Challenges in Chemistry Calculations at University Entry: Evidence from a Multi-Institutional Study

Abstract

Chemistry calculations continue to pose a significant challenge in chemistry education, often taught as procedural tasks disconnected from conceptual understanding and practical laboratory contexts. This study investigated the extent to which first-year undergraduate chemistry students meet curricular expectations in basic chemistry calculations upon entering a tertiary education. A quantitative analysis was conducted with 547 first-year students enrolled in chemistry and chemistry teacher education programs across six Czech universities. Participants completed a validated 10-item assessment encompassing five core calculation domains-molar concentration, mass fraction, stoichiometry, dilution, and pH-each presented in both symbolic and concise verbal formats. Findings indicate consistently low performance across all calculation task types, with no significant differences between chemistry majors and preservice chemistry teachers, nor between graduates of general versus chemistry-oriented technical schools. Task format had minimal influence on outcomes too, suggesting that difficulties are not primarily representational but conceptual. These results point to a substantial gap between curricular expectations and students' actual preparedness at university entry, suggesting that current approaches to teaching chemical calculations are insufficient to support meaningful learning. Rather than isolated procedural training, the findings underscore the need for instruction that systematically integrates conceptual understanding with quantitative reasoning from the early stages of chemistry education.