THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHEMISTRY ATTITUDES AND EXPERIENCES QUESTIONNAIRE (CAEQ)

Abstract

In this paper we describe the Chemistry Attitudes and Experiences Questionnaire (CAEQ) developed to measure first year university chemistry students’ attitude-towards-chemistry, chemistry self-efficacy, and their learning experiences. The instrument was developed to maximise construct validity, by reference to a sound theoretical framework and evaluation of both predictive and concurrent validity. To examine the usefulness of the CAEQ, the instrument was administered at two tertiary institutions at the beginning of the academic year (n=332) and at the end of the first semester (n=337). Data from the learning experiences component suggests that first year university chemistry students prefer a more structured class style. The findings suggest that the CAEQ will prove a useful tool for tertiary level educators who wish to gain an understanding of factors that influence student choice of chemistry enrolment. [Chem. Educ. Res. Pract. Eur.: 2002, 3, 19-32]