Classifying End-of-Chapter Questions and Problems for Selected General Chemistry Textbooks Used in the United States

Abstract

Science textbooks have a major influence on teaching and learning. Teachers and instructors at all educational levels use them regularly not only as a guide for course content and sequence but also in the design of homework assignments and assessment probes. From this perspective, textbook questions and problems can be expected to have a strong influence on assessment practices in the science classroom. Thus, the main goal of this study was to investigate the nature of end-of-chapter questions and problems included in college general chemistry textbooks and discuss the implications of this analysis for teaching and learning in introductory chemistry courses. Our results indicate that commonly used general chemistry textbooks include a majority of questions and problems at the “Application” and “Analysis” levels as defined using Bloom’s cognitive categories. These items tend to be narrowly focused on certain specific types. For example, problems at the “Application” level are mainly algorithmic, while ques...