View in EDS

Initial Study of Neutral Post-Instruction Responses on the Maryland Physics Expectation Survey

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Initial Study of Neutral Post-Instruction Responses on the Maryland Physics Expectation Survey
Language: English
Authors: Saltzman, J., Price, M. F., Rogers, M. B.
Source: Physical Review Physics Education Research. Jan-Jun 2016 12(1):013101-13101.
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: 6
Publication Date: 2016
Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Contract Number: 0536246
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Physics, Surveys, Student Attitudes, Science Instruction, Responses, Beliefs, Scientific Concepts, College Students, College Science, Scores, Pretests Posttests
Geographic Terms: New York
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.12.013101
ISSN: 2469-9896
Abstract: Epistemological studies generally focus on how students think about their construction of knowledge compared to how experts think about the same ideas. Instruments such as the MPEX and CLASS use a Likert scale to gauge whether students agree or disagree with how experts think about the same ideas. During analysis, five point scale responses are typically reduced to favorable, neutral, and unfavorable with neutral being treated as a nonresponse. What if students are actively selecting neutral and not treating it as a "does not apply?" To address this question we chose to analyze the postinstruction neutral responses of students in our Physics I course using data from multiple years, multiple sections, and multiple instructors. We found that classroom average postinstruction neutral responses were consistently within a band of 15%-25% and that this was also consistent with other published results. It is not yet clear what this pattern means. Is this a measure of students receiving mixed messages from instructors or a measure of a transitional stage that students go through when learning how to be a good college physics student? These initial findings are interesting enough that we are presenting them here with a more detailed question-byquestion analysis to be published in the near future. For example, high levels of neutral responses to applied questions (e.g., "All I need to do is. …") may indicate that students are receiving mixed messages from instructors. On the other hand, high levels of neutral responses to conceptual questions (e.g., "Knowledge in physics…") may indicate that students are in a transitional stage between novice and expert.
Abstractor: As Provided
Number of References: 27
Entry Date: 2016
Accession Number: EJ1106917
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1106917
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Initial Study of Neutral Post-Instruction Responses on the Maryland Physics Expectation Survey
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Saltzman%2C+J%2E%22">Saltzman, J.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Price%2C+M%2E+F%2E%22">Price, M. F.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rogers%2C+M%2E+B%2E%22">Rogers, M. B.</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Physical+Review+Physics+Education+Research%22"><i>Physical Review Physics Education Research</i></searchLink>. Jan-Jun 2016 12(1):013101-13101.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: 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
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 6
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2016
– Name: SourceSuprt
  Label: Sponsoring Agency
  Group: SrcSuprt
  Data: National Science Foundation (NSF)
– Name: NumberContract
  Label: Contract Number
  Group: NumCntrct
  Data: 0536246
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Physics%22">Physics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Surveys%22">Surveys</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Attitudes%22">Student Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Science+Instruction%22">Science Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Responses%22">Responses</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Beliefs%22">Beliefs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Scientific+Concepts%22">Scientific Concepts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Students%22">College Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Science%22">College Science</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Scores%22">Scores</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pretests+Posttests%22">Pretests Posttests</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22New+York%22">New York</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.12.013101
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 2469-9896
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Epistemological studies generally focus on how students think about their construction of knowledge compared to how experts think about the same ideas. Instruments such as the MPEX and CLASS use a Likert scale to gauge whether students agree or disagree with how experts think about the same ideas. During analysis, five point scale responses are typically reduced to favorable, neutral, and unfavorable with neutral being treated as a nonresponse. What if students are actively selecting neutral and not treating it as a "does not apply?" To address this question we chose to analyze the postinstruction neutral responses of students in our Physics I course using data from multiple years, multiple sections, and multiple instructors. We found that classroom average postinstruction neutral responses were consistently within a band of 15%-25% and that this was also consistent with other published results. It is not yet clear what this pattern means. Is this a measure of students receiving mixed messages from instructors or a measure of a transitional stage that students go through when learning how to be a good college physics student? These initial findings are interesting enough that we are presenting them here with a more detailed question-byquestion analysis to be published in the near future. For example, high levels of neutral responses to applied questions (e.g., "All I need to do is. …") may indicate that students are receiving mixed messages from instructors. On the other hand, high levels of neutral responses to conceptual questions (e.g., "Knowledge in physics…") may indicate that students are in a transitional stage between novice and expert.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: Ref
  Label: Number of References
  Group: RefInfo
  Data: 27
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2016
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1106917
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1106917
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.12.013101
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 6
        StartPage: 013101
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Physics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Surveys
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Science Instruction
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Responses
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Beliefs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Scientific Concepts
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Science
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Scores
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pretests Posttests
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: New York
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Initial Study of Neutral Post-Instruction Responses on the Maryland Physics Expectation Survey
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Saltzman, J.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Price, M. F.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Rogers, M. B.
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2016
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 2469-9896
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 12
            – Type: issue
              Value: 1
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Physical Review Physics Education Research
              Type: main
ResultId 1