An analysis of the effect of intensive instruction on chemistry achievement and mental development of students in a summer bridge program

This study examined the effect of intensive chemistry instruction on cognitive development, chemistry performance and achievement during a summer bridge program at a small university in southwestern Ohio. Statistical analyses were done using a bootstrap sample of 209 subjects (n = 108, females; n = 101, males). Analysis of variance and cluster analysis were used to determine the relationships among the subjects' high school educational background, level of mental development, memory demands of selected items from an ACS/NSTA chemistry examination and the subjects' performance in chemistry. Discriminant analysis was used to determine whether specific variables could correctly classify subjects by performance in the summer bridge chemistry course. Piagetian and neo-Piagetian developmental theories were applied in the interpretation of results.;Male and female subjects showed a significant difference in their chemistry performance after five weeks of instruction. Females had significantly higher chemistry posttest and detrended posttest scores, an indication of higher performance and achievement. Significant differences were found in advancement of Piagetian verbal mental operativity (an indicator of mental development) for males but not for females. There was no significant change in figural operativity for either gender. The subjects' high school mathematics grade average was more significantly related to their performance and achievement in the chemistry course than composite Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, high school grade point averages and science grades. A canonical set of five variables, including three pre-instructional mental operativity variables and the high school mathematics grade, correctly classified 58% of the sample.;The researcher concluded that the short-term intensive instruction effected two types of growth--"learning" and "development." The differences in the performance and achievement of male and female subjects may be attributed to this effect.