Comparing cognitive load in chemical and mathematical arithmetic tasks using eye-tracking and self-reports

Abstract

This study is part of a project presented at ECRICE 2024 to investigate problems with chemical mathematics. Research in chemistry education has repeatedly shown that students at school and university have problems applying their mathematical skills correctly in chemistry. As one possible trigger, we can identify the cognitive load that arises during chemical mathematical tasks. Elementary arithmetic tasks are of particular interest here, as these are rarely examined in the problems with chemical mathematics, although they build the basis of all advanced mathematical topics in chemistry (stoichiometry, laboratory work, kinetics, …). This study investigates the cognitive load during elementary chemical and mathematical arithmetic tasks as one possible trigger for the problems with mathematical tasks. For this purpose, we use both eye-tracking and self-reports with N = 31 students from our university. The central result is that although the students subjectively perceive more cognitive load during typical chemical arithmetic tasks, the cognitive load measured by eye-tracking does not indicate this. This mismatch of physiological and subjective cognitive load measurements shows that learners perhaps have more subjective stress with chemical calculations but their working memory still has capacities. Consequently, educators could work more on the conceptual understanding of chemical units.