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Characterizing the Epistemological Development of Physics Majors
written by
Elizabeth Gire, Edward Price, and Barbara Jones
Differences between novice and expert physics students have frequently been reported, yet students' development through intermediate stages has seldom been described. In this study, we characterize undergraduate physics majors' epistemological sophistication at various levels of degree progress. A cross-section of physics majors was surveyed with the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey. Beginning physics majors are significantly more expert-like than non-physics majors in introductory physics courses; furthermore, this high level of sophistication is constant over the first three years of the physics degree program, with increases at the senior and graduate levels. Based on longitudinal data on a subset of students, we observe negligible average shift in students' responses over periods of up to two years. We discuss implications for how and why physics students' epistemological sophistication develops, including a possible connection between CLASS survey response and self-identification as a physicist.
Physics Education Research Conference 2006
Part of the PER Conference series Syracuse, New York: July 26-27, 2006 Volume 883, Pages 65-68
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![]() <a href="https://www.per-central.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=5242">Gire, E, E. Price, and B. Jones. "Characterizing the Epistemological Development of Physics Majors." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2006, Syracuse, New York, July 26-27, 2006.</a>
![]() E. Gire, E. Price, and B. Jones, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2006, Syracuse, New York, 2006, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=5242&DocID=2105).
![]() E. Gire, E. Price, and B. Jones, Characterizing the Epistemological Development of Physics Majors, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2006, Syracuse, New York, 2006, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=5242&DocID=2105>.
![]() Gire, E., Price, E., & Jones, B. (2006, July 26-27). Characterizing the Epistemological Development of Physics Majors. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2006, Syracuse, New York. Retrieved February 16, 2025, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=5242&DocID=2105
![]() Gire, E, E. Price, and B. Jones. "Characterizing the Epistemological Development of Physics Majors." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2006, Syracuse, New York, July 26-27, 2006. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=5242&DocID=2105 (accessed 16 February 2025).
![]() Gire, Elizabeth, Edward Price, and Barbara Jones. "Characterizing the Epistemological Development of Physics Majors." Physics Education Research Conference 2006. Syracuse, New York: 2006. 65-68 Vol. 883 of PER Conference. 16 Feb. 2025 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=5242&DocID=2105>.
![]() @inproceedings{
Author = "Elizabeth Gire and Edward Price and Barbara Jones",
Title = {Characterizing the Epistemological Development of Physics Majors},
BookTitle = {Physics Education Research Conference 2006},
Pages = {65-68},
Address = {Syracuse, New York},
Series = {PER Conference},
Volume = {883},
Month = {July 26-27},
Year = {2006}
}
![]() %A Elizabeth Gire %A Edward Price %A Barbara Jones %T Characterizing the Epistemological Development of Physics Majors %S PER Conference %V 883 %D July 26-27 2006 %P 65-68 %C Syracuse, New York %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=5242&DocID=2105 %O Physics Education Research Conference 2006 %O July 26-27 %O application/pdf ![]() %0 Conference Proceedings %A Gire, Elizabeth %A Price, Edward %A Jones, Barbara %D July 26-27 2006 %T Characterizing the Epistemological Development of Physics Majors %B Physics Education Research Conference 2006 %C Syracuse, New York %V 883 %P 65-68 %S PER Conference %8 July 26-27 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=5242&DocID=2105 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.
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