THE SURVEY OF 10th GRADE STUDENTS' INTEREST IN LEARNING CHEMISTRY AT PHU BAI HIGH SCHOOL IN HUE: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

DOI: 10.18173/2354-1075.2026-0017

Abstract

Under the 2018 General Education Program in Vietnam, Chemistry has transitioned into an elective subject at the upper secondary level. Despite its importance, student enrollment has declined, largely due to perceptions of the subject as abstract and cognitively demanding. This study investigates the learning interest in Chemistry among 62 tenth-grade students at Phu Bai High School (Hue) and examines the influence of gender and academic proficiency. A 13-item questionnaire encompassing four components - emotion, value, understanding, and participation - was administered using a 5-point Likert scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS, employing descriptive statistics and the MannWhitney U test. The results indicate a moderate to high level of interest; while academic level significantly influenced self-perceived competence, gender showed no significant effect. These findings emphasize the necessity of experiential pedagogical approaches, such as animated visualizations and microscale experiments, to further bolster student engagement. Although limited in scope, this study provides a foundational basis for further research on Chemistry education in the Vietnamese context.