General Chemistry I is currently done by students in their first or second year depending on their course diet schedules. Typically students are enrolled in science-based programs such as Medical Technology, Science and Education, Applied Science, Dietetics and Nutrition and Engineering.  Over the last five years, the pass rate has ranged between 30-50%. Attempts at intervention have included tutor centers, team teaching and lab reorganization. This was based on the accepted pedagogical approach that students needed to interface with the material more frequently in smaller groups and that adopting different instructional strategies that cater to different learning styles would be adequate. In essence the approach was to reorganize how the teaching was done as opposed to what is being taught. However, data collected through routine course assessments by students revealed feelings of helplessness, being overwhelmed, irrelevance of the material to the 'real world' or their area of study, the considerable gap between secondary and tertiary level education and the concomitant perception being distant from the reality. As a result, it is clear that departmental policy is lacking as these mitigating factors that pertained to the social and academic well-being of the students had not previously been considered. Against the background of changes in the students demographic, there is an obvious need to adopt a leadership approach to policy that engages them on all levels such that their academic attainment is positively affected.

Shifting the narrative: Leadership for student engagement and attainment, a case study of 1<sup>st</sup> year General Chemistry university students

248th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.

Shifting the narrative: Leadership for student engagement and attainment, a case study of 1st year General Chemistry university students

Shifting the narrative: Leadership for student engagement and attainment, a case study of 1^st year General Chemistry university students