Meeting students halfway: Increasing self-efficacy and promoting knowledge change in astronomy

Two motivational factors—self-efficacy and interest—may be especially relevant to deepening students’ understanding of astronomy. We examined the relationship between students’ self-efficacy for, interest in learning about, and changes in their knowledge of stars, as measured by the Star Properties...

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Main Authors: Janelle M. Bailey, Doug Lombardi, Jacqueline R. Cordova, Gale M. Sinatra
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Physical Society 2017-12-01
Series:Physical Review Physics Education Research
Online Access:http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.13.020140
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author Janelle M. Bailey
Doug Lombardi
Jacqueline R. Cordova
Gale M. Sinatra
author_facet Janelle M. Bailey
Doug Lombardi
Jacqueline R. Cordova
Gale M. Sinatra
author_sort Janelle M. Bailey
collection DOAJ
description Two motivational factors—self-efficacy and interest—may be especially relevant to deepening students’ understanding of astronomy. We examined the relationship between students’ self-efficacy for, interest in learning about, and changes in their knowledge of stars, as measured by the Star Properties Concept Inventory (SPCI). Approximately 700 undergraduate students taking introductory astronomy responded to surveys at the start and end of their semester-long course. A sequential multiple regression analysis showed that self-efficacy post explains an appreciable percentage of variance in SPCI posttest scores, more than twice the percentage explained by all the pretest variables (SPCI, self-efficacy, and interest) combined. Knowledge and self-efficacy improved significantly over instruction; interest did not. Follow-up analyses revealed that instructors whose classes increased in self-efficacy also had the greatest increases in knowledge scores. Interviews with these instructors suggest they provide their students with more opportunities for mastery experiences with elaborated, performance-related feedback, as well as strong positive verbal persuasion and vicarious experiences through peer instruction. Through increased understanding of the relationship between motivational constructs (e.g., self-efficacy, interest) and knowledge, we can both improve our models and better inform instruction.
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spelling doaj.art-dd4b49785ca84e53927ff8f0d29ba3152022-12-21T19:54:41ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review Physics Education Research2469-98962017-12-0113202014010.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.13.020140Meeting students halfway: Increasing self-efficacy and promoting knowledge change in astronomyJanelle M. BaileyDoug LombardiJacqueline R. CordovaGale M. SinatraTwo motivational factors—self-efficacy and interest—may be especially relevant to deepening students’ understanding of astronomy. We examined the relationship between students’ self-efficacy for, interest in learning about, and changes in their knowledge of stars, as measured by the Star Properties Concept Inventory (SPCI). Approximately 700 undergraduate students taking introductory astronomy responded to surveys at the start and end of their semester-long course. A sequential multiple regression analysis showed that self-efficacy post explains an appreciable percentage of variance in SPCI posttest scores, more than twice the percentage explained by all the pretest variables (SPCI, self-efficacy, and interest) combined. Knowledge and self-efficacy improved significantly over instruction; interest did not. Follow-up analyses revealed that instructors whose classes increased in self-efficacy also had the greatest increases in knowledge scores. Interviews with these instructors suggest they provide their students with more opportunities for mastery experiences with elaborated, performance-related feedback, as well as strong positive verbal persuasion and vicarious experiences through peer instruction. Through increased understanding of the relationship between motivational constructs (e.g., self-efficacy, interest) and knowledge, we can both improve our models and better inform instruction.http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.13.020140
spellingShingle Janelle M. Bailey
Doug Lombardi
Jacqueline R. Cordova
Gale M. Sinatra
Meeting students halfway: Increasing self-efficacy and promoting knowledge change in astronomy
Physical Review Physics Education Research
title Meeting students halfway: Increasing self-efficacy and promoting knowledge change in astronomy
title_full Meeting students halfway: Increasing self-efficacy and promoting knowledge change in astronomy
title_fullStr Meeting students halfway: Increasing self-efficacy and promoting knowledge change in astronomy
title_full_unstemmed Meeting students halfway: Increasing self-efficacy and promoting knowledge change in astronomy
title_short Meeting students halfway: Increasing self-efficacy and promoting knowledge change in astronomy
title_sort meeting students halfway increasing self efficacy and promoting knowledge change in astronomy
url http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.13.020140
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