Developing Educational Measurement Competency to Support Investigations of Students' Scientific Conceptions Light

University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln NE

Investigators

Abstract

Robust understandings of light and how it interacts with matter are essential across many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. To design more effective instruction about these concepts, we need to better understand how students' ideas about light develop. Of notable importance is helping students' move from an intuitive view of light based on everyday experiences to a more scientific understanding of light and its interactions with matter, including interactions at the smallest scales of subatomic particles. This project will begin to systematically study the ways in which undergraduate students' ideas about light develop over time. It will do so by designing and testing an instrument to assess students' understanding of the wave-particle duality of light. In the process of this work, the principal investigator will also develop competencies in quantitative educational measurement to complement her established expertise in qualitative research methodologies. By participating in targeted professional development experiences as she leads this project, the principal investigator will build her capacity to conduct fundamental research on undergraduate students' understanding of key chemistry concepts in the future. This project will integrate research and professional development objectives to support the principal investigator in developing the educational measurement skills needed to achieve her long-term research goals. The project will design, develop, and evaluate an instrument to assess introductory chemistry students' understanding of the wave-particle duality of light. The design of the instrument will be guided by the Berkeley Evaluation and Assessment Research system. Results of interviews with faculty and students will inform the development of construct maps and ordered multiple-choice items with responses corresponding to student levels of understanding. The team will use an iterative process of item development, expert item checks and item refinement. The instrument will be rigorously evaluated via beta-, pilot, and final testing with general chemistry students at the University of Nebraska to establish validity and reliability. Throughout the process of developing the instrument, the project team will be mentored by Dr. Jack Barbera, an expert in educational measurement from Portland State University. The project team will have frequent virtual and in-person meetings with the mentor to discuss targeted readings as well as progress and plans for the instrument development project. The PI will also complete two short courses on the topics of psychometrics and latent class analysis. Project outcomes will include the development of a high-quality assessment of students' understanding of the wave-particle duality of light, as well as the development of the project team's measurement skills, which will support future investigations of undergraduate students' understandings of important STEM concepts. The principal investigator will share what she has learned from her research and professional development experiences via local and national workshops, as well as quarterly blog posts for the Younger Chemistry Education Scholars group of the American Chemical Society's Division of Chemical Education. The mentor and a three-member advisory board of experts in educational measurement and the development of learning progressions will assess the success of the project. This project is supported by NSF's EHR Core Research Building Capacity in STEM Education Research (ECR BCSER) program, which is designed to build individuals' capacity to carry out high quality fundamental STEM education research in the core areas of STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation in STEM fields, and STEM workforce development. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.