The Application and Practice of SPA Big Ideas Teaching in University Organic Chemistry: Cultivating Systems Thinking and Enhancing Chemistry Core Competencies

This study introduces an innovative “SPA” (Structure–Property–Application) Big Ideas teaching approach in university organic chemistry, aimed at enhancing students’ systems thinking (ST) and chemical core competencies. The structured method, consisting of five phases─Scientific Research, Problem Solving, Interdisciplinary Connections, Application, and Assessment and Reflection─has led to significant improvements in students’ chemical core competencies and ST skills. Quantitatively, students showed substantial gains in chemical core competencies such as Macroscopic Identification and Microscopic Analysis, Evidence-Based Reasoning and Modeling, Changes and Equilibrium, Scientific Inquiry and Innovation, and Scientific Attitudes and Social Responsibility, as suggested by t tests. In terms of systems thinking, postimplementation assessments revealed a shift toward higher proficiency levels. Notably, the proportion of students scoring in the intermediate range (8–9.99) increased from 30% to 50%, and those in the advanced range (10–12) rose from 10% to 23%. These results suggest that the SPA framework may have a positive influence on advancing students’ ST skills. The SPA Big Ideas teaching approach may hold potential for enhancing students’ core competencies and ST skills. However, the findings should be interpreted with caution due to the absence of a control group. Future research should aim to address this limitation to provide more conclusive evidence of the approach’s effectiveness.