The Importance of Conceptual Prerequisites in Education: The Effect of Electronegativity Instruction on Understanding Hydrogen Bonding

Background and Objectives: Despite the importance of simultaneous instruction and adherence to conceptual prerequisites in learning certain fundamental chemistry concepts, fragmented or discontinuous teaching may lead to superficial learning. This study examined the effect of teaching the topic of electronegativity on the conceptual understanding of hydrogen bonding among pre-service chemistry education students, highlighting the necessity for integrated and continuous instruction of these two topics. Materials and Methods: This study was an applied, quasi-experimental research with a single-group pretest–posttest design, and census sampling was conducted on all 46 chemistry education students (2023 entry) from the two female and male campuses, including 23 females and 23 males, of Farhangian University of Zahedan. The research instrument was a 10-item multiple-choice test whose content validity was confirmed by 9 chemistry education experts (CVR = 1), and its reliability was established with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.803. The pre-test was administered, followed by a single 90-minute instructional session, and the post-test was conducted one month later. Data were analyzed using paired-sample t-tests and effect size (Cohen’s d) in SPSS. Findings: Statistical analyses indicated that conceptual and integrated instruction of electronegativity and hydrogen bonding had a significant positive effect on students’ conceptual understanding (t = 27.06, p < 0.05, d = 0.4). The improvement rate in most items was very high, and this instructional method addressed previous weaknesses, enhancing students’ mastery of the conceptual definition, formation conditions, and the combined effect of the number and strength of hydrogen bonds on the physical properties of molecules. Conclusion: The findings emphasize the necessity of adhering to conceptual prerequisites in chemistry education and recommend revising textbook content.