The findings are relevant to nursing education because chemistry provides foundational knowledge for understanding medications, nutrition, electrolytes, and other health-related processes. According to Santos and Cruz-Ocampo, strengthening students’ confidence in their chemistry abilities could be an important part of improving their academic performance.
Why Chemistry Matters in Nursing Education
Chemistry is an essential component of nursing education, but it can also be difficult for students because it requires conceptual understanding, mathematical problem-solving, scientific reasoning, and the ability to connect different principles.
For nursing students, chemistry is not an isolated subject. Its concepts support later learning in areas such as pharmacology, nutrition, and pathophysiology. However, academic performance may depend not only on intellectual ability but also on students’ confidence, emotional responses, and motivation.
Santos and Cruz-Ocampo focused on three factors: chemistry self-efficacy, chemistry anxiety, and learning motivation. Self-efficacy refers to students’ confidence in their ability to understand and complete chemistry-related tasks. Anxiety refers to feelings of fear or discomfort when dealing with chemistry. Motivation reflects students’ willingness and drive to learn the subject.
The authors also identified a research gap. Previous studies had often examined these factors separately or among general science students, while fewer studies had examined their combined relationship with chemistry achievement among nursing students.
How the Study Was Conducted
The research used a quantitative descriptive design and was conducted at Bulacan State University San Rafael Campus, located in Maguinao, San Rafael, Bulacan, Philippines. The participants were first-year nursing students enrolled during the 2026–2027 academic year.
The methodology section reports a population of 135 students and a sample of 102 students. Purposive sampling was used to select the nursing student population, while stratified sampling was used to represent three sections, with 34 students from each section.
Students completed questionnaires measuring self-efficacy, anxiety, and motivation. Their chemistry test scores were also collected. The researchers used averages and statistical regression analysis to examine the students’ levels and determine which factors were associated with chemistry achievement.
There is, however, a numerical inconsistency within the published article. While the methodology identifies 102 respondents, a later results table reports a total of 127 students, and the mediation analysis also identifies the sample as N=127. The article does not explain this difference.
Students Were Motivated but Not Highly Confident
The results reveal an important contrast. Nursing students showed high motivation to learn chemistry, but their chemistry self-efficacy was relatively low.
The overall self-efficacy score was 2.46, classified by the researchers as a slight extent. Students were most confident when using the periodic table, with a mean score of 2.91. They were less confident when explaining chemical laws and theories, which received the lowest score at 2.13.
The findings suggest that students were more comfortable with chemistry tasks involving concrete references and procedures than with abstract concepts requiring deeper explanation and interpretation.
Chemistry anxiety was measured at a moderate level, with an overall mean of 2.99. Students reported the greatest discomfort when they could not immediately understand a chemistry topic. That indicator received a mean score of 3.20. Anxiety was also associated with examinations, fear of failure, and encountering multiple chemistry topics at once.
At the same time, students demonstrated strong motivation, with an overall mean of 3.34. Their strongest motivation came from the desire to gain new knowledge, which received a mean of 3.69. Students also recognized chemistry as important for becoming competent nurses and believed the subject would benefit their future nursing practice.
Self-Efficacy Was the Significant Predictor
The students’ average chemistry achievement score was reported as 78.06, described by the researchers as relatively satisfactory. However, performance varied considerably between students, with a standard deviation of 12.55.
The regression analysis produced the study’s central finding. When self-efficacy, anxiety, and motivation were considered together, the three variables significantly explained differences in chemistry achievement.
When examined individually, however, only chemistry self-efficacy significantly predicted chemistry achievement.
Self-efficacy had a regression coefficient of 0.298 and a p-value of 0.002, indicating a statistically significant relationship in the model. Chemistry anxiety had a p-value of 0.983, while learning motivation had a p-value of 0.862, meaning neither was a significant individual predictor in the analysis.
The overall model produced an R² of 0.093, meaning the three variables together accounted for approximately 9.3% of the variation in chemistry achievement. The authors note that other factors may account for the remaining variation, including prior chemistry knowledge, study methods, teaching approaches, attendance, practical work, and individual abilities.
Additional mediation analysis found that learning motivation did not significantly mediate the relationship between chemistry self-efficacy and chemistry achievement. Self-efficacy remained significantly associated with achievement even after motivation was included in the model.
Implications for Nursing Education
The findings from R’mon Ian C. Santos and Maria Eliza P. Cruz-Ocampo suggest that improving chemistry achievement among nursing students may require more than increasing study materials or classroom instruction.
The researchers recommend educational programs designed to strengthen students’ chemistry self-efficacy, while also reducing anxiety and maintaining motivation. Practical learning activities, structured support, and opportunities for students to successfully apply chemistry concepts could help address the confidence gap identified in the study.
As Santos and Cruz-Ocampo emphasize, students with greater confidence in their chemistry abilities tend to perform better on chemistry-related tasks. Their findings therefore place student confidence at the center of efforts to strengthen chemistry learning among nursing students.
For nursing education, the finding is particularly relevant because students may already recognize the importance of chemistry but still struggle to believe they can master its more complex concepts. Addressing this difference between motivation and self-confidence could provide educators with another pathway for supporting academic achievement.
Author Profiles
Research Source
Article Title: Chemistry Self-Efficacy, Anxiety, and Learning Motivation as Predictors of Chemistry Achievement among Nursing Student in One University in Bulacan
Authors: R’mon Ian C. Santos and Maria Eliza P. Cruz-Ocampo
Journal: Formosa Journal of Science and Technology (FJST)
Publication: Volume 5, No. 9, 2026, pp. 2401–2416
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/fjst.v5i9.153
Official Journal URL: https://journalfjst.my.id/index.php/fjst
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