University Students’ Experiences of Secondary School Science Education: Analysis of Attitudes and Background Variables
Article information:
Volume IX 2025, No 1, Pages: 5–28
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24193/JRHE.2025.1.1
Awal Mohammed Alhassan, Associate Professor, Centre for Learning Environment, University of Stavanger, Norway, email: malhassan2003@yahoo.no
Caleb Yaw Fosu, Research Assistant, Department of Chemistry, University of Ghana, Ghana, email: cyfosu002@st.ug.edu.gh
Abstract: University students’ experiences and attitudes about a program of study and their career choices are to a greater extent influenced by their secondary school experiences. These experiences also apply to science subjects including chemistry. This research, therefore, sought to explore university students’ experiences of secondary school chemistry education by examining their background variables as related to the pursuing of general science program. In this study participants reported different experiences and perceptions of science education in general and chemistry lessons in particular during their secondary school years. Using a mixed method research approach, 260 university students from the Greater Accra region of both urban and rural areas were surveyed and interviewed. Descriptive statistics and other statistical procedures were used to analyse the data. The results showed that students’ past experiences of science programs and particularly chemistry lessons had significant impact on their decision to study chemistry. It was also found that students’ background variables such as gender, previous secondary school attended (rural/urban) and teachers’ instructional practices had influence on attitudes to pursue a chemistry course. The results provide further evidence of the benefits of the use of well-equipped science laboratories and technology as supporting course resources for science education.
Keywords: Ghana, university students, science education, chemistry.
