Resumen de Divergence of Faculty Perceptions of General Chemistry and Problem Solving Skills
General Chemistry, as it is taught in most colleges and universities in North America, is a service course. The primary direction for improvements in this course inevitably must arise from the chemists who teach it. One might sensibly argue, however, that defining appropriate parameters for input from the faculty whose majors take the course should be an important component of reform efforts. The importance of investigating the differences in perception between Engineering faculty members and Chemistry faculty members is described in this paper by noting the nature of problem solving in General Chemistry. A small study reported here appears to reveal that in some ways the view of problem solving is significantly different between chemistry faculty and our clients (the engineers). Noting these differences can help direct the development of materials and teaching strategies that will enhance learning for a significant constituency of the general chemistry course, pre-engineering students.
