Laboratory courses represent a unique and potentially important component of the undergraduate physics curriculum, which can be designed to allow students to authentically engage with the process of experimental physics. Among other possible benefits, participation in these courses throughout the undergraduate physics curriculum presents an opportunity to develop students' understanding of the nature and importance of experimental physics within the discipline as a whole. Here, we present and compare both a longitudinal and pseudolongitudinal analysis of students' responses to a research-based assessment targeting students' views about experimental physics--the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Experimental Physics (E-CLASS)--across multiple, required lab courses at a single institution. We find that, while pseudolongitudinal averages showed increases in students' E-CLASS scores in each consecutive course, analysis of longitudinal data indicates that this increase was not driven by a cumulative impact of laboratory instruction. Rather, the increase was driven by a selection effect in which students who persisted into higher-level lab courses already had more expert-like beliefs, attitudes, and expectations than their peers when they started the lower-level courses.
Physical Review Physics Education Research: Volume 13, Issue 09, Pages 023101
ComPADRE is beta testing Citation Styles!
Record Link
<a href="https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=15058">Wilcox, Bethany, and Heather J. Lewandowski. "Improvement or selection? A longitudinal analysis of students’ views about experimental physics in their lab courses." Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 13, no. 09, (September 11, 2017): 023101.</a>
AIP Format
B. Wilcox and H. Lewandowski, , Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 13 (09), 023101 (2017), WWW Document, (https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.13.023101).
AJP/PRST-PER
B. Wilcox and H. Lewandowski, Improvement or selection? A longitudinal analysis of students’ views about experimental physics in their lab courses, Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 13 (09), 023101 (2017), <https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.13.023101>.
APA Format
Wilcox, B., & Lewandowski, H. (2017, September 11). Improvement or selection? A longitudinal analysis of students’ views about experimental physics in their lab courses. Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res., 13(09), 023101. Retrieved November 13, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.13.023101
Chicago Format
Wilcox, Bethany, and Heather J. Lewandowski. "Improvement or selection? A longitudinal analysis of students’ views about experimental physics in their lab courses." Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 13, no. 09, (September 11, 2017): 023101, https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.13.023101 (accessed 13 November 2024).
MLA Format
Wilcox, Bethany, and Heather J. Lewandowski. "Improvement or selection? A longitudinal analysis of students’ views about experimental physics in their lab courses." Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 13.09 (2017): 023101. 13 Nov. 2024 <https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.13.023101>.
BibTeX Export Format
@article{
Author = "Bethany Wilcox and Heather J. Lewandowski",
Title = {Improvement or selection? A longitudinal analysis of students’ views about experimental physics in their lab courses},
Journal = {Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res.},
Volume = {13},
Number = {09},
Pages = {023101},
Month = {September},
Year = {2017}
}
Refer Export Format
%A Bethany Wilcox %A Heather J. Lewandowski %T Improvement or selection? A longitudinal analysis of students' views about experimental physics in their lab courses %J Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. %V 13 %N 09 %D September 11, 2017 %P 023101 %U https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.13.023101 %O application/pdf
EndNote Export Format
%0 Journal Article %A Wilcox, Bethany %A Lewandowski, Heather J. %D September 11, 2017 %T Improvement or selection? A longitudinal analysis of students' views about experimental physics in their lab courses %J Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. %V 13 %N 09 %P 023101 %8 September 11, 2017 %U https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.13.023101 Disclaimer: ComPADRE offers citation styles as a guide only. We cannot offer interpretations about citations as this is an automated procedure. Please refer to the style manuals in the Citation Source Information area for clarifications.
Citation Source Information
The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual. The APA Style presented is based on information from APA Style.org: Electronic References. The Chicago Style presented is based on information from Examples of Chicago-Style Documentation. The MLA Style presented is based on information from the MLA FAQ. |
ContributeSimilar Materials |