Does Presentation Matter? Show-Work Presentation Quality Correlates with Student Performance in Introductory Physics

Traditional physics exams often prioritize accuracy without considering how layout and neatness of show-work problem solutions might impact grading outcomes. To investigate this, we first developed a 7-indicator coding rubric to quantify “Show-Work Presentation” and used factor analysis to reduce the indicators to two distinct, uncorrelated factors: Form (layout, neatness) and Annotation (completeness, detail). We then analyzed the relationships between several factors including Show-Work Presentation, question performance, exam and course performance, and conscientiousness, in a calculus-based introductory physics course at a large public research university. Results indicate that even while controlling for ACT math and conscientiousness, Form is a significant predictor for all show-work question scores but not for multiple choice question scores. This result suggests that some aspects of Show-Work Presentation may play a role in exam performance beyond prior preparation and conscientiousness. We also find that women tend to score equally or higher on Show-Work Presentation scores than men, which may partially mediate observed differences in exam scores.