PERC 2012 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | The Effects of Autonomy on the Student Experience In Introductory Physics |
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| Abstract: | We investigated from a self-determination theory perspective the role autonomy plays in the student experience in a large-enrollment undergraduate introductory physics course. We considered the effects of how supportive instructors were of student autonomy (e.g., the instructor listened to how the student would like to do things, took the student's perspective, etc.). We found from a correlational study that students who perceived their instructors to be more supportive of their autonomy tended to perform better and become more interested and less anxious about learning physics. We also considered the effects of the amount of student autonomy built into the course format. We discuss the results of a controlled experiment comparing two course formats in which students were given a significantly different number of opportunities to choose how to spend their class time. |
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster Presentation |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Nicholas Hall University of California - Davis |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
David Webb, University of California - Davis |
