Is maths to blame?

By David Read2012-09-01T00:00:00

A student trying to work out a math problem on a blackboard and showing frustration

Source: istockphoto

David Read looks at some recent chemical education research

The issue of maths has been troubling chemistry educators for many years. While it is clear that good mathematical skills are an essential part of any chemist's toolkit, the root causes of apparent deficiencies in the maths capabilities of chemistry students remain unclear. A study by Scott involving pupils aged 16-17 at a Scottish state school sheds light on the origins of pupils' difficulties with the mathematical aspects of chemistry.

David Read summarises and reviews the study.

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