The analysis, synthesis and transformation of chemical substances have many benefits and consequences for modern societies. However, social, political, economic, and environmental considerations must be taken into account when making decisions about the use of chemical products and processes. It stands to reason that there would be contextual and cultural differences in how students think about these as they progress through training as chemists. Learning progressions map the development of understanding of core concepts and practices over long periods of time. It is generally assumed that a learning progression, if well validated, holds true across cultures and contexts, as scientific knowledge should transcend such differences. To explore the role that culture and context may play in pathways of students along a learning progression of chemical thinking, or in the learning progression itself, undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty at universities in the US and Costa Rica were interviewed about a chemical design problem involving the selection of a fuel to power a motorized vehicle. Interviews, in English or Spanish, probed participants' thinking about ways in which fuels differ and what economic, environmental, social, political, ethical and moral factors participants viewed as important to consider in decision-making. Transcribed interviews were coded to distinguish levels of conceptual sophistication in underlying implicit assumptions, from intuitive to academic, that constrain chemical thinking along two hypothesized progress variables of chemical thinking: chemical identity (types of matter, and cues for differentiating them) and benefits-costs-risks (effects of using and producing matter). Tracks along which assumptions appear to evolve were identified separately in the data sets from each country, and then compared. Results will be presented on similarities and differences that emerged, with implications for instructional decision-making and curricular planning in chemistry that may be more inclusive of the diversity of students preparing to become chemists.

Cultural and contextual differences in US vs. Costa Rican undergraduate students' chemical thinking

247th National Meeting (2014)

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