Exploring the Link between Learner Workbooks, their Achievement in Stoichiometry, and their Teachers’ Teaching

Abstract

Given the challenges within stoichiometry that contribute to underperformance, previous studies have explored teachers’ understanding of the topic or sought to determine the impact of various teaching strategies. However, this study takes a different approach by exploring classroom dynamics. It does so by comparing learner workbooks, records of classroom observations, and performance in a stoichiometry test. A descriptive comparative research design was employed with six teachers, their schools, and their 249 grade 11 chemistry learners in a rural area. Data were collected using learner workbooks (LWB), classroom observation schedules (COS), and stoichiometry achievement tests (SAT). Stein, Grover, and Henningsen’s (1996) levels of cognitive demand were used to analyse the achievement test, while a task analysis guide in science (TAGS) was used for learner workbooks and classroom observation schedules through document analysis. The six schools’ teachers and learners were compared in terms of how well the concepts were taught and how the schools performed. Findings indicate no discernible ranking of schools or topics in terms of LWBs. Furthermore, no link between the teachers’ teaching of stoichiometry and learners’ achievement in stoichiometry could be established.