Chemistry and Learning Experiences of Pre-Service Chemistry Teachers

The objective of this research was to investigate the level of students' attitudes toward Chemistry and Learning Experience (ATCLE). The research sample included 191 students (61 male and 130 female) from three universities; Universitas Negeri Mataram, Universitas Islam Negeri Mataram, and IK1P Mataram, Indonesia. The sample has been selected through cluster random sampling and snowballs random sampling. Mixed method research with a descriptive correlational survey model and a semi-structured interview was employed for the study. The data were collected by Chemistry Attitudes and Experiences Questionnaire (CAEQ) and an interview guide. Results showed no significant correlation in the level of attitude toward chemistry based on gender and grades. The finding also revealed that the attitude of pre-service chemistry teachers based on gender and grade were more positive towards research in chemistry than jobs related to chemistry. However, grades influenced the students learning experience, but there was no influence of gender on students learning experience. It is suggested that teachers need to develop a positive attitude toward chemistry and learning experiences of the students through inquiry-based learning practices.

Comparison of student attitudes and performance in an online and a face-to-face inorganic chemistry course

Despite recent interest in online learning, systematic comparisons of online learning environments with traditional classroom environments are limited, particularly in the sciences. Here, we report on a systematic comparison of an online and face-to-face classroom for a sophomore-level, lecture-only introductory inorganic chemistry course that is designed for students pursuing a chemistry major or minor. The online group consisted of three sections of students enrolled in Introduction to Inorganic Chemistry during two 8 week summer terms and one 4 week winter term. The face-to-face group consisted of two sections of students enrolled in Introduction to Inorganic Chemistry during two 15 week semesters. Both groups of students completed ten common exam questions, and a validated and reliable measure of their attitudes toward chemistry (Attitude toward the Subject of Chemistry Inventory Version 2: ASCIv2). Students in the online course and face-to-face course did not differ in their performance on the common exam questions, course grade distribution, or attitudes toward chemistry. Although few studies have compared online and face-to-face learning environments in the physical sciences, our results are consistent with the idea that students who complete an online course fare just as well as those who attend face-to-face classes.

Attitudinal and Mathematical Assessments as Measures of Student Success in a College General Chemistry II Course

This study reports results from administering unannounced attitudinal and mathematical assessments to 118 students, at the beginning of the term, in second-semester general chemistry classes (designed for science majors) at Eastern Michigan University. Testing was conducted during the 2010-2011 school year. The question to be answered was: which is more important in determining student course grades, attitudes toward chemistry and mathematics, or mathematical skill? The hypothesis was that attitudes and mathematical skill equally affect final course grade. A modified Wiebe instrument was selected to evaluate student attitudes toward chemistry and mathematics. To evaluate student mathematical skills, this study employed a mathematics assessment developed and performed at the University of Minnesota, and hence will be called the Minnesota Mathematics Assessment or MMA—a 20-question, multiple choice quiz designed for second-semester general chemistry students. Results were inter-correlated to determine what factors influenced student success. This study found a strong correlation between mathematics attitudes and chemistry attitudes, with a Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (r) of 0.50. Between course grade vs. either chemical attitudes or mathematics attitudes, the r values were 0.25 and 0.23 respectively, showing weak correlations. The correlation of course grade versus total MMA score gave an r value of 0.35, a moderate correlation. Comparison of the current study's MMA results with those of a previous Minnesota study demonstrates that the MMA is reproducible. The correlation coefficient found for course grade vs. total MMA score was comparable to that found in the Minnesota study. Analysis of the 20-question MMA data resulted in a 10-question subgroup whose r = 0.41. Although some gender attitude differences were found, these did not correlate with course grade.