Students’ attitudes toward experimental physics in a conceptual inquiry-based introductory physics lab

Abstract

There is some evidence that conceptual inquiry-based introductory physics lab curricula, such as RealTime Physics, may improve students' understanding of physics concepts. Thus, these curricula may be attractive for instructors who seek to transform their physics labs to improve student learning. However, the impact of conceptual inquiry-based lab instruction on students' attitudes and beliefs about experimental physics, as measured by the E-CLASS survey, is not yet fully understood. We present data from three curricular approaches over four semesters (n=701). We saw no change in E-CLASS scores in the first implementation of a conceptual inquiry-based introductory physics lab. However, the addition of questions that asked students to reflect on issues relating to experimental physics was associated with E-CLASS outcomes that are comparable to other effective approaches to lab instruction.

Measuring the impact of conceptual inquiry-based labs

“…The conceptual inquiry-based labs used in this study did not focus on multiple representations [32]. By contrast, the RealTime Physics labs, which have been associated with a significant increase in student conceptual understanding [20], employ multiple representations frequently [15]. Use of multiple representations may help students make connections between abstract concepts (e.g., electric potential difference), diagrams (e.g., circuit diagrams), and the physical objects and measurements they will encounter in the lab.…”

“…A fourth study, comparing inquiry-based and traditional labs, found no difference on either the FCI or MBT, but a significant difference on course grades [19]. Finally, a fifth investigation found a significant increase in FCI scores for students taking a conceptual inquiry lab course based on RealTime Physics [15] compared with a traditional curriculum [20].…”