Relationship between student performance on conceptual and computational problems of chemical equilibrium

The main objective of this study is to compare student performance on problems requiring conceptual understanding or the use of algorithmic solution strategies, that is, computational problems. Seventy‐eight science major freshman students at the Universidad de Oriente (Venezuela) were tested to obtain information on various aspects of chemical equilibrium. Results obtained support the hypothesis that students who perform better on problems requiring conceptual understanding also perform significantly better on problems requiring manipulation of the data, that is, computational problems. If, in order to formulate physical theories, scientists generally follow the sequence: manipulation of the data —> conceptual understanding (cf. Hanson 1958: ‘conceptual gestalt'), it is suggested that solving computational problems before problems requiring conceptual understanding would be more conducive to learning, that is, the quantitative precedes the qualitative. Finally, this study has identified difficulties students have in understanding chemical equilibrium.