The Impact of Targeting Scientific Reasoning on Student Attitudes about Experimental Physics
written by
N. G. Holmes, Joss Ives, and Doug A. Bonn
Many course interventions in physics explicitly aim to improve student learning and implicitly aim to improve student attitudes toward physics. In this paper we describe an introductory physics lab course aimed to give students more authentic experiences conducting physics experiments. To evaluate student attitudes toward experimental physics, we analyzed and compared student responses to the Colorado Learning and Attitudes about Science Survey for Experimental Physics (E-CLASS) in the intervention course and in a more traditional one-semester physics lab course. While there were significant negative shifts in attitudes in the traditional course, we found no negative shift in the transformed course. We attribute this difference to deliberately supporting learning goals that focus on understanding the process of science through reflection, iteration, and improvement. We discuss possible reasons for the lack of evidence of significant increases.
Physics Education Research Conference 2014
Part of the PER Conference series
Minneapolis, MN: July 30-31, 2014
Pages 119-122
This material is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license.
Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the published article's author(s), title, proceedings citation, and DOI.
<a href="https://www.per-central.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=13463">Holmes, N, J. Ives, and D. Bonn. "The Impact of Targeting Scientific Reasoning on Student Attitudes about Experimental Physics." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2014, Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014.</a>
N. Holmes, J. Ives, and D. Bonn, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2014, Minneapolis, MN, 2014, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13463&DocID=4062).
N. Holmes, J. Ives, and D. Bonn, The Impact of Targeting Scientific Reasoning on Student Attitudes about Experimental Physics, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2014, Minneapolis, MN, 2014, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13463&DocID=4062>.
Holmes, N., Ives, J., & Bonn, D. (2014, July 30-31). The Impact of Targeting Scientific Reasoning on Student Attitudes about Experimental Physics. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2014, Minneapolis, MN. Retrieved May 2, 2025, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13463&DocID=4062
Holmes, N, J. Ives, and D. Bonn. "The Impact of Targeting Scientific Reasoning on Student Attitudes about Experimental Physics." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2014, Minneapolis, MN, July 30-31, 2014. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13463&DocID=4062 (accessed 2 May 2025).
Holmes, Natasha G., Joss Ives, and Doug Bonn. "The Impact of Targeting Scientific Reasoning on Student Attitudes about Experimental Physics." Physics Education Research Conference 2014. Minneapolis, MN: 2014. 119-122 of PER Conference. 2 May 2025 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13463&DocID=4062>.
%0 Conference Proceedings %A Holmes, Natasha G. %A Ives, Joss %A Bonn, Doug %D July 30-31 2014 %T The Impact of Targeting Scientific Reasoning on Student Attitudes about Experimental Physics %B Physics Education Research Conference 2014 %C Minneapolis, MN %P 119-122 %S PER Conference %8 July 30-31 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13463&DocID=4062
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.
Record Link
Save to my folders
