The effect of using molecular models in teaching on the performance of SHS students in naming of organic compounds

Abstract

This study investigated the problems SHS Chemistry students faced in naming organic compounds especially hydrocarbons by IUPAC rules at Zion College Senior High School in the Keta Municipality. The research work established if there was a significant difference between the performance of students taught by the traditional method and those taught using molecular models. It also considered whether if there was significant difference between the performance of boys and girls in the experimental class after the intervention. A total of 98 SHS2 chemistry students were targeted. Only 86 students took part in the research. After tossing, the science classes A and B became control and experimental class respectively. Both classes were taught with the same traditional method of teaching and a pretest was conducted. It was then followed with the intervention, that is teaching the experimental class using molecular model and the control class taught with the traditional method. Posttest was conducted and the results were collected after marking. The data collected were analyzed using frequency count, percentages and t-test. Statistically, the calculated P(T<=t) is 0.095 which is greater than the alpha value 0.05 implying that there is no significant difference between the performance of elective chemistry students taught with the traditional method and students taught using molecular models. In the light of this analysis therefore, the researcher failed to reject the first null hypothesis (Ho 1).In comparing the performance of boys and girls in the experimental class in the posttest, the researcher reject the second null hypothesis (Ho 2) formulated for the study. This is because the calculated P(T<=t) 0.034 is less than the alpha value 0.05.