As with any field of scientific research, the ability to draw meaningful conclusions in chemistry education research (CER) is dependent on the use of appropriate research methods, including the selection of measurement instruments (e.g., tests, surveys, concept inventories, etc.) that will generate high quality data. Over the last few decades, CER has increasingly adopted measurement standards used in other areas of educational and psychological research. With these standards comes an understanding of critical information to provide about data collected from measurement instruments, including validity and reliability evidence. As researchers continue to provide this evidence the CER community has been able to evaluate commonly used instruments and identify those with strong support for validity and reliability, an indication of their suitability for classroom and research measurements.<br/><br/>This talk will discuss how CER has approached the concept of measurement quality and why the adoption of data quality standards is important for the development, evaluation, and dissemination of instruments. Current research on measurement quality in CER will be presented to show the practical application of these standards. Specific examples of the work by Dr. Jennifer Lewis and colleagues will be highlighted to illustrate how her emphasis on measurement quality throughout her career has positively impacted the field of CER and inspired subsequent generations of researchers.

Considering measurement quality in chemistry education research: Importance and implications

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.