Exploring Classroom Climate and Students’ Views on Physical Chemistry at the UWI – A Mixed Methods Approach
by Zhané Bridgeman-Maxwell and Leah Garner-O’Neale

Introductory physical chemistry lays an important foundation for many courses within the Faculties of Science and Technology at the University of the West Indies (UWI), and further, in the general advancement of science globally. Unfortunately, for many years some of the campuses record high failure rates which sparked an interest in investigating the perceptions of students towards introductory physical chemistry and the physical chemistry classroom climate at the UWI, as a precursor to developing tools to better facilitate students’ understanding in this subject matter. Hence, in this mixed methods research study, we examined the perceptions of first-year chemistry students towards introductory physical chemistry and the appropriateness of instructors’ teaching of the content, at three campuses of the UWI – Cave Hill, St. Augustine and Mona Campuses. We analysed the perceptions of 474 students with the use of a perceptions survey (Quantitative Phase), conducted interviews with 46 students and observed the classroom climates (Qualitative Phase). A statistically significant difference in students’ perception towards physical chemistry and the appropriateness of teaching methods utilized emerged based on the campus study. In addition, it was found that there was a positive relationship between the appropriateness of methods used and the perception towards physical chemistry at each campus. Within the qualitative phase, the key themes from the study were: physical chemistry is conceptually difficult, mathematically intensive, and abstract and linked to the teaching strategies used by the instructor. Additionally, classroom climates varied from campus to campus and were linked to instructor disposition, student disposition and the teaching strategies utilized. The data strands were integrated with the use of (i) MAXQDA, where a mixed research matrix was generated to compare code frequency data (quantitative) to themes (qualitative) and (ii) a joint display to compare quantitative and qualitative data in a side-by-side manner. Based on the findings of the study, implications and recommendations for practice and future research are discussed for high school and college freshman educators, college advisors in STEM education, educational leaders and policy makers.