As opposed to maths and biology, which have very straightforward answers and thinking patterns, chemistry is often a very confusing and non-intuitive subjects. As opposed to Physics, Chemistry has a packed full and often ambiguous syllabus, so often is very difficult for tutors and even teachers to thoroughly cover the scope of the course. This leads to many students seeking tutoring in Chemistry. Chemistry students of mine have been excelling in maths but still struggling with Chemistry. This is because the steps that seem logical and intuitive in math subjects are not so straightforward and easy to see, especially with the design of the y12 syllabus.

Often students have very different ways of understanding ideas, and what one student of mine thinks is a great explanation of a topic could be very confusing to another. I believe chemistry really brings out the extremes of each persons learning styles. This is why it is so important to deeply understand each students approach to different types of problems, in order to not confuse students unnecessarily. Some students may prefer physical models, which could be shown by drawing or using props, in order to understand concepts. Other students may have great mental visualisation, which is very important for the understanding of chemistry, but struggle with the steps of the mathematical calculations needed to understand reaction processes.

Often, the results of laboratories or theory taught in the HSC Chemistry Curriculum is the opposite of what students may naturally lean towards, making it a truly difficult subject to teach, and essential to know your students very well.

Katie Waller