Unveiling the Chemistry Connection: How General Chemistry Courses Shape Students’ Perceptions of Science and Chemistry

Abstract Many students begin their college journey with the intention of pursuing STEM majors, but along the way, they decide to switch paths. One course that often plays a key role in this decision is General Chemistry. It is a required course for many STEM majors and is usually described as a “gatekeeper” course. Due to its significance, this exploratory study examines closely how students perceive both science in general and chemistry in particular and also their attitude towards science through their experience in the General Chemistry course (CHEM 1). Understanding how students feel about this field and what influences those feelings can help us create more effective learning environments that keep students engaged in STEM. We used the mATSI survey to measure students’ attitudes toward science at the beginning and end of the semester. Responses from 841 students in the pre-survey and 643 students in the post-survey were analyzed by gender and the course instructor using ANOVA, a parametric statistical method. Attitudes were measured across four constructs: desire to do science, anxiety toward science, self-efficacy, and the value of science to society. Results showed that male students reported lower levels of science anxiety and higher levels of self-efficacy than female students. While no significant differences were observed among instructors at the beginning of the semester, significant instructor-related differences emerged in the post-survey. Additional questions were included in the post-survey to examine how students’ perceptions of science and chemistry changed after completing CHEM I. Findings revealed that students generally held more positive perceptions of science than chemistry. Course instructors were identified as the primary influence on positive perceptions, whereas exams and course assessments were the main factors contributing to negative perceptions. These insights showed the need to re-evaluate the structure of chemistry courses. If instructors can focus on the most essential concepts, reduce unnecessary content overload, and design fairer assessments, students may begin to see chemistry in a more positive light. In turn, this could encourage more of them to remain in STEM and help strengthen the pipeline for future scientists.