Publication Date
2016
Document Type
Thesis
Committee Members
Jason Deibel (Committee Member), Eric Rowley (Committee Member), Adrienne Traxler (Advisor)
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to measure correlations between the students’ incoming attitudes, beliefs and expectations about physics and their conceptual understanding. The study presents a profile of the attitudes and beliefs for Wright State University students who enrolled in calculus-based General Physics I courses during academic years 2014-2015 and 2015-2016. Students’ initial and final attitudes, measured using the CLASS, are correlated with initial and final conceptual gain, measured using the Force Concept Inventory. Students’ initial attitudes (Opre) was correlated with students’ gain (FCIgain) in many sections. Correlations between students’ final attitudes (Opost) and their conceptual understanding (FCIpost), reported in work at other universities, were not consistently seen here. However, a significant correlation between students’ initial attitudes and their conceptual understanding shows in most of the sections.
Page Count
81
Department or Program
Department of Physics
Year Degree Awarded
2016
Copyright
Copyright 2016, all rights reserved. My ETD will be available under the "Fair Use" terms of copyright law.
