The researchers propose to scale up a study they previously conducted in which they examined the backgrounds of college science students taking introductory science courses for predictors of performance, while controlling for demographic differences. They looked at 1,933 students at 19 colleges and universities in physics using epidemiological research methods. They plan to expand the study to 24,000 college students to examine the connection between the instructional decisions made by their high school physics, chemistry, and biology teachers and success in college science classes.
