The Proficiency-Motivation Divide: Insights from a Senior High Chemistry Needs Assessment

Abstract

A needs assessment serves as a critical strategic framework for informing pedagogical innovation and guiding curriculum development. In this context, the study evaluated the chemistry proficiency of Grade 11 learners across selected community high schools, identified their least mastered learning competencies and associated topic domains, assessed their motivation toward learning chemistry, and examined the relationship between proficiency and motivation. Results revealed a substantial gap in conceptual mastery: of the 371 participants, 238 learners (64.1%) were classified in the “needs improvement” category, while only 24 learners (6.5%) attained a “proficient” rating. These findings indicate that the majority of students experience pronounced difficulties in comprehending foundational chemistry principles, particularly in core areas such as scientific investigation, substances and mixtures, and differentiating elements from compounds. Moreover, complex and abstract domains, including the periodic table of elements, chemical bonding, chemical reactions, and quantitative processes such as the mole concept and gas laws, remain largely unmastered. Despite these challenges, learners exhibited noteworthy motivation, with 121 respondents (32.3%) reporting high motivation and only 4.0% indicating low motivation; notably, no students fell into the “very low” category. This pattern suggests that students retain a resilient intrinsic drive to engage with the subject matter even when confronted with cognitive challenges. Nevertheless, statistical analysis revealed no significant relationship between chemistry proficiency and motivation, implying that intrinsic drive alone is insufficient to surmount the inherent complexities of the chemistry curriculum. These findings underscore the necessity for targeted instructional interventions and scaffolded pedagogical strategies designed to bridge conceptual gaps and promote deeper understanding.