Assessing Student Understanding of General Chemistry with Concept Mapping

Francisco, Joseph S.; Nakhleh, Mary B.; Nurrenbern, Susan C.; Miller, Matthew

doi:10.1021/ed079p248

Cited by 68 publications

(69 citation statements)

References 14 publications

(22 reference statements)

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“…Results showed that students' level of differentiation, degree of connectivity among nodes, and the use of abstract concepts related to chemical processes increased with schooling. Wilson concluded that knowledge becomes more organized and interrelated with increasing expertise in a domain, corroborating previous expert‐novice results in other domains such as biology (Dauer, Momsen, Speth, Makohon‐Moore, & Long, ; Pearsall, Skipper, & Mintzes, ), chemistry (Francisco, Nakhleh, Nurrenbern, & Miller, ; Ruiz‐Primo, Schultz, Li, & Shavelson, ), engineering (Segalàs, Ferrer‐Balas, & Mulder, ), and medical education (Daley & Torre, ; West, Pomeroy, & Park, ).…”

Section: Background Literaturesupporting

confidence: 75%

Ethnically diverse students' knowledge structures in first‐semester organic chemistry

et al. 2014

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Chemistry courses remain a challenge for many undergraduate students. In particular, firstsemester organic chemistry has been labeled as a gatekeeper with high attrition rates, especially among students of color. Our study examines a key factor related to conceptual understanding in science and predictive of course outcomes-knowledge structures. Previous research on knowledge structures has focused on differences between experts and novices. Given the increasing ethnic diversity of college classrooms and research indicating unique differences in certain higher order cognitive processes associated cultural practices and ethnicity, it is important to investigate whether similar patterns exist with respect to knowledge structures. Our study utilized concept maps to measure knowledge structures. Two separate analyses where performed to determine whether or not ethnically diverse students' organize their knowledge of organic chemistry content in structurally different ways. The first analysis utilized concept map proposition scoring to examine the influence of prior science achievement and ethnicity on knowledge structures. The second analysis examined holistic map structures to determine whether or not ethnically diverse students show qualitatively distinct structures overall. Results show significant mean differences on concept map proposition scores related to both prior science achievement and ethnic group membership. However, examination of holistic structures revealed that students' qualitative holistic structures did not vary by ethnic group membership. Taken together, our findings suggest that variation in students' knowledge structures are related to prior science achievement across ethnic groups, not qualitative differences in the ways ethnically diverse students' structure knowledge. Implications for teaching and learning in organic chemistry are discussed. #

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Section: Background Literaturesupporting

confidence: 75%

Ethnically diverse students' knowledge structures in first‐semester organic chemistry

et al. 2014

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“…Observing the mean values for the students' achievement in [LQs] and [SSynQs] (Table 2), it was noted that students from both groups achieved better scores on conventional, linear questions, [LQs], than on systemically oriented questions, [SSynQs]. In order to explain these results, we have connected our findings with Francisco et al (2002) findings on students' achievement in concept maps chemistry problems. These authors (Francisco et al, 2002) stated that students need to organize their knowledge structure in appropriate way in order to successfully solve such problems.…”

Section: Analysis Of the Students' Achievementmentioning

confidence: 52%

“…In order to explain these results, we have connected our findings with Francisco et al (2002) findings on students' achievement in concept maps chemistry problems. These authors (Francisco et al, 2002) stated that students need to organize their knowledge structure in appropriate way in order to successfully solve such problems. Respectively, [SSynQs] could be successfully solved only if students have fully constructed meaningful understanding of concept.…”

Section: Analysis Of the Students' Achievementmentioning

confidence: 77%

The influence of instructional method on students' achievement and mental effort: Systemic versus traditional approach in secondary organic chemistry teaching

Hrin¹,

Segedinac²,

Milenković³

et al. 2015

Nastava i vaspitanje

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“…It is a way of representing relations between ideas, images or words, in the same way that a sentence diagram represents the grammar of a sentence. Concept maps provide an excellent tool for students to generate meaningful connections between chemical concepts and they provide information about students' conceptual understanding, (Francisco, Nakhleh, Nurrenbern & Miller 2002;Cardellini, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Efficacy of Concept Mapping Instructional Strategy in Remedying Students' Problem-Solving Difficulties in Stoichiometry

Gongden¹,

Delmang²

2016

Afr. Res. Rev.

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Concept mapping strategy has been found to be effective in science education. However, its comparative effect in remedying male and female students' problemsolving difficulties in stoichiometric tasks has not been documented. The study aimed at finding the role of concept mapping in remedying students' problem-solving AFRREV, 10 (2), S/NO 41, APRIL, 2016 145 Copyright © IAARR, 2007-2016 difficulties in stoichiometry. The pre-test-post-test-control group design was employed. 60 male and female students were randomly selected, pretested and assigned into control and concept mapping groups. The control group was taught using lecture method, while the experimental group was taught using concept mapping. A Stoichiometric Problem Solving Test (SPST) was developed and used. Analyses of post-test mean scores using t-test (α = 0.05) showed that there was a significant difference between the post-test means scores of students taught stoichiometry using concept mapping strategy and those in the control. No significant difference between the post-test means scores of male and female students taught using concept mapping strategy was found. The efficacy of concept mapping strategy in enhancing students' problem solving ability in stoichiometry among male and female students was therefore established. The study recommended the use of concept mapping strategy by chemistry teachers to teach stoichiometry to improve problem solving among male and female students.

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Assessing Student Understanding of General Chemistry with Concept Mapping

Cited by 68 publications

References 14 publications

Ethnically diverse students' knowledge structures in first‐semester organic chemistry

Ethnically diverse students' knowledge structures in first‐semester organic chemistry

The influence of instructional method on students' achievement and mental effort: Systemic versus traditional approach in secondary organic chemistry teaching

The Efficacy of Concept Mapping Instructional Strategy in Remedying Students' Problem-Solving Difficulties in Stoichiometry

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