TY - JOUR
T1 - Uncovering Chemical Thinking in Students' Decision Making
T2 - A Fuel-Choice Scenario
AU - Banks, Gregory
AU - Clinchot, Michael
AU - Cullipher, Steven
AU - Huie, Robert
AU - Lambertz, Jennifer
AU - Lewis, Rebecca
AU - Ngai, Courtney
AU - Sevian, Hannah
AU - Szteinberg, Gabriela
AU - Talanquer, Vicente
AU - Weinrich, Melissa
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 The American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
PY - 2015/6/25
Y1 - 2015/6/25
N2 - Making decisions about the production and use of chemical substances is of central importance in many fields. In this study, a research team comprising teachers and educational researchers collaborated in collecting and analyzing cognitive interviews with students from 8th grade through first-year university general chemistry in an effort to map progression in students' ability to make decisions about the consequences of using and producing chemicals. Study participants were asked to explain their reasoning about which fuel would be best to power a small vehicle. Data were analyzed using a "chemical thinking" lens to characterize conceptual sophistication and complexity of reasoning. Results revealed that most reasoning was intuitive in conceptual sophistication and relational in argumentative nature, driven by the consequences of using the fuels based on their composition. Implications are discussed for the design of learning experiences and assessments that better support students' development of decision-making using chemical knowledge.
AB - Making decisions about the production and use of chemical substances is of central importance in many fields. In this study, a research team comprising teachers and educational researchers collaborated in collecting and analyzing cognitive interviews with students from 8th grade through first-year university general chemistry in an effort to map progression in students' ability to make decisions about the consequences of using and producing chemicals. Study participants were asked to explain their reasoning about which fuel would be best to power a small vehicle. Data were analyzed using a "chemical thinking" lens to characterize conceptual sophistication and complexity of reasoning. Results revealed that most reasoning was intuitive in conceptual sophistication and relational in argumentative nature, driven by the consequences of using the fuels based on their composition. Implications are discussed for the design of learning experiences and assessments that better support students' development of decision-making using chemical knowledge.
KW - Chemical Education Research
KW - Elementary/Middle School Science
KW - High School/Introductory Chemistry
KW - Problem Solving/Decision-Making
KW - Testing/Assessment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84944191283&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84944191283&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1021/acs.jchemed.5b00119
DO - 10.1021/acs.jchemed.5b00119
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84944191283
SN - 0021-9584
VL - 92
SP - 1610
EP - 1618
JO - Journal of Chemical Education
JF - Journal of Chemical Education
IS - 10
ER -