A study investigating a hierarchical model relating to stoichiometric calculations

The purpose of this study is to identify and validate a learning hierarchy relating to stoichiometric calculations. -- The sample consisted of 180 grade ten chemistry students and 57 grade nine general science students in four senior high schools. Following formation of a hypothesized hierarchy, two test instruments compounded from tests for skills represented in the hypothesized learning hierarchy, were administered to all subjects soon after instruction of the topic was completed by the teacher involved. In addition, an instructional booklet, which was intended to remediate for subordinate skills which subjects failed to learn during regular instruction, was administered to all of the students in the sample. -- Three statistical tests, namely the White and Clark test of inclusion, the ordering-theoretic method and the Dayton and Macready method were used to analyze the data. In addition, a "test of transfer" was used to determine if transfer of learning existed between subordinate skills and related superordinate skills. The results of this analysis indicated that the hypothesized hierarchy was not found to be valid but an alternative hierarchy consisting of eight of the nine skills in the hypothesized hierarchy was considered valid in terms of the psychometric relationships between the component skills. One relationship existing between three of the lower skills in the alternative hierarchy seemed illogical and thus required further testing of the three skills concerned. Analysis of this additional psychometric data indicated that this relationship was incorrect, and that the relationship originally hypothesized for these three skills was correct. The alternative hierarchy was also considered valid, a lesser extent, in terms of the learning transfer relationships between three of the upper skills comprising the alternative hierarchy. Learning transfer relationships for some of the skills in the alternative hierarchy could not be determined because of a limitation in the test of transfer applied. -- The report concludes with a discussion of subjects' misconceptions relating to specific skills pertaining to attainment of the stoichiometric concept