Changing Undergraduate Chemistry Instruction Through Discovery Learning: A Look at Student Performance and Attitudes
This is considered an exploratory study that may lay the ground for a more rigorous assessment of the efficacy of the Reformed Chemistry Program. The study uses a descriptive approach, examining changes in performance and attitudes for students and TAs participating in two chemistry courses over the Fall and Winter semesters of the 2006-07 academic year. Performance is examined in terms of retention, final exam scores, grades, and percent passing the course with a grade of "C" or better. Performance data are compared for before and after POGIL was initiated.
Attitude data were examined through a specially developed pre/post assessment tool that examined students' attitudes in the following areas: attitudes toward chemistry and perceptions of self as a chemistry learner, attitudes toward a range of traditional and reformed instructional approaches, and interest in continuing to take chemistry courses and pursue Chemistry as a career. A limitation to this study is the lack of comparable attitudinal data from a comparison group participating in chemistry taught through the traditional approach.
Student responses were disaggregated by major and previous experience with Reformed Chemistry. Where students participated in two semesters of Chemistry comparisons were made between their first and second semester responses. Preparations were made to obtain data on a variety of student characteristics such as race, gender, SAT scores, undergraduate status, etc that could be used to further explore differences by student group.
Surveys for TAs explored their understanding of the discovery learning process, their preparation to teach in the discovery learning mode, their opinions of various traditional and reformed teaching techniques, and their interest in continuing to use the discovery approach. In keeping with the exploratory nature of the work, the data analysis consisted of summary statistics and changes in statistics over time.
