Solving Quantum Number Problems: An Examination of Novice Performance in Terms of Conceptual Base Requirements

Novices possess a highly fragmented and incoherent knowledge base with several inconsistencies and gaps that seriously limit problem-solving performance. The problem-solving process carried out by 55 freshman students in a general chemistry course as they attempted to solve low- and high-demand problems on quantum numbers was scrutinized, revealing that the students filled in the gaps in their knowledge base with a number of self-generated rules that were analogous to some basic principles, but also showed notable logical and conceptual discrepancies. These self-generated rules guided students' decisions during problem solving and gave meaning to material that was highly symbolic. However, once these students were given the opportunity to reflect on their problem solving through a tutorial session, they were quick to recognize the inconsistencies. The reformulation of the erroneously established rules was expeditious, as evidenced by the significant (p < .001) improvements in performance after the tutorials.