We describe the implementation and effects of group problem solving in recitation sections associated with the general chemistry course at a small private science university. Recitation sections of approximately 45 students are used to supplement large (approximately 180 students) lecture sections. The primary goal of recitation is working in…

Student performance in an introductory soils class, Principles and Practices of Soils, at Texas Tech University was evaluated for 15 semesters as a function of several high school and college variables on course success. The variables evaluated were SAT score, percentile rank in high school class, high school chemistry background, major, gender,…

ChemPrep was developed to be a stand-alone preparatory short-course to help students succeed in general chemistry. It is Web-based and delivered using the OWL system. Students reported that the ChemPrep materials (short information pages, parameterized questions with detailed feedback, tutorials, and answers to questions through the OWL message…

Comparison of SAT math scores, high school grade point averages (GPAs), and final chemistry grades for both the 1972 and 1976 fall semester classes of the first-year chemistry course at the University of Virginia showed that SAT math scores were a much better predictor of final chemistry grades than were high school GPAs. (BB)

The relationship between students' relative ability in visual-spatial tasks as well as their verbal and numerical skills to their performance in an introductory college chemistry course was investigated. For 700 subjects, verbal and mathematics Scholastic Aptitude Test scores (SAT-V) and (SAT-M) and the following four perceptual tests were…

Explores the comparative performance of various segments of the student sample in general chemistry courses relative to their scores on the mathematical SAT test. Results indicate that mathematical skill measured by the SAT scores is an important factor in determining grades while factors that are not important in determining grades are gender…

Recent research shows that the SAT II test is a much better predictor of college success than the standard SAT. In recent years, black students appear to be making progress in closing the racial scoring gap on the wide variety of academic subjects (particularly chemistry, world history, and biology) that are measured by the SAT II test. (SM)

Numerous reports cite the need to improve the quality of undergraduate STEM education in order to attract and train a diverse pool of talented students prepared to meet the scientific and technological challenges of the 21st century. A growing body of research reveals that the nature and quality of science instruction in introductory college…

Chemistry pretest scores, high school chemistry grades and, to a greater extent, math SAT scores were useful predictors of college general chemistry grades. Regression analysis of all these predictors combined was used to construct an expectancy table which is being used to identify and advise underprepared students. (BB)

Results of a preliminary study that examined various factors relating to achievement in introductory level biology, chemistry, and physics classes at a public junior college are presented. Background variables, including age, sex, college major, grade point average, SAT-Verbal and SAT-Quantitative, and the sixteen-part scores of Academic…

This table provides the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the Achievement Test means and standard deviations for samples of candidates taking each of the 15 achievement tests offered in the Admissions Testing Program battery during the period 1966-67 to 1975-76. The samples, drawn annually through 1971-72 and biennially thereafter, provide…

Develops a sensitive and specific pre-semester assessment for students enrolled in general chemistry for science majors that would identify students at risk for failing the course. The student pre-semester assessment (SPSA) predicted 40.8% of the students who went on to fail first-semester general chemistry. It was a better predictor of at-risk…

The purpose of the current study is to investigate the feasibility of accounting for student performance in advanced high school coursework through the adjustment of high school grade point average (HSGPA) while separating out variables that are independently considered in the admission process, e.g., SAT/ACT scores, community affluence, type of…

High risk students in college chemistry are often identified by low mathematics SAT scores, low American Chemical Society Toledo scores, and secondary school chemistry grades. This study was designed to identify additional variables that can be used at the community college level as predictors of success in chemistry. The study compared students'…

The eighth annual report produced by the Bureau of Research, Planning, and Evaluation analyzes the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores of Connecticut's college-bound seniors presented to the State Department of Education by the College Board. This is the second report that comprehensively presents data from the Student Descriptive Questionnaire…