Abstract
Undergraduate physics laboratory course structures have been identified in policy reports for novel design innovations to meet the needs of a diverse and growing student population. To this end, an online, hands-on laboratory option was implemented at a large, public university for introductory physics students using the iOLab device. To determine whether students in this new course structure had similar perspectives to their in-person counterparts in terms of select attitudinal measures, a quasiexperimental, observational quantitative study was undertaken to measure students’ epistemological views as well as their beliefs about socialization and help seeking in online and in-person laboratory environments. Undergraduate students who were enrolled in calculus-based introductory physics (N=998) were surveyed in the second half of the semester to elicit their epistemological beliefs about physics laboratory work and their views on social engagement and academic help seeking in the laboratory. Parametric and nonparametric comparisons of central tendency were employed to measure differences between students in the in-person and online laboratories, as well as gender differences and associated interaction effects. Students showed no overall differences in attitudes related to epistemological and help seeking beliefs. There were significant differences related to views of socialization; students taking in-person physics laboratories valued socialization more than students taking the course online. Gender differences in epistemological and help seeking beliefs were identified overall, however, these differences were no longer significant when examining the interactions of laboratory type and gender. This finding suggests that self-selection into laboratory type may diminish gender gaps in affective domains by allowing students to choose the laboratory structure that meets their learning and logistical needs. In terms of physics epistemology, socialization and help seeking in the laboratory may not be as important to students’ perceptions of physics knowledge acquisition as previously thought. This study provides insights into the feasibility of online, hands-on laboratory experiences to meet the affective goals articulated in in-person laboratories, as well as institutional recommendations for advising students to select courses that match their individual learning styles.Received 23 February 2020Accepted 15 July 2020DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.16.020116Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.Published by the American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasDiversity & inclusionEpistemology, attitudes, & beliefsLearning environmentPhysics Education Research
Highlights
The call for improvement in undergraduate science education has been emphasized by numerous policy reports in recent years [1,2,3]
Undergraduate students who were enrolled in calculus-based introductory physics (N 1⁄4 998) were surveyed in the second half of the semester to elicit their epistemological beliefs about physics laboratory work and their views on social engagement and academic help seeking in the laboratory
The National Research Council released a report on the status of undergraduate physics education, Adapting to a Changing World: Challenges and Opportunities in Undergraduate Physics Education, which recommended modifying courses to meet the needs of a diverse student body, those who have been traditionally underrepresented in the field [5]
Summary
The call for improvement in undergraduate science education has been emphasized by numerous policy reports in recent years [1,2,3]. Changes in physics laboratory courses have been driven by the need to prepare students for 21st century careers [6,7] and to engage students in authentic scientific practices such as thinking and acting like a physicist [7,8,9]. Such instructional improvements should be supported by empirically based evidence, which might include research on the affective domain, including factors such as student attitudes, perceptions, and values [5]
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