Abstract Indigenous science is fast becoming a pathway to teach the principles of sustainability and green science or green chemistry towards sustainable development, management and conservation of the world’s ecosystems for posterity. This study sought to explore students’ own ideas about sustainability and ‘green’ practices through the indigenous multi-stage production of palm oil. A case study that employed a mixed method approach engaged 86 purposively chosen pre-service teachers. Questionnaires that partly allowed for participants to share their own ideas about palm oil production with respect to sustainability and green practices were used to collect data. Findings from analysed data indicated a positive shift in attitude, knowledge and views towards sustainability and green science practices in their communities as against their entry point.

This study analyzed third-year undergraduate Chemistry major students' drawings and written explanations of substitution reactions. Seventy (70) students were purposively selected for this study. The main data collection instrument was a diagnostic test and students' responses were analyzed using deductive coding. The study aimed to unearth students' conceptual understanding and difficulties on substitution reactions to provide significant insights into improving teaching strategies and learning outcomes. The findings revealed that: 1. Students were more familiar with S(N)2 reaction mechanisms and could answer questions on S(N)2 reaction mechanisms better than S(N)1 reaction mechanisms; 2. Students' use of 'chemical vocabulary' did not translate into an understanding of electron movement and causal mechanistic explanation; 3. About 97 % of the students who gave a correct/partially correct description provided a description of what was happening in the reaction without any further explanation of why the reaction occurred; 4. Students had a slightly better understanding of drawing the correct mechanisms than providing accurate explanations. This study recommends that, in teaching organic reaction mechanisms, instructors should emphasize on electron-pushing formalisms and explain how and why reactions occur to encourage mechanistic thinking in students. Also, students should be given ample practice in organic reaction mechanisms to improve mastery.

Students Team Achievement Division model of cooperative learning was employed to examine its effect on the learning outcome of students in the concept of nomenclature of hydrocarbons. Forty-one (41) students were purposively sampled for the study. The study employed an action research design. Pre and post-intervention tests were conducted before and after the intervention respectively to determine the effect of the intervention on students’ learning outcome. The findings from the study showed that the STAD model of cooperative learning significantly improved learning outcome of the students in nomenclature of hydrocarbons. The study concluded that STAD model of cooperative learning was an effective learning model for improving students’ learning outcome. The STAD model of cooperative learning provided conducive environment for active participation of learners resulting in meaning construction of knowledge. The intervention provided opportunities for developing analytical and critical thinking skills. The study therefore recommended the use of STAD model of cooperative learning for students owing to its effectiveness in improving learning outcome.

This study investigated the incidental English second-language (ESL) vocabulary development of 125 science university students over two years, as well as their productive vocabulary knowledge in relation to academic achievement. The study was conducted in Ghana, a typical postcolonial ESL country in West Africa. Results showed that productive knowledge of vocabulary at the 2000, 3000, and 5000-word levels was not mastered in academic year one. In spite of the poorly resourced educational context with limited print exposure, students' longitudinal incidental vocabulary growth at the 3000-word level and academic word level was significant. Academic achievement was significantly predicted by word knowledge at these two levels. The study contributes to our understanding of incidental vocabulary learning in a "natural" ESL context, without language interventions. Given the predict ive factor of vocabulary knowledge on academic achievement, the integration of vocabulary instruction into the curriculum and establishm ent of required vocabulary thresholds seems warranted.

This study investigated the effectiveness of flipped classrooms in improving pre-service science teachers' performance in kinetic molecular theory of matter. It was carried out at Kibi Presbyterian College of Education in the South Abuakwa Municipality of the Eastern Region of Ghana. A classroom action research design was used for this study. The sample involved 72 Elective Chemistry students in level 200, whose other major subject areas were Mathematics and ICT. The pre-service science teachers in an intact class were chosen using a purposive sampling technique of the non-probability sampling procedure. The study examined the pre-existing knowledge of the students on kinetic molecular theory of matter using a Kinetic Molecular Theory Diagnostic Test. The study further examined the performance of the students after four weeks of intervention on kinetic molecular theory of matter. A post-intervention test (Kinetic Molecular Theory Performance Test) was conducted using a modified version of the diagnostic test. A one-sample t-test conducted showed a significant performance of the students in kinetic molecular theory of matter. The study recommends that tutors at Kibi Presbyterian College of Education should flip their classes to engage learners in more challenging and practical activities during in-class periods.

The laudable intent of science and industrialization for the ease, long life and comfort of humans has resulted in degradation of the ecosystem as pollutants from chemical production and their use end up in the ecosystem and exert detrimental effects on systems.This damaging effect has translated into climate change, food crisis, financial crisis, poverty, water scarcity, poor health, war, injustice, migration and urbanization, and other humanitarian challenges.A sustainable and humanitarian solution must be found to mitigate the existing and subsequent challenges.A possible solution could be through the development of sustainability-and humanitarianliterate citizens through chemical education.To explore this possibility, 31 preservice graduate teachers were engaged in a case study where they developed solutions to real life environmental challenges in a safe, fun-filled environment, with simple, cost-effective equipment from a system thinking stance.Data was gathered through questionnaire, inter-rated observation schedule, semi-structured interviews and lab reports.Findings indicated that it was feasible to embed sustainability and humanitarian principles through a system thinking approach to inculcate into preservice teachers the need to protect our ecosystem for posterity through chemical studies.

While pre-service science teachers are an important group of stakeholders in a nation’s pursuit of scientific literacy, scientific development and technological advancement in this modern era, this study sought to determine any gender differences in performance in Integrated Science among third year pre-service senior high school science teachers at the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana using the descriptive research design. The study used the sample of 168 students in five courses taken by the students at that level. The study employed the SPSS version 22.0 software to conduct an independent samples t-test so as to determine differences in performance between male and female students. Evidence from this study proves no gender gap in integrated science achievement among pre-service secondary school science teachers of the Department of Integrated Science Education of the University of Education, Winneba. The study recommends the need to conscientize females on the need to put up more positive attitudes towards the study of science and related courses, especially the physical sciences.

The time has come when the natural sciences and the social sciences integrate their disciplines, one into the other for the development of holistic principles of life and solutions to real life challenges. This study was premised on the principles of humanitarianism, sustainability, security, and love. The underlying theory was the social constructivist theory, […]

This study investigated the use of collaborative instructional approaches on Form two science students’ performance in redox reactions. The sample for this study consisted of 106 science students from Winneba Senior High School in Ghana. The sample was selected from two intact classes in the school. After a pre-test organised for both classes, the class with the lower average score was assigned as the experimental group and the other class assigned the control group. Interviews, questionnaires, and tests were used as the main instruments to collect data for the study. The reliability of the questionnaire, pre-test, and post-test items which were determined using Cronbach-Alpha ranged from 0.76 to 0.80. A collaborative learning text-oriented instruction was applied in teaching the experimental group whereas conventional approach was used in teaching the control group. It was also found that a number of the students who took part in the study had wrong notions about redox reactions. The findings showed that there was a significant difference in performance between the experimental and control group. The experimental group performed better in the post-test than the control group. It is recommended that chemistry teachers in Ghana should employ the collaborative learning approach in teaching chemistry to enhance the students’ learning.

The purpose of this chapter is to describe a possible best practice to teaching chemistry from a humanitarian engineering perspective. The interest in teaching chemistry by focusing on humanitarian engineering arises from the economic and environmental concerns that the country of this study faces, some of which are poverty, climatic changes, food crisis, inadequate healthcare, water crisis, and pollution. As an educator, there is an interest in educating future generations to be able to cope with environmental changes that face their countries and the world at large. This exposition of a possible new approach with appropriate pedagogies that is presented here may be an answer that underdeveloped, developed, and emergent economies may adopt to close the gap between themselves and other industrialised nations.

This study aimed at enhancing pre-service teachers’ understanding and attitudes toward naming and reactions of organic compounds using the jigsaw approach. It was a descriptive study that used a quantitative approach in collecting the data for analysis. The research design was a quasi-experimental one, which adapted the non-randomised control group pre-test/post-test intact class design. A sample of 144 pre-service teachers, comprising 72 in the experimental group and 72 in the control group were engaged in the study. Intact classes were used for the study; thus, the sample selection was non-randomised. ‘Organic Chemistry Concept Understanding Test’ (OCCUT) in the form of a pre-test and a post-test as well as an ‘Organic Chemistry Attitude Scale’ (OCAS) were the instruments used for the study. The reliability indices of the pre-test and the post-test were 0.721 and 0.724 respectively, whereas, Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient of the ‘OCAS’ was 0.899. This study found that in terms of the pre-service teachers’ prior knowledge on naming and reactions of organic compounds, the experimental group and the control group both had more misunderstanding and partial understanding than a sound understanding of the concepts. The findings further revealed that the majority of the pre-service teachers in the experimental group had a sound understanding of the naming and reactions of organic compounds after they were taught through the jigsaw approach. Nevertheless, quite a large number of the pre-service teachers in the control group continue to show a misunderstanding of the concepts after they were taught through the traditional lecture-method. Again, the study found that the jigsaw approach enhanced the pre-service teachers’ attitudes toward the organic chemistry concepts than the traditional lecture-method. Article visualizations:

The time has come for the natural and social scientists to integrate their disciplines for the acquisition of skills to solve real life challenges.This study was premised on the belief that the principles of systems thinking, humanitarianism, sustainability, security, and love, which feature prominently in the social sciences could be integrated into the natural sciences.The underlying theory for a possible approach was considered to be the social constructivist theory, as it could transform learners' ideas about the intersection of natural and social sciences in an active, motivating, collaborative, and non-discriminatory manner.An instrument used to gather data on this idea was a semi-structured guided conversation.Data gathered was interpreted qualitatively.Findings showed that the process to transform the teaching of natural and social sciences was feasible to enable learners to acquire transferrable and concept skills for lifelong living.Participants became aware of the possibility of applying scientific knowledge to solve some humanitarian challenges.They observed that the integration would enable the development of attributes such as love for each other and the environment, tolerance, patience, critical thinking, reflective and analytical skills, if the proposition is considered for curricula implementation.The conversations corroborated findings from other studies that perceived that science integrated in the social sciences and vice versa was feasible.It was concluded that, exposing Ghanaian students to real life experiences in a safe environment through chemical and social principles could make them appreciate the chemistry concepts in the social sciences, and vice versa, for a better world.

The study diagnosed chemistry teacher trainees’ difficulties in naming and writing structures of spiro and bicyclic compounds. The case study design was conducted in a constructivist environment to enhance chemistry teacher trainees’ ability to construct, represent, and interpret the structural formulae of spiro and bicyclic compounds. Purposive sampling technique was employed to select 126 1st-year chemistry teacher trainees from University of Education, Winneba for the study. The results revealed that chemistry teacher trainees had difficulties in naming and writing structural formulae of spiro and bicyclic compounds. However, through the effective use of molecular model kits in teaching naming and writing structures of spiro and bicyclic compounds, these chemistry teacher trainees became conscious of IUPAC rules for naming and writing spiro and other cyclic compounds. A t-test conducted indicated that a statistical significance difference existed between students’ performance before the implementation of the intervention and after the intervention. It is recommended that chemistry teachers should adopt the use of molecular model kits in teaching concepts of organic nomenclature.

This study was aimed at assessing students’ engagement in an integrated indigenous knowledge-chemistry lesson (IIK-CL) designed using the processes involved in cassava dough production. The paper focuses on the behavioural, emotional and cognitive engagement and their impact on students’ construction of knowledge of the factors affecting rate of chemical reactions. The study was conducted in Swedru senior high school in the Agona East municipality of the Central Region of Ghana. A purposively sampled intact class of 26 students aged between 14 and 18 years formed the study. The control group for this study encompassed also 26 students randomly sampled from the remaining chemistry classes in the same grade as the study group. The IIK-CL, which employed the use of field trip and other interactive learning activities, was used to engage students in the learning concept. A quantitative research approach was used. Data before and after students’ engagement in the IIK-CL were collected using questionnaires and an observational schedule. The IIK-CL recorded a significant level of behavioural, emotional and cognitive student engagement. This implies that students are most likely to be engaged in lessons that are relevant to their everyday lives thereby helping them in constructing understanding of scientific concept in their personal context.

This study sought to use simple, less costly, robust equipment and constructivist pedagogies, that promote and foster learning, to enable an intact class of 81 teacher trainees in a teaching programme to form their own authentic concepts through fun-filled, engaging social interactions. Data were collected by means of two-tier diagnostic assessments in a constructivist classroom environment that employed microscience equipment and activities. Questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and observation schedules were employed to triangulate data and acquired learning skills. From the study, it was found that the variant hands-on and minds-on constructivist approach enhanced the acquisition of many learning skills, created environmental awareness, and concept formation. The implication here is that, the varied constructivist approach has the potential to change the way chemistry is taught in more pragmatic, interactive, simple, fun, and engaging ways to facilitate conceptual understanding of chemistry for sustainability and further innovations in STEM development.

ABSTRACT The focus of this study was to find out the effectiveness of the jigsaw model on improving pre-service teachers’ performance in selected functional group organic compounds. The study employed the quasi-experimental nonrandomized pre-test/post-test intact class design. The sample was 144 pre-service teachers comprising 72 in the experimental class and 72 in the control class. The jigsaw model was implemented in the experimental class whilst the conventional teaching method was implemented in the control class. The ‘Organic Chemistry Concept Achievement Test’ (OCCAT) was used as the research instrument to collect the data. The instrument was pilot-tested and the reliability index was found to be 0.724. The results of the study revealed that the jigsaw model was effective in yielding significantly better performance in the selected functional group organic compounds among the pre-service teachers in the experimental group than their counterparts in the control group who were taught through the conventional method. It was found that the jigsaw model laid a good foundation for the pre-service teachers to develop problem-solving skills and creative minds leading to their improved performance in the selected functional group organic compounds. Keywords: performance, pre-service teachers, organic compounds, conventional method.

The purpose of the study was to determine the perceptions that senior high school chemistry students and teachers have about organic chemistry as well as to compare organic chemistry topics that are difficult for students and teachers. Simple random sampling (lottery) and purposive sampling methods were used to select a sample of hundred (100) students who studied elective chemistry and ten (10) chemistry teachers. The research instruments used to collect data for this study were the organic chemistry perceptions questionnaire for students (OCPQS) and organic chemistry perceptions questionnaire for teachers (OCPQT). Descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) were used to analyze the data collected. The findings revealed that high school students have a fairly positive perception of organic chemistry while the teachers had a highly positive perception of organic chemistry. Preparation and chemical reactions of alkenes, preparation and chemical reactions of alkynes, structure and stability of benzene, reactions of benzene, comparison of reactions of  benzene and alkenes, petroleum, polymers and naming of alkanes and structural isomerism were perceived by students as difficult to understand. The rest of the Ghanaian high school organic chemistry topics (26 out of 34 topics) were perceived as easy to understand by students. The teachers also perceived all the organic chemistry topics as easy to teach with the exception of reactions of benzene. It was suggested among others that teachers should use varied methods to teach organic chemistry topics to facilitate easy understanding bystudents.