I realized what I was doing was not working: the influence of explicit teaching of metacognition on students’ study strategies in a general chemistry I course

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Z. Muteti ◽  
Carolina Zarraga ◽  
Brooke I. Jacob ◽  
Tuli M. Mwarumba ◽  
Dorothy B. Nkhata ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Chemistry ◽  
The United States ◽  
Study Strategies ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Metacognitive Strategies ◽  
First Year ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Chemistry Students ◽  
Explicit Teaching ◽  
The Impact

Many students transitioning from high school to college are faced with challenges of getting acclimated to college life and managing their time and heavy course load that is cognitively demanding. Students planning to major in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs in the United States are mostly required to enroll in general chemistry courses as prerequisites. Unfortunately, these courses are among the STEM gateway courses in which many first-year students struggle to get through, or are weeded out. This is partly due to the use of ineffective study strategies that require more than rote memorization, a common learning approach in high schools. One way to prepare first-year college students for STEM trajectories is by teaching them metacognitive strategies early in their study programs to enable early adoption and sustainability of metacognition knowledge and metacognition regulation skills as they progress to the advanced courses. While a handful of studies have investigated study strategies among students in the general chemistry courses as well as the impact of metacognitive activities on student performance in chemistry, very few in-depth qualitative studies investigating the influence of explicit teaching of metacognition on students’ study strategies have been reported. Using open-ended questionnaires, this unique study investigated general chemistry students’ study strategies that they employed prior to a 50 minute metacognition lesson; strategies they reported to have gained from the instruction; and the influence of the metacognition instruction on students’ study strategies and performance in the final exam. Findings indicated more reported use of rote memorization over higher-order study strategies prior to the metacognition instruction, but more reported gains on higher-order study strategies and fewer strategies related to rote memorization immediately after the metacognition instruction. Furthermore, 67% reported a positive influence of the metacognition instruction on study strategies, with 7% lower DFs in the final exam compared to those who reported ‘no influence’. Findings revealed that most general chemistry students were unaware of effective study strategies; thus, there is a critical need to explicitly teach students in general chemistry courses metacognitive strategies.

Analysing the impact of a discussion-oriented curriculum on first-year general chemistry students' conceptions of relative acidity

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 543-557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Shah ◽  
Christian A. Rodriguez ◽  
Monica Bartoli ◽  
Gregory T. Rushton
Keyword(s):  
Organic Chemistry ◽  
General Chemistry ◽  
Chemistry Education ◽  
Item Analysis ◽  
First Year ◽  
Chemistry Students ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Primary Determinant ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Relative Acidity

Instructional strategies that support meaningful student learning of complex chemical topics are an important aspect of improving chemistry education. Adequately assessing the success of these approaches can be supported with the use of aligned instruments with established psychometrics. Here, we report the implementation and assessment of one such curriculum,Chemical Thinking, on first-year general chemistry students' conceptions of relative acidity using the recently-developed concept inventory,ACIDI. Our results reveal that, overall, students performed significantly better onACIDIfollowing instruction, with scores consistent with those previously reported for students who had completed one semester of organic chemistry. Students performed equally well on a delayed post-test administered ten weeks after final instruction, which suggests that instruction promoted a stable conceptual reprioritisation. Item analysis ofACIDIrevealed that students generally made conceptual gains on items where inductive effects were the primary determinants of conjugate base stability and relative acidity. However, students overwhelmingly struggled on items where resonance was the primary determinant. Analysis of student–student arguments in active learning settings provided evidence for how the quality of student arguments impacted their conceptions. Overall, these findings suggest that students were able to avoid several superficial misconceptions cited in the literature about relative acidity, and that this topic, traditionally taught exclusively in organic chemistry, may be introduced earlier in the sequence of curricular topics. Implications for future studies on the role of argumentational aspects of student–student conversations and facilitation strategies in promoting or hindering meaningful learning are discussed.

Sanctioned to Survive: How Foreign Firms Perform when Economic Sanctions Affect their Business Relationships—A Study of Contemporary Economic Sanction Actions and their Impact

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 501-538
Author(s):  
Blaine Stout
Keyword(s):  
Single Case ◽  
Economic Sanctions ◽  
The United States ◽  
Study Strategies ◽  
Foreign Firms ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Exxon Mobil ◽  
Historical Accounts ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The intent of this study is to examine the effects of economic sanctions on companies with significant fdi operating in the sanctioned country. Using case study methodology, we consider the impact of sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation (rf) by the United States of America for its intrusion into the sovereign rights of Ukraine. Past sanction events in South Africa and pre-rf formation are reviewed. Two measurable frameworks are developed to study strategies based on ‘divestment and non-divestment’ (Malone and Goodin 1997) dimensions and coupled with variables related to ‘direct and indirect’ effects on financial performance, forgone potential, (Losman 1988) and foreign direct investment (Biglaiser and Lektzian 2011). This research also relies on the historical accounts of Hufbauer et al. (2007) for the compilation of facts related to economic sanctions. Through literature review, the study asks: 1) Strategically, how does a company respond to the economic sanctions imposed by its home country on the sanctioned country in which it has significant fdi? 2) Financially, how do economic sanctions affect the company’s performance and fdi? and 3) Organizationally, how do economic sanctions affect the relationships with those recipient companies of fdi? The study focus is on the energy industry in which the rf economy relies upon for 40 percent of its sustainability and the company of focus is Exxon Mobil (xom). The author readily acknowledges that a single case study may not provide the degree of conclusiveness found in a cross-case study format. However, the outcome of the study does provide a template for use in future case reviews.

scholarly journals Student engagement and higher order skill proficiency: a comparison of traditional didactic and renewed integrated active learning curricula

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 685-692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mari K. Hopper ◽  
Daniela A. Brake
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Active Learning ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Poor Correlation ◽  
First Year ◽  
Cohort Groups ◽  
The Impact

A large, multicampus, public medical school underwent curricular renewal, emphasizing a student-centered approach with 50% of all course contact time devoted to active learning. Determining the impact of active learning on student engagement and higher order skill (HOS) proficiency was the primary aim of this study. Following Institutional Review Board approval, two cohort groups of first-year medical students were enrolled. The first cohort ( n = 54) included students before curriculum reform in the legacy curriculum (LC). The second cohort ( n = 73) included students completing studies in the renewed curriculum (RC). Near the end of the first year of medical school, both cohorts completed a validated survey of student engagement, and a proctored problem-based assessment of HOS proficiency [Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA+)]. Results indicated RC students perceived greater levels of engagement than LC (39.5+5.8 vs. 33.3+5.6), and greater reliance on HOS, including analysis, synthesis, and application. However, there were no significant differences between cohorts in proficiency of HOS when assessed by the CLA+ (LC = 1,878 ± 161 vs. RC = 1,900 ± 157). Additionally, poor correlation between engagement and HOS for both LC and RC indicated more engaged students do not necessarily possess greater HOS proficiency. Ceiling effect may explain results as medical students enter medical school as highly skilled learners with potentially little room for improvement. It will be informative to continue to track engagement and HOS of both cohort groups as they continue their medical studies.

“Trump’s First Year in Asia: Accelerating a Long-term Trend”

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 198-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
David C. Kang
Keyword(s):  
East Asia ◽  
The United States ◽  
First Year ◽  
Foreseeable Future ◽  
Real Possibility ◽  
Term Trend ◽  
Trade War ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Long Term Trend

What has been the impact of Donald J. Trump’s presidency on the place of the United States in East Asia? Trump already has shown a proclivity for upending the mainstream American consensus about grand strategy to East Asia, with the real possibility of a trade war with China or a shooting war with North Korea on the horizon. However, this article will place President Trump’s first year in office into a larger context of long-term decline of U.S. leadership and influence in East Asia, arguing that this trend has been underway for quite some time, and that Trump has not altered fundamentally this trajectory. Some of Trump’s actions may accelerate a decline in U.S. leadership, but by no means was Trump the first nor will he be the last U.S. president to deal with a swiftly changing East Asia. The region has been changing rapidly for decades, and there are no indications that this will stop anytime soon. However, continuing and gradual U.S. withdrawal from leadership does not mean less American-East Asia interaction. East Asia will remain the most important trading and investment region for the U.S. for the foreseeable future.

Learning and studying strategies used by general chemistry students with different affective characteristics

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 675-684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Y. K. Chan ◽  
Christopher F. Bauer
Keyword(s):  
General Chemistry ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Study Strategies ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Exam Performance ◽  
High Group ◽  
Home Study ◽  
Chemistry Students ◽  
Affective Characteristics ◽  
Exam Preparation

Students in general chemistry were partitioned into three groups by cluster analysis of six affective characteristics (emotional satisfaction, intellectual accessibility, chemistry self-concept, math self-concept, self-efficacy, and test anxiety). The at-home study strategies for exam preparation and in-class learning strategies differed among the three groups. Students in the high group (strongly positive affective characteristics) were more autonomous learners, reporting they understood the notes they took in lecture more frequently than the group with low (more negative) affective characteristics. The high group also relied less on tutors and teaching assistants for help when preparing for exams. Participating in explanatory behavior (with self or other students) was correlated positively with stronger exam performance, whereas rapt attention or assiduous note-taking in lecture was negatively correlated. The high and low affective groups were indistinct in their reports of amount of quality time spent studying, but did differ in their approach to using a practice exam as a resource.

scholarly journals “A little flip goes a long way” The impact of a ‘partial’-flipped classroom design on student performance and engagement in a first year undergraduate economics classroom

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Singh
Keyword(s):  
Student Performance ◽  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Control Group ◽  
First Year ◽  
Classroom Design ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Traditional Lecture ◽  
Traditional Lectures ◽  
Undergraduate Economics ◽  
The Impact

The flipped classroom is gaining prominence as an active learning pedagogy to engage a new generation of students. However, all courses do not lend themselves to a fully flipped design and instructors are often reluctant to flip lectures. In this study, I experimented with a “partial” flipped classroom design in a first-year undergraduate economics course. In this partial flipped format, traditional lectures were substituted with micro-lectures and the remaining class time was devoted to activities like quizzes, group work and student presentations. The full lectures were panopto recorded and put up on the e-learning site, Blackboard. This format enabled me to combine the benefits of a traditional lecture with a flipped classroom design. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the partial flipped classroom format, I compared the final exam scores of students in the partial flipped classroom with those in the control group, which followed a traditional lecture-based approach. The key results from the analysis revealed that students in the partial flipped classroom performed better in the final exams vis-à-vis students in the traditional classroom format. Furthermore, the partial flipped classroom format was associated with lower odds of students failing in the module. This format also resulted in better student engagement, more flexibility and enhanced student-tutor interaction within the classroom.

scholarly journals Naming racism in the public health classroom

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0243560
Author(s):  
Nadia N. Abuelezam ◽  
Andrés Castro Samayoa ◽  
Alana Dinelli ◽  
Brenna Fitzgerald
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Black Mothers ◽  
Structural Determinants ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health Teaching

Objective The discussion of racism within undergraduate public health classrooms can be highly influenced by local and national conversations about race. We explored the impact of local and national events on students’ ability to name racism on a public health exam highlighting the impact of racism on maternal and infant health disparities for Black mothers. Methods We undertook this research within the context of an undergraduate introductory public health course at a primarily white institution in the Northeastern part of the United States. A qualitative content analysis of undergraduate student responses to a final exam question soliciting the importance of racism to health outcomes among Black mothers in the United States was undertaken. ANOVA tests were run to assess differences on naming racism, using semantic alternatives, and providing alternative explanations during three main time periods: prior to the election of the 45th president of the United States (pre-Trump), after the election (post-Trump), and after a nationally recognized racist campus incident. Results Between the pre- and post-Trump periods we see no differences in naming racism or providing alternative explanations. We do see a reduction in the proportion of students providing semantic alternatives for racism in the post-Trump period (32.2 vs. 25.2%, p = 0.034). After the racist campus incident, we see increases in the proportion of students naming race (53.6 vs. 73.8%, p = 0.021) and decreases in the proportion providing an alternative explanation (43.1 vs. 12.9%, p = 0.004), but no differences in the proportion of students who used semantic alternatives. Discussion This work lends itself to our understanding of how local climate affects public health teaching and may also influence students’ learning about important social and structural determinants of health. National and local climate should frame and guide public health teaching.

Analysis of Natural Buffer Systems and the Impact of Acid Rain. An Environmental Project for First-Year Chemistry Students

2005 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 274 ◽  
Author(s):  
David C. Powers ◽  
Andrew T. Higgs ◽  
Matt L. Obley ◽  
Phyllis A. Leber ◽  
Kenneth R. Hess ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acid Rain ◽  
First Year ◽  
Chemistry Students ◽  
The Impact

Quantifying attitude to chemistry in students at the University of the South Pacific

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. Brown ◽  
B. N. Sharma ◽  
L. Wakeling ◽  
M. Naiker ◽  
S. Chandra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Educational Institution ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
First Year ◽  
The South ◽  
Teaching Chemistry ◽  
Chemistry Students ◽  
Pooled Data ◽  
Oblimin Rotation ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

The attitude towards the study of chemistry for new entrant chemistry students from a multi-national, regional, tertiary educational institution in the South Pacific was investigated using a purpose-designed diagnostic instrument. The Attitude toward the Study of Chemistry Inventory (ASCI) was used to quantify attitude in a cohort of first year undergraduate (n = 144) and foundation (n = 108) chemistry students. A similar, generally positive attitude to the study of chemistry was shown by both groups of students. Exploratory factor analysis using principle axis factoring and direct oblimin rotation was used to identify factors within the pooled data. Three factors accounted for more than 50% of the total variance, while Cronbach's alpha values for the factors 1, 2 and 3 were 0.92, 0.68 and 0.78, respectively. Factors 1 and 2 were consistent with known constructs of attitude, namely affective (factor 1) and cognitive (factor 2). However, the other factor (3) identified in this study was designated “Value”, which may reflect the students' choice of chemistry as a career path. ASCI may be a suitable tool for monitoring students' attitude throughout a degree and also to monitor the impact of novel approaches for teaching chemistry and engaging students.

Improving Students' Exam Performance by Introducing Study Strategies and Goal Setting

2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Manion Fleming
Keyword(s):  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Goal Setting ◽  
Study Strategies ◽  
Introductory Psychology ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Exam Performance ◽  
First Year ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Experimental Section

This study addresses whether learning strategies would improve students' exam performance. Students in 2 sections (N = 65) of Introductory Psychology participated. I introduced students in the experimental section to learning strategies. Students set individual learning goals and recorded their learning related behavior during the first 2 units. Students in the control condition engaged in nonacademic tasks. All students experienced a lesson on learning at the end of Unit 2. First-year students in the control condition obtained significantly lower scores than all other students on the first 2 exams. On the 3rd exam, differences were not significant. On the final exam, the original pattern reemerged.

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