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Teaching Physical Chemistry in Disadvantaged Contexts: Challenges, Strategies and Responses

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Chemistry Education in the ICT Age

Abstract

Physical chemistry courses are often considered among the most difficult ones – if not the most difficult – by chemistry students. The reasons may be traced to their specific requirements, from the extensive familiarity with mathematics and its descriptive role in physical sciences to the expansion of logical thinking into abstract thinking (as an essential tool for the construction and understanding of models) and to the conceptual demands of models and procedures. The difficulties experienced by students increase considerably in contexts that are disadvantaged because of the aftermaths of historical reasons. In these contexts, the combined and mutually enhancing impacts of factors like inadequate background preparation, inadequate or poor mastering of the language that is the medium of instruction and, often, also inadequate visualisation abilities, make students’ progress through physical chemistry courses comparatively more arduous. These contexts pose greater challenges for the design of viable teaching strategies. On the other hand, the usefulness of the designed strategies extends beyond the contexts for which they were generated, because their specific objective of facilitating students’ approach to concepts and techniques, when such approach is particularly arduous, makes them generally viable.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Venda, Thohoyondou, South Africa

    L. Mammino

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  1. L. Mammino
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Correspondence to L. Mammino .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Science, University of Mauritius, Reduit, Mauritius

    Minu Gupta-Bhowon

  2. Faculty of Science, University of Mauritius, Reduit, Mauritius

    Sabina Jhaumeer-Laulloo

  3. Faculty of Science, University of Mauritius, Reduit, Mauritius

    Henri Li Kam Wah

  4. Faculty of Science, University of Mauritius, Reduit, Mauritius

    Ponnadurai Ramasami

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Mammino, L. (2009). Teaching Physical Chemistry in Disadvantaged Contexts: Challenges, Strategies and Responses. In: Gupta-Bhowon, M., Jhaumeer-Laulloo, S., Li Kam Wah, H., Ramasami, P. (eds) Chemistry Education in the ICT Age. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9732-4_20

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