THINK-ALOUD METHODS IN CHEMISTRY EDUCATION - UNDERSTANDING STUDENT THINKING

This paper has described one set of methods that is commonly used when doing research in chemistry education-think-aloud methods. These methods have a long history of use in chemistry education, and trace their origins back to information-processing psychology and artificial intelligence. In addition to historical precedents for think aloud methods, development of a hypothetical study illustrated some areas for consideration that need to be made when conducting such research. Issues were raised concerning the conceptualization of research studies, preparation for their implementation, strategies for analyzing data and reporting results.