PROCEEDINGS OF THE 18TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2015
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The calculus concept inventory: A psychometric analysis and framework for a new instrument
Page: 135
Concept inventories have become increasingly common in STEM disciplines as a means of assessing student conceptual understanding on a given topic, and overall they have led to significant reform in the teaching and learning of content in their respective disciplines. In mathematics, the use of the Calculus Concept Inventory seems, anecdotally and based on a review of the literature, to be growing. Yet peer-reviewed literature on its development and psychometric properties is lacking. Using data from approximately 1800 students across four institutions, we analyzed its content validity, internal structure validity, and reliability. We conclude that the data is consistent with a unidimensional model and that the instrument lacks sufficiently strong reliability for its intended use. Based on these findings, we argue the need for creating and validating a criterion-referenced concept inventory on differential calculus and outline a potential framework for such an instrument.