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Abstract Title: Response-Shift Bias in the CLASS with Predicted and Retrospective Survey
Abstract: The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) is an important tool for assessing shifts in students' beliefs and attitudes about learning physics. Instructors hope that students overcome their preconceptions about physics and complete the course with a favorable shift in their attitudes, but pre-to-post-instruction CLASS results usually indicate a decline. However, we have found that these results can contain response-shift bias due to students' changing frame of reference regarding the subject. We have observed significant gains when comparing post-instruction CLASS responses with retrospective responses. We also report responses to a CLASS administration that asked students to predict their end-of-semester responses. We compare traditional pre- and post-instruction responses with predicted and retrospective responses to the CLASS. Based on this comparison, we evaluate the presence of response-shift bias within student responses and discuss its impact on the interpretation of CLASS results.
Abstract Type: Contributed Poster Presentation
Session Time: Poster Session I
Poster Number: A45
Contributed Paper Record: Contributed Paper Information
Contributed Paper Download: Download Contributed Paper

Author/Organizer Information

Primary Contact: W. Brian Lane
Jacksonville University Physics Department
2800 University Boulevard North
Jacksonville, FL 32211
Phone: 9042567300
Co-Author(s)
and Co-Presenter(s)
Ramesh Adhikari, Jacksonville University Physics Department