scholarly journals New instrument for measuring student beliefs about physics and learning physics: The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey

2008 ◽  
pp. 743-756
Author(s):  
W. K. Adams ◽  
K. K. Perkins ◽  
N. S. Podolefsky ◽  
M. Dubson ◽  
N. D. Finkelstein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Student Beliefs ◽  
Learning Attitudes ◽  
New Instrument ◽  
Attitudes About Science

Turkish Adaptation and Psychometric Evaluation of the Colorado Learning Attitudes About Science Survey (CLASS) in Physics

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 355-372
Author(s):  
Derya Kaltakci-Gurel ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Physics Education ◽  
Psychometric Evaluation ◽  
Face Validity ◽  
Student Beliefs ◽  
Translation Process ◽  
Fit Statistics ◽  
Learning Attitudes ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Attitudes About Science ◽  
Original Class

The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) is an instrument to measure student beliefs about physics and learning physics. In this research, Turkish adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the CLASS is discussed. In the first stage, the translation process, which included examination of six experts (four experts in physics education and two experts in English and Turkish languages) for content validity and 13 student interviews for face validity, was described. In the second stage, exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) factor analysis results obtained from 1391 freshman students were discussed for construct validty. The EFA yielded three factors that consisted of 20 items, which explained 39.61 % of the total variance. These factors were named as: Problem Solving Effort, Conceptual Understanding, and Personal Interest and Real-World Connection. Based on the CFA results, the three-factor 20-item instrument showed acceptable fit statistics. Compared to the original CLASS, the proposed version with 20-item model was shorter, easier to administer and easier to score, valid and reliable survey, so feasible to use. The overlapping of the constructs (i.e., violation of the unidimensionality) in the original CLASS was a problem, while in the proposed model none of the items were included in more than one construct.

scholarly journals Incorporating Physics Principles in General Biology to Promote Integrative Learning and Thinking

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Tennille D. Presley ◽  
Noelle A. Harp ◽  
Latrise S. Holt ◽  
Destini Samuel ◽  
Jill JoAnn Harp
Keyword(s):  
American Association ◽  
Integrative Learning ◽  
General Biology ◽  
Learning Attitudes ◽  
Powerful Approach ◽  
Biology I ◽  
Attitudes About Science ◽  
Biological Concepts ◽  
Study Support ◽  
Students Attitudes

Students often struggle to identify correlations among various concepts in STEM courses, such as energy, mechanics, and cellular communication. Integrative learning incorporates numerous concepts and subjects to aid understanding and enhance critical thinking. This research describes an integrative learning approach in a General Biology I course where key physics-based concepts that are connected to biological topics were emphasized. In addition, students’ knowledge and their beliefs towards biology in all General Biology I classes were assessed using American Association of Colleges and Universities’ Integrative Learning VALUE Rubric and the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS). It was found that correlations existed between students’ attitudes towards biology and their overall content knowledge. The results of this study support that integrative learning is a powerful approach to aid in the understanding of physical and biological concepts, leading to improved student success.

scholarly journals Incorporating Physics Principles in General Biology to Promote Integrative Learning and Thinking

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 0-0
Keyword(s):  
American Association ◽  
Integrative Learning ◽  
General Biology ◽  
Learning Attitudes ◽  
Powerful Approach ◽  
Biology I ◽  
Attitudes About Science ◽  
Biological Concepts ◽  
Study Support ◽  
Students Attitudes

Students often struggle to identify correlations among various concepts in STEM courses, such as energy, mechanics, and cellular communication. Integrative learning incorporates numerous concepts and subjects to aid understanding and enhance critical thinking. This research describes an integrative learning approach in a General Biology I course where key physics-based concepts that are connected to biological topics were emphasized. In addition, students’ knowledge and their beliefs towards biology in all General Biology I classes were assessed using American Association of Colleges and Universities’ Integrative Learning VALUE Rubric and the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS). It was found that correlations existed between students’ attitudes towards biology and their overall content knowledge. The results of this study support that integrative learning is a powerful approach to aid in the understanding of physical and biological concepts, leading to improved student success.

scholarly journals The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) for Use in Biology

2011 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 268-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharine Semsar ◽  
Jennifer K. Knight ◽  
Gülnur Birol ◽  
Michelle K. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Introductory Physics ◽  
Student Responses ◽  
Learning Attitudes ◽  
Attitudes About Science ◽  
Problem Solving Strategies ◽  
Biology Courses ◽  
Consensus Expert

This paper describes a newly adapted instrument for measuring novice-to-expert-like perceptions about biology: the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Biology (CLASS-Bio). Consisting of 31 Likert-scale statements, CLASS-Bio probes a range of perceptions that vary between experts and novices, including enjoyment of the discipline, propensity to make connections to the real world, recognition of conceptual connections underlying knowledge, and problem-solving strategies. CLASS-Bio has been tested for response validity with both undergraduate students and experts (biology PhDs), allowing student responses to be directly compared with a consensus expert response. Use of CLASS-Bio to date suggests that introductory biology courses have the same challenges as introductory physics and chemistry courses: namely, students shift toward more novice-like perceptions following instruction. However, students in upper-division biology courses do not show the same novice-like shifts. CLASS-Bio can also be paired with other assessments to: 1) examine how student perceptions impact learning and conceptual understanding of biology, and 2) assess and evaluate how pedagogical techniques help students develop both expertise in problem solving and an expert-like appreciation of the nature of biology.

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