“Why do we have to learn so much chemistry?
We don’t see the point of it!”
Suzanne Fergus
School of Pharmacy, University of Hertfordshire
Introduction
Students in Pharmacy and other biological related degree programmes at UH are taught
the fundamentals of chemistry during the first two years. Many of these students find it
difficult to see the relevance and importance of chemistry (Holbrook, 2005). One reason
for this is due to the image problem associated with chemistry as illustrated in Figure 1.
Chemistry is perceived as a difficult subject and the negative image of the discipline has
CHEMISTRY
been commented on (Breuer, 2002).
Making chemistry relevant through contextualisation is the theme of this research.
Chemistry theory is often taught first with examples used afterwards. An approach that
has been used here is to use the application to introduce and explain the theory. For
example, Mass Spectrometry, which is taught to students both at Level 1 and 2, studies
the mass of molecules, composition of isotopes and fragmentation of molecules. The
image in Figure 2 from the 1988 Olympics when
Ben Johnson, the Canadian sprinter won the
Students demonstrate at the
closure of Exeter Chemistry
Department (2005)
gold medal in the 100 metres in a new world
record is shown to the students. Most look
Figure 1: The Perception of Chemistry
surprised initially and question how this relates
Method
to mass spectrometry. There is a marked
A questionnaire was completed by 50 Level 1 students in the School of Pharmacy and
increase in their curiosity and motivation. A
School of Life Sciences. The students were asked for anonymous feedback on their
discussion how mass spectrometry is used
chemistry learning experiences. Two core themes were addressed regarding attitude to
in sport doping follows.
chemistry – motivation in learning and contextualisation. As discussed by Watters (2004),
motivation is one of the principal features in the learning process. Context is addressing an
issue or problem where the knowledge is needed to solve or understand the context. If the
Figure 2: Mass Spectrometry
Results
Easier to Learn a Topic when Find it Interesting
Sometimes
6%
context is relevant to the student then the motivational aspect should be increased. This has
been confirmed by Cordova and Lepper (1996).
When I see Examples and Applications I find
Chemistry More Interesting
Often
16%
Rarely
4%
Sometimes
20%
Always
40%
Always
78%
Often
36%
Figure 3: Result of Questionnaire to Level 1 Pharmacy and Bioscience students.
Discussion
The results (Figure 3) support the evidence that students encounter a more positive learning experience when they find the topic interesting. An enhanced level of interest is developed when
the students identify how chemistry relates to them and how it makes sense in their lives. Some of the students understood examples and applications in the question to signify problems and
calculations. This emphasises how chemistry concepts and applications of chemistry are misunderstood. Jesson et al (2006) have used focus groups to investigate the experiences and
attitudes of MPharm students from nine UK Schools of Pharmacy. Results showed that students realised the science they covered in the initial years of their MPharm degree was highly
relevant but this was not apparent to them at the time.
Conclusion
Contextualisation of chemistry enhances students’ interest in the subject and this directly
affects the approach to learning. Using relevant examples and applications to teach
chemistry demonstrates its importance and context. Future work will involve the further
development of contextualisation with particular focus on the fundamental chemistry
concepts covered at levels 1 and 2.
Contact Details
Dr Suzanne Fergus,
School of Pharmacy,
University of Hertfordshire.
Tel: +44 (0)1707 286591
Email: s.fergus@herts.ac.uk
References
Breuer, S.J. (2002) Does Chemistry have a Future? University Chemistry Education. Vol 6. No 1.
p13-16.
Cordova, C.I. and Lepper, M.R. (1996). Intrinsic Motivation and the Process of Learning: Beneficial
Effects of Contextualisation, Personalisation and Choice. Journal of Educational Psychology. Vol 8.
No 4.p715-730
Holbrook, J. (2005). Making Chemistry Teaching Relevant. Chemical Education International. Vol 6.
No 1.
Jesson, J.K et al. (2006). Science or practice? UK undergraduate experiences and attitudes to the
MPharm degree. Pharm World Sci. Vol. 28. p278-283
Watters, J.J. (2004). Engaging with Chemistry through Contexts. Paper presented to the Royal
Australian Chemical Institute, Tertiary-Secondary Interface Conference, Brisbane.