Success in sophomore organic chemistry is influenced by a number of factors, including a student's ability to comprehend and use mechanisms. Students' ability to correctly use mechanisms is affected, in turn, by their understanding of foundational concepts taught in general chemistry courses, such as electronegativity, Lewis structures, and acid/base concepts. We are currently developing a project to examine students' understanding of one of these foundational topics�acid/base concepts�and how students' understanding of that foundational topic changes as they progress from general to organic chemistry. As part of that project, we have developed interview guides designed to elicit students' understandings of acid/base concepts from multiple perspectives. We have also developed instructor interview guides that will allow us to examine how instructors' expectations for student learning about acid/base concepts change as students progress from general to organic chemistry. In this presentation, we will discuss the interview guides and their development.

Developing interview guides to investigate instructors' and students' perceptions of acid/base concepts in general and organic chemistry

245th National Meeting (2013)

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