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This paper examines the results of the repeated administration of the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) in a large introductory physics course at a midsize, metropolitan Canadian university. We compare the results to those obtained previously in comparable courses at the University of British Columbia (Canada) and the University of Colorado (U.S.). Atypically, students in this study exhibited a positive shift in their attitudes about science over the semester. The change in students’ attitudes across the term appears to be moderated by their educational background—specifically, whether they had taken grade 12 physics or not. The correlation between students’ attitudes and their conceptual knowledge also appears to be influenced by students’ educational background. The results have pedagogical implications for instructors of introductory college and university physics and potentially for other science courses

We report on an experiment comparing examinations of concepts using slightly modified peer instruction (MPI) interventions with a conceptual conflict strategy based on collaborative groups (CG). Four interventions were utilized in two sections of an introductory physics course for science students. Both instructors and strategies were alternated in the two classes so that instructor dependence could be factored out and so that each class could serve as both an experimental and a control group. The gain on the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) used as a pre-and post-test is essentially the same in both classes. The instructors were experienced in use of MPI, but this was the first time that these instructors had used a collaborative group activity in their classes and only used it for the two interventions in each class described in this paper. CG appears to be more effective as a teaching method than PI. It also should be noted that the effectiveness of both teaching methods seems to be instructor independent as long as the instructors followed the same protocol.PACS Nos: 01.40Fk, 01.40.gb, 01.40.-d Résumé : Nous présentons les résultats d'une expérience comparant l'examen des concepts en utilisant des interventions légèrement modifiées d'instruction par des pairs (MPI) avec une stratégie de conflit conceptuel basée sur des groupes collaboratifs (CG). Nous avons utilisé quatre interventions dans deux sections d'un cours d'introduction à la physique destiné aux étudiants en sciences. Nous avons alterné les enseignants et les stratégies entre les deux classes de façon à éliminer la dépendance sur l'enseignant et que chacune puisse servir à la fois comme cobaye et comme groupe de contrôle. L'amélio-ration dans le test FCI avant et après le test est essentiellement la même dans les deux classes. Les enseignants étaient familiers avec MPI, mais c'était la première fois qu'ils utilisaient des activités de groupes collaboratifs dans leurs classes et ne l'ont utilisé que pour les deux interventions décrites ici. CG semble être une méthode d'enseignement plus efficace que PI. O doit aussi noter que l'efficacité des deux méthodes semble indépendante de l'enseignant, à condition de suivre le même protocole.[Traduit par la Rédaction]

The paper identifies possible causes of STEM education reform failures and suggests how repairing the link between evidence-based education research and teacher education practice may address the problem. The evidence-based STEM education research is described and placed in the STEM teacher education context. The paper shows how this research may help reverse the growing student STEM disengagement, support effective learning environments, bring attention to teacher professional development, and inform STEM education policy. The paper calls on placing research-based STEM teacher education in the center of contemporary reform efforts and conducting evidence-based education research to study the effect of this process on the growth of teacher knowledge and subsequently on student learning. The major claim is that research-based teacher education and professional development are key factors in successful implementation of STEM education reforms. However, more research is needed to examine this assertion. We suggest a four-step approach for incorporating evidence-based education research and teacher education practice as a potential solution: Model-Reflect-Research-Practice. This approach emphasizes teacher-candidates' active engagement with research-based pedagogies as learners and as future teachers. It provides a universal framework for incorporating research-based pedagogies in teacher education as described in the two examples. The first example showcases Peer Instruction supported by PeerWise technology used to promote conceptual understanding through peer learning. The second example focuses on supporting teacher-candidates' growth by asking them to teach short mini-lessons, record and upload them onto the online collaborative platform (Collaborative Learning Annotation System) for peer feedback and reflection. Both examples incorporate collaborative educational technologies to promote the development of teacher-candidates' knowledge for STEM teaching and their growth mindset. The paper emphasizes how making evidence-based STEM education research a foundation of teacher education can help connect education research to teacher education practice and break the vicious circle of STEM education reform failures.

Interactivity and inquiry-based learning science are effective ways of helping students overcome their perception of chemistry as an alien and abstract topic and instead approach the subject as a creative way of understanding ideas and applying mastered concepts to new contexts. Data acquisition systems are an extremely useful form of educational technology that can be used alone or in conjunction with other technologies to bring about active learning and enable students to move beyond memorization to the verification strategies and knowledge base they need to successfully master chemistry concepts. This article describes the use of data acquisition systems and analysis software in combination with other technologies such as electronic response systems and online video. The technologies were used for laboratory activities, online learning, and lecture hall demonstrations and allowed for cross-disciplinary experiments. They also brought an element of interactivity to each instructional setting that proved to be an excellent avenue for engaging student interest and ensuring comprehension of chemistry topics.

This paper examines the effects of computer-based Interactive Lecture Experiments (ILEs) in a large introductory physics course on student academic achievement and attitudes towards physics. ILEs build on interactive lecture demonstrations by requiring students to analyze data during and after lecture demonstrations. Academic achievement was measured using the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) and final examinations' grades; and student attitudes were measured using a Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS). FCI results showed a general positive shift (about average for an interactive course) but could not detect improvements in student understanding of specific topics addressed by ILEs. However, open-ended questions on the final exam showed differences between sections on topics that were addressed by ILEs. Attitude survey results showed a negative shift in student attitudes over the semester, which is a typical result for an introductory physics course. This finding suggests that ILE pedagogy alone is insufficient to significantly improve student attitudes toward science. The study also revealed possible improvements to implementing ILEs such as working in groups, ongoing feedback for students, and linking assessment to pedagogical practices.PACS Nos: 01.40.gb, 01.40.Ha Résumé : Nous examinons ici les effets d'une Expérience de Cours Interactif avec ordinateur (ILEs) sur les résultats académiques et l'attitude envers la physique d'un grand groupe d'étudiants qui suivent un cours d'introduction à la physique. ILE utilise des démonstrations interactives en classe et requiert que les étudiants analysent les données pendant et après la classe. Nous avons mesuré la performance académique en utilisant une technique connue sous le nom de « Force Concept Inventory » (FCI) ou Fonds des Concepts de Force (comment les étudiants conçoivent, visualisent la force mécanique) et sur les résultat de l'examen final. L'attitude des étudiants a été mesurée en utilisant l'outil CLASS développé au Colorado. Les résultats FCI ont montré un déplacement général positif (normal pour un cours interactif), mais n'ont détecté aucune amélioration dans la compréhension que les étudiants ont des différents sujets discutés dans les cours avec pédagogie ILEs. Cependant, les questions ouvertes dans l'examen final ont montré des différences entre les différentes sections pour les sujets étudiés par ILEs. L'analyse des attitudes a montré un déplacement négatif dans les attitudes des étudiants sur la durée de la session, un résultat typique pour un cours d'introduction en physique. Ces résultats indiquent que la pédagogie ILE à elle seule est incapable d'améliorer significativement l'attitude des étudiants envers la science. L'étude révèle égale-ment des pistes pour une amélioration possible de ILE, comme le travail en groupe, la contre-réaction en continu et un meilleur lien entre l'évaluation et les pratiques pédagogiques.[Traduit par la Rédaction]

At Ryerson University every year, hundreds of science and engineering students enroll into required introductory physics courses. The diverse educational histories and demographic characteristics of these students reflect the diversity of Toronto as an urban metropolis and Canada more generally. In this study, we investigate how students’ demographic and educational diversity affects their conceptual learning in introductory university physics. As expected, we found that the completion of a senior high school physics course is positively related to students’ initial conceptual understanding of physics. The unexpected result was that gender remained a predictor of the students’ initial conceptual understanding, even when the completion of high school physics was accounted for. Other demographic characteristics, such as students’ mother tongue and country of birth, seem not to matter. Students’ initial conceptual understanding was the strongest predictor of students’ course learning outcomes, which makes understanding students’ initial differences particularly important. Since learning outcomes in introductory science courses often impact students’ later success in undergraduate science degree programs, these results suggest that the impact of completing high school physics may extend far beyond the first year. The persistence of initial gender differences in students’ learning outcomes remains an ongoing concern.

One of the most commonly explored technologies in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education is Classroom Response Systems (clickers). Clickers help instructors generate in-class discussion by soliciting student responses to multiple-choice conceptual questions and sharing the distribution of these responses with the class. The potential benefits of clicker-enhanced pedagogy include: increased student engagement, reduced anxiety, continuous formative assessment, and enhanced conceptual understanding. Most studies, however, investigate the effects of clicker-enhanced instruction in large undergraduate STEM courses. The impact of this pedagogy on learning in small secondary or post-secondary classrooms is still relatively unexplored.The context of this study is a secondary physics methods course in a Teacher Education Program at a large Canadian university. One of the course assignments required future teachers to develop multiple-choice conceptual questions relevant to the secondary physics curriculum. This study investigates the impact of modeling clicker-enhanced active engagement pedagogy on future teachers' Content Knowledge, Pedagogical Knowledge, and Pedagogical Content Knowledge, as revealed by this assignment. The results of the study indicate that: (1) modeling clicker-enhanced pedagogy in a physics methods course increases future teachers' interest in active learning; (2) clicker-enhanced pedagogy is a powerful vehicle for developing Pedagogical Content Knowledge of future physics teachers; (3) clicker-enhanced pedagogy is a useful tool for teacher educators for identifying and addressing the gaps in the Content Knowledge of future teachers. This study sheds light on developing future teachers' capacities to design and implement instruction that is driven by conceptual questions in the presence or absence of technology and the impact of this process on their Pedagogical Content Knowledge and attitudes about conceptual STEM learning.