Influence of chemistry teachers on students’ performance in learning hydrocarbons in senior high schools

Abstract

Hydrocarbon, an aspect of organic chemistry, is an important part of the school curriculum, yet student performance in it is still quite poor across the world, including Ghana. Hence, this research studied teacher influence on students’ performance in learning hydrocarbons in selected senior high schools (SHS) in Jaman North District of the Bono Region of Ghana. Through explanatory sequential mixed methods design, 298 SHS2 science students selected by census from four schools participated in the research to find out the teacher influence on their learning of hydrocarbons. Three research instruments, Form Two Students’ Questionnaire, Form Two Students’ Achievement Test, and Form Two Students’ Interview Guide, were used as a guide to gather both the quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative data were analyzed using exploratory factor analyses and multiple regression whereas the qualitative data was analyzed using themes. The study discovered that teacher competency, teacher attitude, and teacher methodology all had an impact on students’ academic achievement. Furthermore, among the teacher characteristics, teacher competency had the greatest effect on students’ academic routines when studying hydrocarbons. Qualitatively, the problems teachers encountered which affect students in learning hydrocarbons were teacher encouragement, teacher guidance, teacher classroom management, and teacher time management. Some recommendations were made including the Department of Education through the Education Service in Ghana in collaboration with the teacher education universities should organise short courses to enrich the competence of the teacher’s teaching chemistry in the SHS’s in the Jaman North District.