A quantitative study using a descriptive design was conducted to answer the research objectives. Data collection
was carried out using a paper-and-pencil test. The test was developed by the researcher, and consists of problems in
the forms of algorithms, conceptual problems and open-ended problems. Each item was checked by experts such as
classroom teachers and the lecturer for content-validity purposes. The test was divided into three sections, namely
algorithms, conceptual problems and open-ended problems. This research involved 248 college students (39 males,
209 females) enrolled in the Undergraduate Programme of M
athematics Education (minor in Chemistry) in
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Data was collected in semester II, 2011/2012. The test was administered to students
during the 13
th
week of the chemistry class in semester II of academic year 2011-2012. Questions on calculation
were given in section A. The items in Section B comprised two multiple-choice questions where students had to select the correct answer to a particular situation. For the open-ended question, students had to solve real-life
problems based on their conceptual understanding of chemistry. This type of question requires the student to use
their higher-level thinking skills. All the data collected was analysed using Statistic Packages for Social Sciences
Version 15.0 for Windows (SPSS). Descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage
were used to analyse the
data. The data analysis was carried out by marking the answer given by the respondents to classify their level of
achievement. The students’ level of chemistry achievement can be split into 2 categories based on the Malaysian
Ministry of Education’s procedure for assessment: a score of 40% and above is considered to be a pass, and the
student is considered to have a higher level of understanding in a particular subject. A student with a score of below
40% is considered to have a lower level of understanding of the subject.