Secondary high school chemistry teachers’ perspectives on the difficulties of teaching atomic structure and the periodic table: Views from Thailand and Kenya

Abstract

Our research study provides a glimpse into difficulties high school chemistry teachers in Thailand and Kenya encounter in classroom practice when addressing issues of learning atomic structure and the periodic table. In this paper, we focus on chemistry teachers’ reflections using surveys with questionnaires and interviews to learn about the difficulties they encounter in teaching basic concepts related to atomic structure and the periodic table in chemistry. We do not believe that teachers in Thailand and Kenya are different from those in the global community, but little data exists to support this claim especially with regard to rural areas. Our data is being used to design and create curriculum materials relevant to the teachers’ and students’ needs and we are planning to investigate its usefulness. Keywords: atomic structure, chemistry, Kenya, periodic table, teachers’ perspectives, Thailand