MATHEMATICAL PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILL AND CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING AS CORRELATES OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN STOICHIOMETRIC ASPECT OF CHEMISTRY

Abstract

The study investigated mathematical problem-solving skills and conceptual understanding as correlates of students’ achievement in stoichiometry content of senior secondary school chemistry. The study adopted the non-experimental correlational research design. The sample for the study consisted of 264 senior secondary school year two (SSS II) chemistry students from randomly selected ten senior secondary schools within Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State. The valid and reliable research instruments used for data collection were Mathematical problem-solving skill test (MPST α=0.62), Conceptual Understanding Test (CUT α=0.66) and Stoichiometry Achievement Test (SAT α=0.75) to collect information from the participants. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation and inferential statistics of multiple regression analysis. The study revealed the following findings: There were significant positive correlations between conceptual understanding, mathematical problem-solving skills, and achievement in stoichiometry. Conceptual understanding and mathematical problem-solving skills jointly contributed 69.5% to the variability in students’ achievement in stoichiometry. Also, conceptual understanding pooled the largest share in students’ achievement in stoichiometry. Hence, students’ achievement in stoichiometry could be predicted by their mathematical problem-solving skills and conceptual understanding. Based on the study’s results, it is recommended among others that previous students’ performance in mathematics should be used as a prognostic assessment of students in chemistry class at the beginning of a term or a session