Education research: ALLS demographic results (Cuesta College, Fall Semester 2009)

Student attitudes are assessed using an Astronomy Laboratory Learning Survey (ALLS), a five-point Likert scale questionnaire with demographic questions, and entry/exit evaluation questions (Patrick M. Len, in development) to Astronomy 210L students at Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA. This laboratory course is a one-semester, adjunct course to Astronomy 210 lecture, and is taken primarily by students to satisfy their general education science laboratory transfer requirement.

The ALLS is administered as a pre-test on the first laboratory meeting, before any introduction/instruction took place; and as a post-test on the last laboratory meeting.

The results from the pre-test demographic questions follow below. Only matched-pair results are shown, for students who were eventually able to take the post-instruction ALLS at the last laboratory meeting.

Cuesta College
Astronomy Laboratory Learning Survey (ALLS) 
Demographic pre-instruction question results
Astronomy 210L Fall Semester 2009 sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(N = 63, matched pairs only)

16. What is your gender? 
(A) Female.  [24]
(B) Male.    [39]

17. Have you previously taken an astronomy lecture class? 
(A) Yes.     [15]
(B) No.      [47]

18. Are you currently enrolled in an astronomy lecture class? 
(A) Yes.     [45]
(B) No.      [18]

19. How many college science courses have you completed prior 
to taking this course? 
(A) None.    [25]
(B) 1.       [21]
(C) 2.       [ 5]
(D) 3.       [ 6]
(E) 4+.      [ 6]

20. What is your college major (or current area(s) of interest 
if undecided)?  Choose as many areas of interest that apply.  
(A) Business.                                  [16]
(B) Education.                                 [ 9]
(C) Humanities, Social Sciences, or the Arts.  [26]
(D) Science, Engineering, or Architecture.     [10]
(E) Other.                                     [16]

21. Which of these college math classes have you completed 
prior to taking this course?  Choose as many classes that apply.  
(A) Algebra.       [49]
(B) Trigonometry.  [14]
(C) Geometry.      [22]
(D) Pre-calculus.  [23]
(E) Calculus.      [ 7]
(F) Statistics.    [12]

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