AN IN-DEPTH INVESTIGATION INTO SCALE LITERACY: A REFINEMENT OF A SCALE – THEMED CURRICULUM INTERVENTION THROUGH SCAFFOLDING, INTERVIEWS, AND AFFECT

Abstract

Science educators have taken on the responsibility to incorporate essential themes into K-12 education that foster increased science literacy. One vital identified theme is related to scale, proportions, and quantity. Although, over recent decades, there is a lack of sources related to the implementation and development of scale skills. The gap related to scale-related concepts is especially apparent at the undergraduate level and in disciplines such as chemistry, where students must connect the macroscopic and microscopic levels. Past research has developed methods to measure scale literacy and integrate a scale-themed curriculum into undergraduate general chemistry. Results from this work show promising potential for scale-themed instruction overall, yet more research is needed to further hone and develop scale concepts in specific circumstances (i.e. specific chemistry courses, content areas). The work herein expands on the existing scale-themed instruction research, focusing on improving scale instruction in general chemistry II over the course of six semesters. The scale-themed instruction was studied via a three-component approach. The first component identified areas of the curriculum to modify to better assist students with their scale and chemistry knowledge. The second component involved a quantitative and qualitative approach to assessing the success of the modified scale-themed curriculum materials. The third component incorporated a study of student motivation, identifying key motivators of chemistry students and how motivation can impact the efficacy of the scale-themed curriculum. It was found that incorporating increased scaffolding opportunities into the course materials had a significant positive impact on students’ learning gains. Additionally, qualitative interviews were utilized to identify key problem-solving behaviors, to assess content knowledge among various groups of students, and to further evaluate the effectiveness of the revised curriculum. From the motivation study, results suggest that general chemistry II students are primarily externally motivated, and students who exhibit more intrinsic motivation experienced a greater benefit from the scale-themed curriculum than those who were more extrinsically motivated. Ultimately, the three-prong approach provided an in-depth analysis of understanding the scale literacy of general chemistry students.