Conceptual understanding versus algorithmic problem solving: Further evidence from a national chemistry examination

Abstract

Following our previous paper (Chem. Educator, 2004, 9, 398-405), we analyze further the results of a national examination from the perspective of conceptual learning versus algorithmic problem solving. Detailed achievement data were studied for a sample of 499 eleventh-grade students (age about 17), who were following various branches or streams leading to all kinds of higher-education studies in Greece (the ”Positive‘, the ”Theoretical‘, and the ”Technological‘ Branches). Using qualitative criteria, we distinguished the questions into: (i) simple knowledge-recall, (ii) conceptual, and (iii) well-practiced (algorithmic), stoichiometric, exercises. The latter could further be divided into simple and more demanding ones. As in the previous study, this categorization was also supported by statistical principal component analysis, but this time a marginal structure was extracted, because (possibly) of the limited number and the low difficulty of the postulated conceptual questions. The interest of the study lies mainly in the comparison among the different branches, with the students of the Positive Branch demonstrating the highest mean scores. In addition, students‘ thinking was categorized according to Nakhleh‘s scheme. The Positive Branch had the highest number of students with algorithmic and with conceptual ability, but all branches had about equal share of students high only in conceptual ability. [Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 2005, 6 (2), 104-118]