Understanding the development of interest and self-efficacy in active-learning undergraduate physics courses

Abstract

Modeling Instruction (MI), an active-learning introductory physics curriculum, has been shown to improve student academic success. Peer-to-peer interactions play a salient role in the MI classroom. Their impact on student interest and self-efficacy -preeminent constructs of various career theories -has not been thoroughly explored. Our examination of three undergraduate MI courses (N = 221) revealed a decrease in students' physics self-efficacy, physics interest, and general science interest. We found a positive link from physics interest to self-efficacy, and a negative relationship between science interest and self-efficacy. We tested structural equation models confirming that student interactions make positive contributions to selfefficacy. This study frames students' classroom interactions within broader career theory frameworks and suggests nuanced considerations regarding interest and self-efficacy constructs in the context of undergraduate active-learning science courses.

Physics Teachers’ Perceptions on Sustainable Physics Education

“…The sustainable development of PE has the potential to equip students with necessary physics knowledge and scientific skills that allow students to be responsible citizens in promoting sustainable development (Talisayon, 2015). In agreement with this statement, Dou et al (2018) argued that effective and successful implementation of PE should also be able to increase students' interests in making discoveries related to physical world and pursue long-term careers in physics related field.…”

Practitioner’s guide to social network analysis: Examining physics anxiety in an active-learning setting

“…The relationship between physics anxiety and classroom interactions is meaningful, given the overall trend towards active learning modalities in physics teach-ing. Research suggests that for some students, active learning environments may cause discomfort and anxiety [13,51,52], which can lead to suppressed performance or loss of interest -factors that affect persistence in a major [53]. Physics instructors that solicit peer learning must take into consideration a variety of ways to group students in order to optimize outcomes like learning and improved attitudes towards physics.…”

“…Building on our previous work [7,8,[12][13][14], we calculate the following three measures: indegree, outdegree and closeness. Put simply indegree can be thought of as a measure of popularity.…”

“…For over half a decade we have applied SNA in the field of physics education research. That work has led to greater understandings of student persistence, changes in their career-related beliefs (e.g., physics interest), and their academic success [7,8,[12][13][14]. In the process, we also established SNA study design in the classroom arXiv:1809.00337v1 [physics.ed-ph] 2 Sep 2018 context, including development of data collection instruments, setup of protocols for gathering and digitizing data, as well as identification of network methodologies relevant to a wide range of research questions.…”

Enhancing Peer Influence in STEM Learning and Engagement through Social Media Interactions Using Network Science Principles

“…SNA allows students to examine how they participate in informal atmosphere by equal participation [19]. More recent studies have demonstrated how SNA could benefit the understanding of peer influence [20,21]. One of the greatest challenges in academic settings has been to maintain student interest in a particular course and their persistence [22].…”