Item Analysis of Math-Up Skills Test (MUST) Questions After an Early Math Intervention: Student Performance in General Chemistry as a Function of Various Arithmetic Categories

Abstract

The link between a student’s math fluency and their success in general chemistry has been thoroughly documented in the literature. One diagnostic instrument that can be used to assess a student’s arithmetic skills is the Math-Up Skills Test (MUST), a 20-question, free-response math test completed in 15 min. The MUST instrument assesses the student’s ability to conduct mathematical operations, including multiplication, division, fraction simplification, logarithms/exponents, and symbol manipulation without the aid of a calculator. In our study, we looked at how score changes per MUST question are affected by an early online math review implemented in a general chemistry class versus the control group that had an early online chemistry review across students of varying logical ability as measured by the online Test of Logical Thinking (TOLT). The Math Group significantly improved on ten questions involving all five types of mathematical operations, including one question in symbol manipulation involving balancing equations. The control Chemistry Group only increased on three questions involving faction simplification and logarithms/exponents beyond the two symbol manipulation questions on balancing equations, which were covered in their review of matter. As a function of logic ability, middle TOLT students benefited the most from the math intervention, as evidenced by a greater number of improved MUST questions post-treatment for that group compared to those for the low and high TOLT groups. Identification of item types affected by the math treatment could help instructors identify key arithmetic topics crucial to a student’s performance, among many other factors, in first-semester general chemistry.