Using knowledge space theory to assess student understanding of chemistry

Abstract

The subject of chemistry is challenging to many secondary school and college students because it requires conceptualization and visualization skills as well as mathematical and problem solving skills. It further requires the ability to integrate different representations of the chemical phenomena at the macroscopic, molecular, symbolic, and graphical level. Many students have trouble making logical connections among the different representations and integrating them with underlying chemical concepts and principles (Kozma and Russell, 1997). These difficulties influence their success in general chemistry and their attitudes towards the science.