Examining some of the Challenges that Students Face in Learning about Metabolic Pathways in a Traditional Biochemistry Course

Metabolic pathways are one of the most challenging topics in biochemistry to conceptualize because it requires that students combine many ideas from different disciplines. Some students consider rote learning and memorization of metabolic pathways equivalent to understanding of these concepts and can contribute to a meaningful learning of the phenomenon. This research study aims to examine some of the students' difficulties in learning about metabolic pathways, their approaches to learning about the concepts, and the role that memorization has on their performance in the course. The research took place at an urban, commuter, and minority serving public college. The research methodology was the analysis of an instrument used in this research study which was a survey comprised of Likert-scale and open-ended questions. The number of research participants is 37 students who are enrolled in biochemistry or have completed at least one biochemistry course. The survey was optional and participant's identity remained anonymous. Our research findings suggest that students face difficulties in learning about metabolic pathways due to their reliance on memorization of reactions, enzymes, and steps, which is a superficial approach to learning and does not lead to development of conceptual understanding. Another noteworthy finding is that students struggle with providing an explanation of what is happening at the molecular level during the metabolic pathways reactions.