Investigating the contemporary teaching approaches and technological integration in organic chemistry instruction in selected Rwandan secondary schools

Effective organic chemistry instruction necessitates an adaptable approach that accommodates varied learning styles and improves students' comprehension of concepts. To attain this goal, teachers may employ visualization, molecular modeling, and interactive software to explain three-dimensional structures and spatial interactions. Thus, the objective of this research is to investigate present pedagogical methods and evaluate the use of technology in teaching organic chemistry in selected Rwandan secondary schools. This study adopted a convergent parallel research design, where both quantitative and qualitative data were collected simultaneously and analyzed separately. A sample of 60 chemistry teachers from two districts, one rural and one urban, and only five students were involved in the study. Quantitative data were gathered through the utilization of questionnaires, augmented by the comprehensive classroom observation protocol, recognized as the Teaching Dimensions Observation Protocol (TDOP). Qualitative insights, on the other hand, were acquired through structured interviews. The analysis of the data encompassed both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that lecture while writing (LW) was the most widely used instructional method, accounting for 10.8% of cases, followed by Small group work/discussion SGW, with 10% of cases. In terms of technology integration in organic chemistry instruction, the use of instructional technology such as YouTube videos (M), simulations (SI) and websites (WEB) were found to be minimal, with 1, 2, and 1%, respectively. However, the inferential statistics revealed no significant difference in the use of technology in teaching organic chemistry between teachers depending on their location (rural vs. urban) (df = 1, p > .05) and gender (df = 1, p > .05). On the other hand, the study identified challenges including limited access to technology, underlining the importance of adequate technological resources and incorporating technology in organic chemistry instruction. It also advised employing novel teaching approach, like multimedia-supported flipped classroom approach, that can help to boost students' understanding of organic chemistry concepts.