Abstract
As part of a project to explore successful strategies for using studio methods, such as SCALE-UP, we explore strategic self-regulatory and motivational characteristics of students in said courses at three universities with varying student populations and differing success in studio-mode courses. We survey students using compiled questions from several existing questionnaires designed to measure student characteristics such as attitudes toward and motivations for learning physics, organization of scientific knowledge, experiences outside the classroom, and demographics. Other studies have identified five distinct learning profiles across varying student populations. Using a person-centered approach, we utilize cluster analysis methods to group students into learning profiles to better understand the study strategies and motives of algebra-based studio physics students. We present results from first- semester and second-semester studio-mode introductory physics courses across three universities. We identify these five distinct learning profiles, found in previous studies, to be present within our student population.
Highlights
Despite their growing popularity, studio-mode introductory physics courses, which support an interactive studentcentered learning environment, have seen variable success at different institutions as measured by student outcomes
We address the following three questions: (i) Do the five learning profiles identified in prior research in the fields of educational psychology [14,15] and engineering education [16] describe the ways students approach learning in algebra-based, studio-mode introductory physics course? (ii) Does learning profile adoption vary based on student demographics, such as gender, race or ethnicity, major, etc.? (iii) Does learning profile adoption vary by institution? We establish our survey’s reliability and construct validity in our sample
We note that there is a difference between the description of the strategic profile in our study compared to that of prior studies, in that students in our strategic profile exhibit a higher level of surface approach as compared to students in the knowledge building profile
Summary
Studio-mode introductory physics courses, which support an interactive studentcentered learning environment, have seen variable success at different institutions as measured by student outcomes. We define a studio-mode introductory physics course as one that combines the lecture, laboratory, and recitation activities of a traditional introductory physics course and endeavors to reduce time spent on instructor-led lecture in favor of student-centered active learning opportunities. A variety of studio methods, which combine traditional lecture and recitation activities, have been developed for introductory physics, such as Workshop Physics [1,2], Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Studio Physics [3], and SCALE-UP [4]. These reforms typically prescribe a modified classroom structure, with tables that facilitate student collaboration rather than stadium-style lecture seating.
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