An investigation of the factors influencing student performance in physical chemistry

The original intent of this study was to determine what factor(s) influence the performance of students in physical chemistry courses. Identification of such factors could help instructors organize physical chemistry courses or lectures to best reach a larger group of students. In view of the negative perceptions of students about physical chemistry and the frustration physical chemistry professors are experiencing in the classroom (as evidenced by the disparity between the results of the students' and professors' surveys), it is clear that students and professors are at odds. The results from this study are consistent with this view. First, professors and students have different perceptions about what factors influence students' performance in the course. Second, neither group's responses match reality. We found that there is no single predictor of performance in physical chemistry. More importantly, math skills alone are not even the best predictor of performance. Moreover, the number of math courses that students take before entering physical chemistry has no correlation with actual performance in physical chemistry. Correlations from the GALT test indicate that logical thinking skills and basic math ability are important factors. It may be that logical thinking skills help students make the connections and help anchor their math to real-world examples. There has recently been an explosion of new knowledge from emerging areas of physical chemistry and a need to incorporate this new knowledge into the physical chemistry curriculum. However, the results from this survey suggest that instructors must weigh these factors when designing the physical chemistry curriculum, to ensure that students have the most opportunity to learn the material presented.