Investigation of Absolute and Relative Scaling Conceptions of Students in Introductory College Chemistry Courses

Scale as a theme in science instruction is not a new idea. As early as the mid-1980s, scale was identified as an important component of a student's overall science literacy. However, the study of scale and the scale literacy of students in varying levels of education have received less attention than other science-literacy components. Foremost into the foray of students' scale literacy has been the research by Gail Jones and co-workers, who have been studying students in middle and high school, in-service teachers, and experts in their respective fields. However, the scale literacy of students in undergraduate college chemistry courses is unknown. One should not assume that students in introductory chemistry courses have an appropriate and developed conception of scale, particularly down to the relevant size realms for chemistry. The research presented here investigates the relative and absolute scaling conceptions of students in introductory chemistry courses.