Measuring representational competence – analyses of dimensionality and the relationship to general content knowledge
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21589600 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sebastian Nickel (0009-0000-9581-9585, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Department of Subject-specific Education Research, Chair of Chemistry Education Research, corresponding author), Steffen Brockmüller (0009-0007-3280-0917, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Department of Subject-specific Education Research, Chair of Chemistry Education Research), William J Boone (0000-0002-3555-7082, Miami University), Sebastian Habig (0000-0001-7573-5907, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Department of Subject-specific Education Research, Chair of Chemistry Education Research) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 1-25 |
| Publication date | 2025-06-13 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Science Education, Part B (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2154-8455 • E-ISSN: 2154-8463 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/09500693.2025.2515621 |
| OpenAlex | W4411284718 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 60 |
In chemistry, representational competence is crucial for effective problem-solving and learning. However, the relationship between representational competence and chemical content knowledge, continues to be a matter of discussion. To investigate the connection between representational competence and chemical content knowledge, we developed a new assessment tool known as the Chemical Representation Inventory: Translation, Interpretation, Construction (CRI:TIC), utilizing three lower-level representational skills identified by Kozma and Russell (1997, 2005). This article presents the evaluation of the CRI:TIC and discusses its implications for research in chemistry education and for educators. The instrument was administered to 185 first-year students in a preparatory university chemistry course. Utilizing multidimensional Rasch analysis, we examined the dimensionality of the lower-level representational skills. Based on the results, we suggest that, from a psychometric perspective, lower-level skills should be regarded as a unified construct. Nonetheless, from an educational standpoint, maintaining a conceptual distinction between these skills remains relevant. Further analysis linking the CRI:TIC data to results from a chemical content knowledge assessment indicates that representational competence and content knowledge should be treated as distinct constructs. Although we cannot draw causal conclusions regarding the relationship between these two constructs, our findings underscore the importance of developing students’ representational skills
Content analysis · Curse of dimensionality · Knowledge level · Mathematics education · Science education · Social science · Sociology · Child and Animal Learning Development · Computer Science · Mathematics · Psychology · Social Psychology · Spatial Cognition and Navigation · Visual and Cognitive Learning Processes · Artificial Intelligence
Rasch Analysis in the Human Sciences
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Sketching, not representational competence, predicts improved science learning
The influence of representations on task difficulty in organic chemistry
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Multimodel Inference
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |