Think-Pair-Share Strategy and Achievement in Difficult Concepts in Chemistry Education: A Scoping Review

Think-Pair-Share Strategy and Achievement in Difficult Concepts in Chemistry Education: A Scoping Review

Winifred Ifeoma, Esiefa & Helen Drummond

Issue: Vol. 6 No. 12 2025 Article 18 pp.1466 – 1485
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.2025612 18| Published online 30th December, 2025.

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ABSTRACT

This study aimed to examine research literature on how the think-pair-share strategy affects teaching and learning of difficult chemistry concepts for academic achievement in secondary schools. A review of about 680 published articles from 2012 to 2024 was carried out. The articles were categorized into research focus, methods, teaching strategies, article focus and subjects. The article’s focus was further categorized into achievement, gender and sample size. The subject was further narrowed down to chemistry. The think-pair-share strategy has been found to improve academic achievement. The review indicated that the implementation of the think-pair-share strategy was carried out on a few chemistry concepts. It was observed that the sample sizes used in many of the studies were small and cannot be used to generalize to the population of students offering chemistry in secondary schools. The study also indicated that most of the studies did not consider that the effect of gender was significant. It is recommended that the think-pair-share strategy be recommended to education bodies, school administrators and teachers for inclusion as a teaching method in the curriculum. Table 1 provides a concise summary of the contribution of researchers to teaching strategies and thus forms a compendium for researchers to identify future research gaps and directions in teaching strategies. Analysis performed and results obtained from this study provide justification for the application of the think-pair-share strategy in secondary schools and a basis for inclusion in schools’ curriculum across the globe. This would improve understanding and achievement in difficult chemistry concepts.

Keywords: Chemistry education, Think-pair-share, Achievement, Difficult concepts in chemistry

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AUTHOR(S)

Esiefa, Winifred Ifeoma holds a Higher National Diploma in Chemistry/biochemistry, two postgraduate diplomas in Industrial Chemistry and Chemistry education, a Master’s degree in Chemistry education and is presently a doctoral student in Chemistry education at the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, South Africa. Her research interest spans Chemical education, analytical Chemistry and teaching methodologies.

Helen Drummond holds a BSc (Honours) degree from the University of Cape Town, M.Ed from the University of the Witwatersrand and a PhD from North-West University, all in South Africa. She has been at North-West University for over 40 years, where she lectured in Chemistry for 30 years before becoming dean and later deputy dean (teaching and learning) of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. She is currently the director of the Centre for Applied Radiation Science and Technology. Her research is in the field of chemical education.

TO CITE ARTICLE

Esiefa, Winifred Ifeoma and Helen Drummond. “Think-Pair-Share Strategy and Achievement in Difficult Concepts in Chemistry Education: A Scoping Review.” Journal of Education and Learning Technology 6, no. 12 (2025): 1466 – 1485. https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.202561218.