Evaluating students’ performance in organic chemistry at advanced level

Abstract

This study focused on students’ performance in organic chemistry questions in the 2017 chemistry A-level examination. It aimed to highlight difficulties in organic chemistry answers. For the purpose of this study, three paper I organic chemistry questions were analysed. All the A-level scripts were sorted, ranked from highest to lowest obtained mark and allotted a code, where the first 150 scripts from the top band and the last 150 scripts from the bottom band were analysed. The study of the 300 scripts involved a deep analysis of the students’ responses by using error and item analysis for which facility index, item difficulty and item discriminating power were calculated. In this research, errors in organic chemistry were found to be numerous, in agreement with the literature. The most common difficulties were those related to nomenclature, application of inorganic, analytical and physical chemistry principles to organic chemistry questions and application of organic chemistry principles. The least common mistakes were made for questions at the lowest level of Bloom’s taxonomy, recall, however there were still numerous errors related to recall and understanding.