LEARNING STRATEGIES ADOPTED BY CHEMISTRY EDUCATION STUDENTS

Having more individuals study and graduate in the field of chemistry well knowledgeable and competent enough to discover and manage the natural assets of the nation is dependent on how effective they were taught at the secondary school level. This study investigated the common difficulties encountered in the teaching of chemistry in senior secondary schools, using senior schools in Egor Local Government Area, Benin City, Edo State as a case study. To achieve the purpose of the study, three research questions were raised and examined and data was collected from twenty-four (24) respondents drawn from 19 schools in Egor Local Government Area OF Edo State using questionnaire as the instrument for data collection. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. An analysis of data was done using mean, standard deviation and independent t-test. The findings from the study reveal that the top 3 common difficulties encountered in the teaching of chemistry in secondary schools in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State includes: scarcity of chemistry teachers; insufficient number of technology equipment; and unavailability of standard and functional laboratory. It also revealed that the difficulties are not significantly different by the sex of the teacher. Some recommendations were made which include: each school should have well-equipped laboratories with the basic conveniences like an electrical supply, a fire extinguisher, and a water system, to name a few; Chemistry teachers should employ the student-centred approach in the teaching of chemistry as it increases the engagement and motivation of the student; Chemistry teachers should be sponsored to in-service training programs that encompass conferences, seminars, and workshops to enhance their professional growth.

This study was to investigate the learning strategies adopted by chemistry education students. The instrument used for data collection was questionnaire, which was developedandadministered to 80 students from the department of Curriculum and Instructional Technology. The data from their responses were analyzed with the use of simple percentage. The result revealed that reading is a fundamental activity, enabling chemistry studentstoabsorb information from textbooks, articles, or digital resources. Accompanying this, notetaking helps organize and retain essential concepts. Chemistry students often ask questions, contribute to discussions, and engage in collaborative learning, fostering a deeperunderstanding of the subject matter. Furthermore, effective time management is critical forsuccessful studying. Chemistry education students allocate dedicated time slots for eachsubject, break down tasks into manageable chunks, and create study schedules. It is therefore recommended that Faculty officers and instructors should emphasizetheimportance of group study sessions, peer teaching and collaborative projects, fosteringaconducive environment for chemistry education students to share knowledge and learnfromone other, Chemistry education lecturers should play a vital role in incorporatingdiverselearning approaches, utilizing technology and encouraging interactive learning methods, School managements should provide guidance on time management techniques, settingachievable study goals and creating structured schedules to help chemistry education studentsprioritize their studies and maximize their learning potentials