Initial Exploration of Factors Affecting University Students’ Performance in First–Year Physical Chemistry

This study, conducted with 70 science majors at a Caribbean university, explores factors affecting first–year chemistry performance, a concern for STEM degree requirements globally. Using an adapted version of the Chemistry Attitudes and Experiences Questionnaire (CAEQ), the research delves into the correlations among high school chemistry performance, attitudes–toward–chemistry, chemistry self–efficacy, university chemistry learning experiences, and students’ performance on a physical chemistry module. The findings reveal consistently positive pre- and post–test attitudes and self–efficacy, with no statistically significant differences. While no significant relationship was found between students’ attitudes and their academic performance, weak correlations emerged between the students’ performance on the physical chemistry module and their self–efficacy and learning experiences. A moderately significant correlation was also identified between high school chemistry achievement and first–year physical chemistry module scores. These findings offer insights for refining matriculation criteria and designing targeted interventions to better support incoming students in science programs.