Examining undergraduate and graduate student reasoning when interpreting infrared spectra

As students progress through the chemistry curriculum, their interaction with and understanding of instrumentation increases. Integral to this educational journey is the acquisition of skills in interpreting data generated by a wide variety of instruments. Recent efforts have aimed at delineating student assumptions and cognitive constraints in the interpretation of spectral data across various educational levels, notably focusing within organic chemistry settings. However, there is currently limited work focusing on how upper-level undergraduate chemistry students engage with spectral data, particularly pertaining to infrared (IR) spectra. In this qualitative study, we investigate the strategies employed as upper-level undergraduate analytical chemistry students and graduate chemistry students interpret IR spectroscopic data, directly engaging in the scientific practice of analyzing and interpreting data. Sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted using one task from a larger mixed-methods eye tracking study. Guided by data-frame theory, the findings of this research underscore the critical role of instructor modeling in facilitating the integration of data and frame to derive meaningful conclusions when interpreting IR spectra. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the interpretation of spectral data, thereby informing pedagogical practices in chemistry education.