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A Six-Year Study of the Effects of a Remedial Course in the Chemistry Curriculum

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Gregory I. Gellene

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-1061

Andrea B. Bentley

Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-1071

J. Chem. Educ., 2005, 82 (1), p 125

DOI: 10.1021/ed082p125

Publication Date (Web): January 1, 2005

Abstract

This paper compares student performance in chemistry over a six-year period involving almost 6000 students at Texas Tech University. For comparison students were categorized into one of three groups: unremediated–underprepared; remediated–underprepared; and prepared. The average final percentage scores of these three groups of students are statistically indistinguishable at the 95% confidence level and only partially distinguishable at the 90% confidence level with the statistically significant differences not exceeding about 1/2 of a typical letter grade, implying that little or no special benefit is gained by the successful completion of the remedial course. This conclusion is made particularly clear by comparing students with similar mathematical skills, suggesting that adjusted comparisons based on students’ mathematics skills can isolate chemistry instruction effects even though it is well established that mathematics skills alone are not a reliable predictor of chemistry course performance. Furthermore, because about 75% of incoming students are deemed in need of remediation by virtue of their performance on a placement examination, and more than 40% of these students who successfully complete the remedial course do not continue in the program, the net result of the placement–remediation program is that fewer students successfully complete the first fundamental chemistry course required for most science, engineering, and pre-medical academic majors and programs.

Keywords (Audience):

First-Year Undergraduate / General

Keywords (Domain):

Chemical Education Research

Keywords (Feature):

Chemical Education Research

Keywords (Subject):

Enrichment / Review Materials

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