Comparing learners’ performance in writing formulae of compounds and balancing of equations in grade 11 at a selected school in Oshana region, Namibia

Abstract

Writing formulae and balancing equations are among the most complex topics in Chemistry. Teachers find it difficult to teach while learners find it challenging to understand. The focus of this study was to compare the Grade 11 learners’ performance in writing formulae of compounds and balancing equations. Examiners have reported major mistakes on writing formulae of compounds and balancing of equations. It was also reported that many learners lack confidence in writing chemical symbols and formulae. Therefore, this study sought to find the correlation between writing formulae (WF) and balancing equations (BE) to help learners and teachers link the two concepts and overcome the difficulties of writing formulae and balancing equations, this thus triggered this study. This study addressed two research questions: How do learners' performance WF as compared to BE? and What is the correlation between learners’ performance in WF and BE? The data were collected at a selected school in Oshana region in Namibia. The mixed method was used to collect and analyze the data; whereby qualitative and quantitative methods were utilized to draw data from the participants. The quantitative design was used by collecting the number of marks that each learner scored from both WF and BE. The findings indicated that learners performed better in WF compared to BE. A sample of 20 learners was randomly selected to participate in WF and the other on BE writing formulae and the other for balancing equations were used to collect data, one for writing formulae and one for balancing equations. The study revealed that learners performed relatively lower in WF and BE. The findings have also shown a strong positive correlation between learners’ performance in WF and BE. The conclusion that a better understanding of writing formulae of compounds could facilitate a better understanding of balancing chemical equations was made. The study recommends a better teaching of WF to facilitate a better academic performance of BE.