Achievement Emotions Questionnaire for General Chemistry (AEQ-GCHEM): Development and Psychometric Evaluation

Abstract

Chemical education literature suggests that General Chemistry, a required course for many STEM programs, is often perceived as difficult and stress-inducing. One measurable aspect of students' experiences in this course is achievement emotions, which both influence and are influenced by academic performance. To assess achievement emotions in the General Chemistry context, the General Chemistry Achievement Emotions Questionnaire (AEQ-GCHEM) was developed through a revision of the existing theory-based instrument established by Pekrun's group, the Short Version of the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire (AEQ-S). Additionally, a laboratory subscale was incorporated into this modified version. Evidence supporting the instrument was established through qualitative interviews, factor analysis, and analyses of the relationships between achievement emotions and academic contexts across multiple iterations.These findings indicate that the modifications made to the AEQ-S to develop the AEQ-GCHEM resulted in a psychometrically supported instrument for collecting data on the achievement emotions experienced by students in General Chemistry lecture and laboratory courses.