The Effects of a Consumer Chemistry Intervention on Urban At‐Risk High School Students’ Performance,Utility Value,and Intentions to Pursue STEM

The main purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the degree to which a three‐week intervention in an urban high‐needs high school science classroom would influence students’ (n = 51) interest, utility value, content knowledge, and intentions for future study in chemistry. The intervention consisted of an authentic, inquiry‐based chemistry project where students worked cooperatively to investigate core chemistry concepts and connect them to real‐world consumer products and careers in manufacturing that required chemistry knowledge. Findings indicated that students improved their chemistry knowledge, found greater relevance for chemistry, and intend to take more chemistry in the future. Interest in chemistry did not statistically significantly increase as a result of the intervention; however, students’ interest levels remained consistently moderate from pre‐test to post. This study adds to the current body of literature in three ways. First, the intervention showcased positive outcomes with students from an urban, high‐needs high school who lacked motivation and academic proficiency in science. Second, using an authentic, inquiry‐based utility value intervention is a viable alternative to previous successful interventions that involved writing tasks. Finally, the study was the result of a high school teacher's advanced training in research where important evaluation skills were cultivated and advanced.