Beyond "Student Attitudes": Chemistry Self-Concept Inventory for Assessment of the Affective Component of Student Learning

Abstract

The development of a 40-item Likert-style assessment instrument for measuring student self-concept as a learner of chemistry is described. Developed for college-student populations, the Chemistry Self-Concept Inventory has subscales that pertain to chemistry learning, mathematics learning, academics in general, academic enjoyment, and creativity. Detailed information on validity is provided by means of exploratory factor analysis, comparisons between different populations of students (general chemistry, undergraduate peer leaders, and chemistry majors), and comparison with course performance. Reliability is established by estimation of internal consistency of subscales and retesting correlation. The importance of establishing psychometric characteristics is argued using chemical analysis analogies. The Chemistry Self-Concept Inventory is broadly applicable in any curriculum setting for assessing longitudinal change or for drawing comparisons among curriculum structures.