Learning Difficulties of 9th Grade Bulgarian Students in Organic Chemistry at the Basic Level

Organic chemistry is one of the most difficult topics for students from High school Chemistry. The current study aims to identify the actual learning difficulties in organic chemistry (at the basic level) of 15 – 16 years old Bulgarian students in 9th grade. An online diagnostic test consisting of 29 test items is used as an instrument for data collection. The test has been validated by experts. The reliability of the test (Cronbach‘s alpha) is a = 0,89. A total of 379 students (211 girls and 168 boys) from 15 schools participated in the study. Results reveal Chemical processes & Experiment and research as most problematic areas for students. Most students are unable to: represent chemical reactions using equations (59%); predict and explain the structure-properties relationship (58%); determine types of organic reactions (54%); represent structures of organic molecules (52%); plan chemical experiments (52%). Retrieving and evaluating chemical information from graphs and diagrams is most difficult for students (60%).