General chemistry courses have a high potential for exclusionary outcomes as a result of students’ varying degrees of preparation in mathematics. Prior work identifies the topics of mole concept and stoichiometry as inequitably challenging to chemistry students of relatively low math aptitude scores who are more likely to obtain a “D”, “F”, or withdrawal in first-semester chemistry courses. Chemists often use alphanumeric representations such as chemical formulae and equations to communicate necessary information for the calculation of entities at the microscopic level. A multi-method study was conducted using assessment response data for a cohort of 2,406 first-semester general chemistry students and their response processes collected via post-assessment cognitive elaboration survey data and triangulated with narrative analyses attained via semi-structured think-aloud interviews conducted with 10 students of low math aptitude. Students, in general, and particularly those of low scores on cognitive measures of math aptitude were found to experience little difficulty with the mathematical operations in these items but struggled with interpreting chemical formulas and equations. Findings will be summarized to address the impact of assessment design on differential performance for chemistry students of inequitable mathematics preparation.

Adapting chemistry assessments for greater equitability among cohorts of differential preparation in mathematics

2019 Spring National Meeting

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