ABSTRACT
The WAEC Chief Examiners’ Reports in Ghana have repeatedly lamented
the weakness exhibited by most Chemistry students in IUPAC nomenclature of
organic compounds in the West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination.
This study was a step to determine the knowledge level of some Chemistry
students in IUPAC nomenclature of organic compounds. A cross-sectional
survey was adopted to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. In all, 245
SHS4 Chemistry students selected from four out of 18 schools, which offer
elective science for 2010/2011 academic year in the Kumasi Metropolis, were
involved in the study. An achievement test and interview were the main
instruments for the data collection. The results show that the students’
performance on IUPAC nomenclature of organic compounds was generally low.
The Chemistry students’ difficulties in IUPAC naming of organic compounds
included their inability to identify the correct number of carbon atoms in the
parent chain, and to identify a substituent or functional group. The Chemistry
students also had difficulties in writing structural formulae of organic compounds
chiefly their inability to identify from the IUPAC name the correct number of
carbon atoms in the parent chain, the chemical symbol or formula of any
substituent or functional group, the correct position of and number of multiple
bonds, functional, or substituent group. These difficulties having been recognised
could help Chemistry teachers to effectively deploy their pedagogical content
knowledge in teaching organic Chemistry at the SHS level
Coalition, C. & ADU-GYAMFI, K (2021). SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDING OF IUPAC NOMENCLATURE OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS. Afribary. Retrieved from https://afribary.com/works/senior-high-school-chemistry-students-understanding-of-iupac-nomenclature-of-organic-compounds
Coalition, CDR, and KENNETH ADU-GYAMFI "SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDING OF IUPAC NOMENCLATURE OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS" Afribary. Afribary, 11 Mar. 2021, https://afribary.com/works/senior-high-school-chemistry-students-understanding-of-iupac-nomenclature-of-organic-compounds. Accessed 23 May. 2022.
Coalition, CDR, and KENNETH ADU-GYAMFI . "SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDING OF IUPAC NOMENCLATURE OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS". Afribary, Afribary, 11 Mar. 2021. Web. 23 May. 2022. < https://afribary.com/works/senior-high-school-chemistry-students-understanding-of-iupac-nomenclature-of-organic-compounds >.
Coalition, CDR and ADU-GYAMFI, KENNETH . "SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDING OF IUPAC NOMENCLATURE OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS" Afribary (2021). Accessed May 23, 2022. https://afribary.com/works/senior-high-school-chemistry-students-understanding-of-iupac-nomenclature-of-organic-compounds