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 (marking answers, defining variables). We analyzed relationships between Show-Work Presentation, question performance, exam and course performance, and conscientiousness, in a calculus-based introductory physics course. Even after controlling for ACT math and conscientiousness, Form significantly predicted show-work question performance but not multiple choice scores, suggesting that presentation quality may influence outcomes beyond prior preparation. We also find that women score higher than men on both Form and Annotation, and that this difference partially mediates gender differences in exam scores. These results suggest the potential importance of show-work presentation as an indicator and possibly a facilitator of problem solving performance.