College students' attitudes toward chemistry, conceptual knowledge and achievement: Structural equation model analysis

Chemistry Education Research and Practice

Volumn 14, Issue 2, 2013, Pages 188-200

  Xu, Xiaoying ^a   Villafane, Sachel M ^a   Lewis, Jennifer E ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 84876196089     PISSN: None     EISSN: 11094028     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1039/c3rp20170h     Document Type: Article

References (71)

1. Abbott R. D. and Berninger V. W., (1993), Structural equation modeling of relationships among developmental skills and writing skills in primary-grade and intermediate-grade writers. J. Educ. Psychol., 85 (3), 478-508
2. Abdullah M., Mohamed N. and Ismail Z. H., (2009), The effect of an individualized laboratory approach through microscale chemistry experimentation on students' understanding of chemistry concepts, motivation and attitudes. Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 10 (1), 53-61
3. Barbera J., Adams W. K., Wieman C. E. and Perkins K. K., (2008), Modifying and validating the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for use in chemistry. J. Chem. Educ., 85 (10), 1435-1439
4. Bauer C., (2008), Attitude towards chemistry: A semantic differential instrument for assessing curriculum impacts. J. Chem. Educ., 85 (10), 1440-1445
5. Berg C. A. R., (2005), Factors related to observed attitude change toward learning chemistry among university students. Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 6 (1), 1-18
6. Brandriet A. R., Xu X., Bretz S. L. and Lewis J. E., (2011), Diagnosing changes in attitude in first-year college chemistry students with a shortened version of Bauer's semantic differential. Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 12 (2), 271-278
7. Brown T. A., (2006), Confirmatory factor analysis for applied research. New York: Guilford Press
8. Bunce D. M. and Hutchinson K. D., (1993), The use of the GALT (group assessment of logical thinking) as a predictor of academic-success in college chemistry. J. Chem. Educ., 70 (3), 183-187
9. Cakici Y., Aricak O. T. and Ilgaz G., (2011), Can 'attitudes toward biology course' and 'learning strategies' simultaneously predict achievement in biology? Egit. Arast., 11 (45), 31-48
10. Carter C. S., Larussa M. A. and Bodner G. M., (1987), A study of two measures of spatial ability as predictors of success in different levels of general chemistry. J. Res. Sci. Teach., 24 (7), 645-657
11. Cohen J., (1988), Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum
12. Coll R., Dalgety J. and Salter D., (2002), The development of the chemistry attitudes and experiences questionnaire (CAEQ). Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 3 (1), 19-32
13. Cooper C. and Pearson P., (2012), A genetically optimized predictive system for success in general chemistry using a diagnostic algebra test. J. Sci. Educ. Technol., 21 (1), 197-205
14. Cukrowska E., Staskun M. G. and Schoeman H. S., (1999), Attitudes towards chemistry and their relationship to student achievement in introductory chemistry courses. South Afr. J. Chem.-Suid-Afr. Tydskr. Chem., 52 (1), 8-14
15. Curran P. J., West S. G. and Finch J. F., (1996), The robustness of test statistics to nonnormality and specification error in confirmatory factor analysis. Psychol. Methods, 1 (1), 16
16. Danipog D. L. and Ferido M. B., (2011), Using art-based chemistry activities to improve students' conceptual understanding in chemistry. J. Chem. Educ., 88 (12), 1610-1615
17. Dochy F., Segers M. and Buehl M. M., (1999), The relation between assessment practices and outcomes of studies: The case of research on prior knowledge. Rev. Educ. Res., 69 (2), 145-186
18. Eagly A. H. and Chaiken S., (1993), The psychology of attitudes. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
19. Ebenezer J., Chacko S., Kaya O. N., Koya S. K. and Ebenezer D. L., (2010), The effects of Common Knowledge Construction Model sequence of lessons on science achievement and relational conceptual change. J. Res. Sci. Teach., 47 (1), 25-46
20. Ewing M., Huff K. Andrews M. and King K., (2005), Assessing the reliability of skills measured by the SAT® (Office of Research and Analysis): The College Board
21. Examinations Institute, (1997), The American Chemical Society Division of Chemical Education, First Term General Chemistry Special Examination (Form 1997): Clemson University: Clemson, SC
22. Finney S. J. and DiStefano C., (2006), Non-normal and categorical data in structural equation modeling. In G. R. Hancock and R. O. Muller (Eds.), Structural Equation Modeling: A Second Course (pp. 269-314). Greenwich, CN: Information Age Publishing
23. Freedman M. P., (1997), Relationship among laboratory instruction, attitude toward science, and achievement in science knowledge. J. Res. Sci. Teach., 34 (4), 343-357
24. Gabel D., (1999), Improving teaching and learning through Chemistry Education Research: A look to the future. J. Chem. Educ., 76 (4), 548-554
25. Goerzen A. and Beamish P. W., (2005), The effect of alliance network diversity on multinational enterprise performance. Strategic Manage. J., 26 (4), 333-354
26. Gooding C. T., Swift J. N., Schell R. E., Swift P. R. and McCroskery J. H., (1990), A causal-analysis relating previous achievement, attitudes, discourse, and intervention to achievement in biology and chemistry. J. Res. Sci. Teach., 27 (8), 789-801
27. Grove N. and Bretz S. L., (2007), CHEMX: An instrument to assess students' cognitive expectations for learning chemistry. J. Chem. Educ., 84 (9), 1524-1929
28. Hemmings B., Grootenboer P. and Kay R., (2011), Predicting mathematics achievement: the influence of prior achievement and attitudes. Int. J. Sci. Math. Educ., 9 (3), 691-705
29. Heredia K., (2012), Refinement, application, and evaluation of chemistry measures for college students. Unpublished work, Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida
30. Heredia K. and Lewis J. E., (2012), A psychometric evaluation of the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for use in chemistry. J. Chem. Educ., 89 (4), 436-441
31. Heredia K., Xu X. Y. and Lewis J. E., (2012), The application and evaluation of a two-concept diagnostic instrument with students entering college general chemistry. Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 13 (1), 30-38
32. Holme T. and Murphy K., (2011), Assessing conceptual and algorithmic knowledge in general chemistry with acs exams. J. Chem. Educ., 88 (9), 1217-1222
33. House D. J., (1995), Noncognitive predictors of achievement in introductory college chemistry. Res. Higher Educ., 36 (4), 473-490
34. Hu L. and Bentler P. M., (1999), Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Struct. Equation Model., 6, 1-55
35. Kan A. and Akbas A., (2006), Affective factors that influence chemistry achievement (attitude and self efficacy) and the power of these factors to predict chemistry achievement-1. J. Turk. Sci. Educ., 3 (1), 76-85
36. Kaynak H., (2003), The relationship between total quality management practices and their effects on firm performance. J. Oper. Manage., 21 (4), 405-435
37. Kim M. and Song J., (2010), A confirmatory structural equation model of achievement estimated by dichotomous attitudes, interest, and conceptual understanding. Eurasia J. Math. Sci. Technol., 6 (4), 271-285
38. Kline R. B., (2010), Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling (3rd ed.). New York: Guilford Press
39. Lewis S. E. and Lewis J. E., (2007), Predicting at-risk students in general chemistry: comparing formal thought to a general achievement measure. Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 8 (1), 32-51
40. Lewis S. E. and Lewis J. E., (2008), Seeking effectiveness and equity in a large college chemistry course: An HLM investigation of Peer-Led Guided Inquiry. J. Res. Sci. Teach., 45 (7), 794-811
41. Lin H. S., Lee S. T. and Treagust D., (2005), Chemistry teachers' estimations of their students' learning achievement. J. Chem. Educ., 82 (10), 1565-1569
42. MacCallum R. C. and Austin J. T., (2000), Applications of structural equation modeling in psychological research. Annu. Rev. Psychol., 51, 201-226
43. Maio G. and Haddock G., (2010), The psychology of attitudes and attitude change. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications
44. Merchant Z., Goetz E. T., Keeney-Kennicutt W., Kwok O. M., Cifuentes L. and Davis T. J., (2012), The learner characteristics, features of desktop 3D virtual reality environments, and college chemistry instruction: A structural equation modeling analysis. Comput. Educ., 59 (2), 551-568
45. Mulford D. R. and Robinson W. R., (2002), An inventory for alternate conceptions among first-semester general chemistry students. J. Chem. Educ., 79 (6), 739-744
46. Nakhleh M. B., (1992), Why some students don't learn chemistry: Chemical misconceptions. J. Chem. Educ., 69 (3), 191-196
47. Nicoll G., (2001), A report of undergraduates' bonding misconceptions. Int. J. Sci. Educ., 23 (7), 707-730
48. Nicoll G. and Francisco J. S., (2001), An investigation of the factors influencing student performance in physical chemistry. J. Chem. Educ., 78 (1), 99
49. Nieswandt M., (2007), Student affect and conceptual understanding in learning chemistry. J. Res. Sci. Teach., 44 (7), 908
50. Othman J., Treagust D. F. and Chandrasegaran A. L., (2008), An investigation into the relationship between students' conceptions of the particulate nature of matter and their understanding of chemical bonding. Int. J. Sci. Educ., 30 (11), 1531-1550
51. Pedhazur E. J., (1997), Multiple regression in behavioral research (3rd ed.). Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace
52. Pienta N. J., (2003), A placement examination and mathematics tutorial for general chemistry. J. Chem. Educ., 80 (11), 1244
53. Pribyl J. R. and Bodner G. M., (1987), Spatial Ability and its Role in Organic Chemistry: a Study of Four Organic Courses. J. Res. Sci. Teach., 24, 229
54. Raykov T. and Marcoulides G., (2006), A first course in Structural Equation Modeling (2nd ed.). New York: Psychology Press: Taylor & Francis Group
55. Regan A., Childs P. and Hayes S., (2011), The use of an intervention programme to improve undergraduate students' chemical knowledge and address their misconceptions. Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 12 (2), 219-227
56. Rosenberg M. J. and Hovland C. I., (1960), Cognitive, affective & behavioral components of attitudes. In C. I. Hovland and M. J. Rosenberg (Eds.), Attitude Organization & Change: an analysis of consistency among attitude components (p. 3). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press
57. Schreiber J. B., (2008), Core reporting practices in structural equation modeling. Res. Soc. Administrative Pharm., 4 (2), 83-97
58. Schreiber J. B., Nora A., Stage F. K., Barlow E. A. and King J., (2006), Reporting structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis results: A review. J. Educ. Res., 99 (6), 323-337
59. Schroeder C. M., Scott T. P., Tolson H., Huang T. Y. and Lee Y. H., (2007), A meta-analysis of national research: Effects of teaching strategies on student achievement in science in the United States. J. Res. Sci. Teach., 44 (10), 1436-1460
60. Scott F. J., (2012), Is mathematics to blame? An investigation into high school students' difficulty in performing calculations in chemistry. Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 13 (3), 330-336
61. Seery M. K., (2009), The role of prior knowledge and student aptitude in undergraduate performance in chemistry: a correlation-prediction study. Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 10 (3), 227-232
62. Spencer H. E., (1996), Mathematical SAT test scores and college chemistry grades. J. Chem. Educ., 73 (12), 1150-1153
63. Stamovlasis D., Tsitsipis G. and Papageorgiou G., (2012), Structural equation modeling in assessing students' understanding of the state changes of matter. Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 13 (3), 357-368
64. Tuan H. L., Chin C. C. and Shieh S. H., (2005), The development of a questionnaire to measure students' motivation towards science learning. Int. J. Sci. Educ., 27 (6), 639-654
65. Uzuntiryaki E. and Aydin Y. C., (2009), Development and validation of chemistry self-efficacy scale for college students. Res. Sci. Educ., 39 (4), 539-551
66. Valiente C., Lemery-Chalfant K. and Reiser M., (2007), Pathways to problem behaviors: Chaotic homes, parent and child effortful control and parenting. Soc. Dev., 16 (2), 249-267
67. Wagner E. P., Sasser H. and DiBiase W. J., (2002), Predicting students at risk in general chemistry using pre-semester assessments and demographic information. J. Chem. Educ., 79 (6), 749-755
68. Wei M. F., Heppner P. P. and Mallinckrodt B., (2003), Perceived coping as a mediator between attachment and psychological distress: A structural equation modeling approach. J. Counseling Psychol., 50 (4), 438-447
69. Weinburgh M., (1995), Gender differences in student attitudes toward science - a metaanalysis of the literature from 1970 to 1991. J. Res. Sci. Teach., 32 (4), 387-398
70. West S. G., Taylor A. B. and Wu. W., (2012), Model fit and model selection in structual equation modeling. In R. H. Hoyle (Ed.), Handbook of structural equation modeling (p. 211). New York: The Guilford Press
71. Xu X. and Lewis J. E., (2011), Refinement of a chemistry attitude measure for college students. J. Chem. Educ., 88 (5), 561-568