Enhancing Senior High School Students Understanding of Chemicai Formulae and Nomenclature of Inorganic Compounds by the Use of Improvised Conceptual Models

Abstract

The study aimed at enhancing the understanding of SHS students in chemical formulae and nomenclature using locally constructed conceptual models. It was carried out it two Senior high schools in the Offinso district of Ashanti region of Ghana, Dwamena Akenten SHS and Namong SHS. The research instrument used was pretest and protest on an experimental and control group with 200 students as sample size. Developmental research design with cluster and purposive sampling technique were employed. Five research questions were formulated out of which four were modified into null hypothesis and was tested using 2-tailed t-test at 0.05 level of significance. The research results have showed that the use of conceptual models enhanced the understanding of SHS students in chemical formulae and nomenclature. Additionally, it was found out that the conceptual models had no influence on gender or cognitive capability. This emphasized that conceptual models should be used to assist the teaching and learning of chemical formulae and nomenclature.

Keywords: Average achiever, Conceptual Model, Control group, Experimental group, High achievers, Low achievers