Jennifer E. Lewis

Predicting at-risk students in general chemistry: comparing formal thought to a general achievement measure

This study is an investigation into the ability of pre-assessment measures of formal thought ability and general achievement to predict students at-risk of poor performance in college- level general chemistry. Over a three year period, data on formal thought ability (as measured by the Test of Logical Thinking, or TOLT) and/or general achievement (as measured by the Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT) was collected from over 3000 students as they entered a general chemistry course. The outcome measure was an American Chemical Society general chemistry exam at the end of the course. Findings indicate that both the formal thought and the general achievement measure can successfully identify at-risk students in this setting, with neither measure being superior in doing so. The presence of distinct groups of students correctly predicted to be at-risk by only one of the measures demonstrates that formal thought ability and general achievement each represent an independent hindrance to success in chemistry. Therefore, efforts to help at-risk students should include a focus on the development of formal thought as well as a content review. [Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 2007, 8 (1), 32-51]

College students’ attitudes toward chemistry, conceptual knowledge and achievement: structural equation model analysis

Students’ success in introductory college-level chemistry courses is important for them to continue to more advanced science courses and to progress toward science-related careers. Previous studies indicate that both cognitive and non-cognitive variables are relevant for student success. In this study, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to predict students’ achievement in chemistry from both cognitive (math ability, prior conceptual knowledge in chemistry) and non-cognitive (attitude toward chemistry) measures. The purpose of this study is to investigate which of three alternative SEM models best represents the relationships among these variables and achievement in chemistry, and what proportion of variance in chemistry achievement can be explained. Results provide support for using a SEM model with all three predictors, with 69% of the variance in chemistry achievement explained. Both prior conceptual knowledge and attitude toward chemistry contribute a significant unique portion to the prediction of chemistry achievement when controlling for math ability. The results suggest that instructors can improve students’ achievement in chemistry not only by focusing on helping them to build conceptual knowledge, but also by fostering their positive attitude toward chemistry. This study also has implications for SEM researchers, both to further replicate the study in other contexts, and to add other potentially relevant predictors. Instrument developers may also use the modeling strategy as a springboard for optimizing assessment tools.

Enhancing the role of assessment in curriculum reform in chemistry

The role of assessment in the chemistry classroom is ultimately tied to the nature of the assessments available for use. Because they provide data that can inform decisions about curricular changes, or new pedagogies, the incorporation of new assessment strategies can play an important role in how educational and curriculum reform is carried out. Several recent developments in assessment have been tied together to investigate the benefits of using multiple assessment strategies in decision making about teaching innovation. These new tools include measures of student problem solving, metacognition, cognitive development within the chemistry content at the college level and evaluation of students in affective aspects of learning. Summaries of how these new tools may be combined and what measures arise from such combinations are presented.

Identification of Threshold Concepts for Biochemistry

This study describes an iterative process involving faculty and students to identify potential threshold concepts for biochemistry.

Uncovering students' incorrect ideas about foundational concepts for biochemistry

This paper presents preliminary data on how an assessment instrument with a unique structure can be used to identify common incorrect ideas from prior coursework at the beginning of a biochemistry course, and to determine whether these ideas have changed by the end of the course. The twenty-one multiple-choice items address seven different concepts, with a parallel structure for distractors across each set of items to capture consistent incorrect responses. For the current study, the instrument was administered as a pre-test and post-test in majors level biochemistry courses, and the results from two different groups are presented. These results indicated that students performed better on the post-test, resulting in positive mean gain scores for each concept. The structure of the instrument allows data analysis that helped uncover persistent incorrect ideas for some of the concepts, including bond energy and protein alpha helix structure, even after a semester of instruction in biochemistry. The persistent incorrect idea for the protein alpha helix structure uncovered by this assessment has not been reported before in the literature. These results confirm the need to use a robust diagnostic instrument to assess students’ understanding of basic concepts at the beginning of the semester, but also stress the need to assess students near the end of the course to gain insight on the effectiveness of instruction. Since each group of students is different, biochemistry instructors are encouraged to use the instrument to identify problems with their own students’ incoming ideas rather than rely on published results to inform instruction. In addition to providing assistance for instructors of biochemistry in planning targeted instructional interventions, we anticipate that data collected from this instrument can also be used to identify potential modifications for prerequisite courses.

Exploration of peer leader verbal behaviors as they intervene with small groups in college general chemistry

Current literature has emphasized the lack of research into verbal behaviors of teachers as a barrier to understanding the effectiveness of instructional interventions. This study focuses on the verbal behaviors of peer leaders, who serve as de facto teachers in a college chemistry teaching reform based on cooperative learning. Video data obtained throughout a semester of General Chemistry I from two different peer leaders, each interacting with a different group of students, was subjected to two rounds of qualitative data analysis. First, Toulmins argumentation scheme was used to characterize the arguments constructed by group members during peer leader intervention. Next, verbal behaviors exhibited by the peer leaders during intervention were examined. Findings of this study showed that peer leaders used an array of verbal behaviors to guide students to build chemistry knowledge, and that a relationship existed between student argument components and peer leader verbal behaviors, with data most frequently emerging in response to short questions from the peer leader, and warrants in response to probing and clarifying questions. The findings from this study have implications for professional development of teachers at all levels, specifically for demonstrating the interplay between group intervention strategies and student discourse within cooperative learning groups.

Unifying Themes in Moral Reasoning on Socioscientific Issues and Discourse

It is clear from the research reviewed in this volume that current reforms in science education are calling for increased curricular emphasis on the nature of science (NOS) (Abd-El-Khalick, Bell & Lederman, 1998; Abd-El-Khalick & Lederman (2000) and scientific inquiry (NRC, 2000). In particular, students are expected to develop an understanding of the epistemology of scientific knowledge as well as the processes/methods used to develop such knowledge. Among other reform imperatives, ensuring that students gain an understanding of science as a “way of knowing” is believed to be absolutely necessary if students are to make informed decisions regarding the scientifically-based personal and societal issues with which they are increasingly confronted in a modern, technologically-advanced society. At the present time, ozone depletion, recycling, genetic engineering, alternative forms of energy and other environmental and health issues are part of the daily buzz. Successful advertising campaigns have urged consumers to choose “environmentally-friendly” products. Even something as fundamental as the food we eat has become a socioscientific issue, as an almost bewildering array of competing diet books claims support from the most up-to-date scientific findings. Society believes that scientific progress comes with consequences and requires hard decisions, as reflected in television dramas highlighting advances in medical technology by spotlighting ethical questions (Who deserves treatment? Should this little girl be saved?) The media melodrama merely amplifies a societal concern for pressing socioscientific questions: When does life begin? Should research for human benefit be conducted at any cost on other animals? How should we allocate scarce

Probing and improving student's understanding of protein α‐helix structure using targeted assessment and classroom interventions in collaboration with a faculty community of practice

The increasing availability of concept inventories and other assessment tools in the molecular life sciences provides instructors with myriad avenues to probe student understanding. For example, although molecular visualization is central to the study of biochemistry, a growing body of evidence suggests that students have substantial limitations in their ability to recognize and interpret basic features of biological macromolecules. In this study, a pre/posttest administered to students at diverse institutions nationwide revealed a robust incorrect idea about the location of the amino acid side chains in the protein α‐helix structure. Because this incorrect idea was present even after a semester of biochemistry instruction at a range of institutions, an intervention was necessary. A community of expert biochemistry instructors collaborated to design two active learning classroom activities that systematically examine α‐helix structure and function. Several participating faculty used one or both of the activities in their classrooms and some improvement of student understanding of this concept was observed. This study provides a model of how a community of instructors can work together using assessment data to inform targeted changes in instruction with the goal of improving student understanding of fundamental concepts.

Development and evaluation of a chemistry-specific version of the academic motivation scale (AMS-Chemistry)

Fundamentally concerned with motivation, self-determination theory (SDT) represents a framework of several mini-theories to explore how social context interacts with peoples motivational types categorized by degree of regulation internalization. This paper aims to modify an existing theory-based instrument (Academic Motivation Scale, or AMS) and provide validity evidence for the modified instrument (Academic Motivation Scale-Chemistry) as a measure of seven types of student motivation toward chemistry. The paper explores how motivation as measured by AMS-Chemistry is related to student academic achievement and attendance. In a pilot study, the unmodified AMS showed good reliability, reasonable data fit, and the ability to detect motivational differences by sex in college chemistry courses. Based on the pilot study results, expert panel discussions, and cognitive interviews with students, the Academic Motivation Scale – Chemistry (AMS-Chemistry) was developed. AMS-Chemistry was administered to university students in a first semester general chemistry course twice within a semester. An examination of validity evidence suggested that the AMS-Chemistry data could be used to investigate student motivation toward chemistry. Results showed students were extrinsically motivated toward chemistry on average, and there was an overall motivational difference favoring males with a medium effect size. Correlation studies showed motivation was not associated with academic achievement at the beginning of the term, but intrinsic motivation subscales (to know, to experience, and to accomplish) were positively associated with academic achievement at the end of the term. Results also showed that students who persisted in class attendance scored higher on intrinsic motivation subscales than those who did not persist. The 28-item AMS-Chemistry is easy to administer and can be used to better understand students’ motivation status and how it might change across the curriculum. Faculty interested in promoting student intrinsic motivation may also use the AMS-Chemistry to evaluate the impact of their efforts.

Evaluating student motivation in organic chemistry courses: moving from a lecture-based to a flipped approach with peer-led team learning

Academic Motivation Scale-Chemistry (AMS-Chemistry), an instrument based on the self-determination theory, was used to evaluate students’ motivation in two organic chemistry courses, where one course was primarily lecture-based and the other implemented flipped classroom and peer-led team learning (Flip–PLTL) pedagogies. Descriptive statistics showed that students in both courses were more extrinsically motivated and their motivation moved in negative directions across the semester. Factorial multivariate analysis of covariance revealed a main effect of pedagogical approach. Students in the Flip–PLTL environment were significantly more motivated toward chemistry at the end of the semester while controlling for the motivation pre-test scores; however, there was no evidence for a sex main effect or an interaction effect between sex and pedagogical approach. Correlation results revealed variable relationships between motivation subscales and academic achievement at different time points. In general, intrinsic motivation subscales were significantly and positively correlated with student academic achievement; Amotivation was negatively correlated with academic achievement. The findings in this study showed the importance of Flip–PLTL pedagogies in improving student motivation toward chemistry.