Cognitive stretching: Using instructional alignment theory to teach community college chemistry students how to transfer learning

This study investigated the effects of controlling misalignment of instruction on a student's ability to solve chemistry problems. It tested the proposition that students taught to perceive new problem demands as variations in stimulus conditions will learn the habit of cognitive stretching. Sixty community college students were stratified by achievement test scores and randomly assigned to one of three instructional practice treatments. A 3 x 2 x 2 mixed experimental design analyzed treatment, alignment, and achievement level effects. Instructional practice treatment and achievement were within-subjects variables and test format was a between-subjects variable. The dependent variables were the aligned item score and the misaligned item score on one test under each instructional practice treatment as measured by a multiple choice assessment given at the end of each treatment level.;The design tested three hypotheses. The predicted differences in means for the pairwise comparisons under the hypotheses were tested directly using the critical effect size convention (Cohen & Hyman, 1979). The statistical parameters, alpha and beta level risks, sample size, and magnitude of effect, were stated before the study was conducted. Each hypothesis predicted a critical effect size for educational significance.;First, the researcher hypothesized that the cognitive stretching treatment group, PSMS-Problem Solving with Modeling and cognitive stretching, would have higher scores on posttest with increasing transfer demand than the other treatment groups, PS, Problem Solving and PSM, Problem Solving with Modeling. Second, it was predicted that as the habit of cognitive stretching is learned, the difference in test scores on aligned and misaligned items would decrease. Third, it was predicted that, the differences in mean scores on test of increasing transfer demand between high achievers and low achievers would decrease as they learn the habit of cognitive stretching. The results of this investigation showed that the first two hypotheses were supported and suggested (1) the instructional treatment explained slightly more of the variance than entering achievement level and (2) that teaching students to cognitive stretch can significantly affect student performance on transfer demand items.