An investigation into students' perceived difficulty versus performance of scientific tasks in general chemistry

Students perceived difficulty was compared with performance of scientific tasks typically found in general chemistry courses. These differences were analyzed via direct comparison of a survey (perceived difficulty) administered to participants both directly preceding and following performance of various tasks discussed in survey. The pre/post comparison allowed researchers to determine whether perceived difficulty was affected by task performance as well. A thorough analysis of transcripts of interviews, as well as time on task during performance was also conducted.