Students' use of problem-solving techniques in General College Chemistry

College chemistry students must develop the ability to solve mathematically-based scientific problems as preparation to be successful in the professional world. Developing that ability improves when students use specific problem-solving techniques. These techniques can vary from recalling a set of memorized problem-solving steps to constructing property maps on paper. This study investigated the relationship between students' use of these various problem-solving techniques and their level of success in General College Chemistry. It was determined that students who demonstrated, in writing, the application of problem-solving techniques received higher scores on the final exam in General College Chemistry than those who did not demonstrate problem-solving skills.