Evaluation of Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey
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| Title: | Evaluation of Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Douglas, K. A., Yale, M. S., Bennett, D. E., Haugan, M. P., Bryan, L. A. |
| Source: | Physical Review Special Topics - Physics Education Research. Jul-Dec 2014 10(2):020128. |
| Availability: | American Physical Society. One Physics Ellipse 4th Floor, College Park, MD 20740-3844. Tel: 301-209-3200; Fax: 301-209-0865; e-mail: assocpub@aps.org; Web site: http://prst-per.aps.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 9 |
| Publication Date: | 2014 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Scientific Attitudes, Educational Attitudes, Science Education, Student Attitudes, Physics, Factor Structure, Introductory Courses, Undergraduate Students, Factor Analysis, Psychometrics, Test Items, Item Analysis, State Surveys, Pretests Posttests, Attitude Measures, Program Validation, Goodness of Fit |
| Geographic Terms: | Colorado |
| DOI: | 10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.10.020128 |
| ISSN: | 1554-9178 |
| Abstract: | The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) is a widely used instrument designed to measure student attitudes toward physics and learning physics. Previous research revealed a fairly complex factor structure. In this study, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on data from an undergraduate introductory physics course (n = 3844) to determine whether a more parsimonious factor structure exists. Exploratory factor analysis results indicate that many of the items from the original CLASS have poor psychometric properties and could not be used in a revised factor structure. The cross validation showed acceptable fit statistics for a three factor model found in the exploratory factor analysis. This research suggests that a more optimum measurement of students' attitudes about physics and learning physics is obtained with a 15-item instrument, which describes the factors of personal application, personal effort, and problem solving. The proposed revised version of the CLASS offers researchers the opportunity to test a shortened version of the instrument that may be able to provide information about students' attitudes in the areas of personal application of physics, personal effort in a physics course, and approaches to problem solving. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Number of References: | 37 |
| Entry Date: | 2014 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1046794 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) is a widely used instrument designed to measure student attitudes toward physics and learning physics. Previous research revealed a fairly complex factor structure. In this study, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on data from an undergraduate introductory physics course (n = 3844) to determine whether a more parsimonious factor structure exists. Exploratory factor analysis results indicate that many of the items from the original CLASS have poor psychometric properties and could not be used in a revised factor structure. The cross validation showed acceptable fit statistics for a three factor model found in the exploratory factor analysis. This research suggests that a more optimum measurement of students' attitudes about physics and learning physics is obtained with a 15-item instrument, which describes the factors of personal application, personal effort, and problem solving. The proposed revised version of the CLASS offers researchers the opportunity to test a shortened version of the instrument that may be able to provide information about students' attitudes in the areas of personal application of physics, personal effort in a physics course, and approaches to problem solving. |
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| ISSN: | 1554-9178 |
| DOI: | 10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.10.020128 |
