Education research: SMQ results (Cuesta College, fall semester 2013)

Student attitudes were assessed using the Science Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ), a 30-question, five-point Likert scale questionnaire that measures six attitude subscales, each scored out of a maximum of 30 points (Glynn, Taasoobshirazi, & Brickman, 2009):

1. Intrinsically motivated science learning;
   
2. Extrinsically motivated science learning;
   
3. Personal relevance of learning science;
   
4. Self-determination to learn science;
   
5. Self-efficacy for learning science;
   
6. Anxiety about science assessment (reversed-coded for scoring).

The SMQ was administered as a pre-test on the first day of class, and as a post-test on the last day of class.

Cuesta College
Astronomy 210 fall semester 2013 sections 70158, 70160
(N = 52, matched pairs only, excluding negative informed consent form responses)

	Int. Motiv.	Ext. Motiv.	Relevance	Self-determ.	Self-effic.	Anxiety	Total/150
Initial	19 ± 4	18 ± 3	16 ± 4	20 ± 3	20 ± 4	14 ± 3	108 ± 14
Final	19 ± 4	18 ± 3	16 ± 4	18 ± 3	18 ± 4	15 ± 4	105 ± 16
matched-pair Hake gains:
<g>	-0.06	-0.09	-0.07	-0.21	-0.22	0	-0.17
stdev	±0.31	± 0.34	±0.32	±0.37	±0.41	±0.24	±0.53
class-wide Hake gains:
<g>	-0.03	-0.03	-0.02	-0.14	-0.16	+0.03	-0.08

Little or no difference for all subscales and the total score from pre- to post-instruction, for both sections combined. This is comparable to a previous semester's SMQ findings, and six previous semesters' results at Cuesta College of the Survey of Attitudes Towards Astronomy (SATA), a 34-question, five-point Likert scale questionnaire that measures four attitude subscales (Zeilik & Morris, 2003). Previous semesters' SMQ, SATA results:

• Education research: SMQ results (Cuesta College, spring semester 2011).
  
• Education research: SATA results (Cuesta College, fall semester 2010).
  
• Education research: SATA results (Cuesta College, spring semester 2010).
  
• Education research: SATA results (Cuesta College, fall semester 2009).
  
• Education research: SATA results (Cuesta College, spring semester 2009).
  
• Education research: SATA results (Cuesta College, fall semester 2008).
  
• Education research: SATA results (Cuesta College, spring semester 2008).
  
• Education research: SATA results (Cuesta College, fall semester 2007).

References:

• Glynn, S. M., Taasoobshirazi, G., & Brickman, P. (2009), "Science Motivation Questionnaire: Construct Validation with Nonscience Majors," Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 46, 127-146 (*.html).
  
• Science Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ) website (*.html).
  
• Zeilik, M. & Morris, V. J. (2003), "An Examination of Misconceptions in an Astronomy Course for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Majors," Astronomy Education Review, 2(1), 101 (*.html).
  

Overheard: first-day choral response

Astronomy 210, fall semester 2011
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

(Overheard at the very start of the first day of class in introductory astronomy, just before administering the Science Motivation Questionnaire.)

Instructor: "Let's see how sharp you guys are! Let's have you guys fill in the..."

Students: (Beat.) "...blanks?"

Instructor: "Hi there! Welcome to..."

Students: "...astronomy?"

Instructor: "And you're going to love this class, because astronomy is..."

Students: "...Awesome? Interesting?"

Instructor: "Yes! In fact, astronomy is so..."

Students: "...awesome..."

Instructor: (Holding up a stack of surveys.) "...the first thing you're going to do for this class is take a..."

Students: "...test."

Education research: SMQ results (Cuesta College, spring semester 2011)

Student attitudes were assessed using the Science Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ), a 30-question, five-point Likert scale questionnaire that measures six attitude subscales, each scored out of a maximum of 30 points (Glynn, Taasoobshirazi, & Brickman, 2009):

1. Intrinsically Motivated Science Learning
   
2. Extrinsically motivated science learning;
   
3. Personal relevance of learning science;
   
4. Self-determination to learn science;
   
5. Self-efficacy for learning science;
   
6. Anxiety about science assessment (reversed-coded for scoring).

The SMQ was administered as a pre-test on the first day of class, and as a post-test on the last day of class.

Cuesta College
Astronomy 210 spring semester 2011 section 30674
(N = 37, matched pairs only,
         excluding negative informed consent form responses)

        Int. Motiv.  Ext. Motiv.  Relevance    Self-determ. Self-effic.  Anxiety     Total/150
Initial 18 ± 3       17 ± 3       16 ± 4       18 ± 3       18 ± 3       15 ± 5      103 ± 14
Final   18 ± 3       18 ± 3       16 ± 3       19 ± 2       18 ± 3       14 ± 5      103 ± 13

matched-pair Hake gain:
<g>    -0.06        +0.02        -0.04        +0.08        -0.10        -0.18        -0.06
stdev    ±0.23        ±0.20        ±0.33        ±0.20        ±0.36        ±0.50        ±0.41

class-wide Hake gain:
<g>    -0.01        +0.04        +0.02        +0.09        -0.04        -0.10         0.00  

Cuesta College
Astronomy 210 spring semester 2011 section 30676
(N = 43, matched pairs only,
         excluding negative informed consent form responses)

        Int. Motiv.  Ext. Motiv.  Relevance    Self-determ. Self-effic.  Anxiety     Total/150
Initial 19 ± 4       19 ± 3       17 ± 4       18 ± 3       19 ± 4       14 ± 4      105 ± 16
Final   19 ± 3       19 ± 3       17 ± 4       20 ± 2       20 ± 3       15 ± 4      110 ± 14

matched-pair Hake gain:
<g>    -0.02        +0.02        -0.02        +0.10        +0.07        +0.03        +0.08
stdev    ±0.27        ±0.20        ±0.29        ±0.24        ±0.32        ±0.29        ±0.26

class-wide Hake gain:
<g>    +0.03        +0.03        +0.02        +0.13        +0.13        +0.07        +0.12

Little or no difference for all subscales and the total score from pre- to post-instruction, for both sections. This is comparable to six previous semesters' results at Cuesta College of the Survey of Attitudes Towards Astronomy (SATA), a 34-question, five-point Likert scale questionnaire that measures four attitude subscales (Zeilik & Morris, 2003). Previous semesters' SATA results:

• Education research: SATA results (Cuesta College, fall semester 2010).
  
• Education research: SATA results (Cuesta College, spring semester 2010).
  
• Education research: SATA results (Cuesta College, fall semester 2009).
  
• Education research: SATA results (Cuesta College, spring semester 2009).
  
• Education research: SATA results (Cuesta College, fall semester 2008).
  
• Education research: SATA results (Cuesta College, spring semester 2008).
  
• Education research: SATA results (Cuesta College, fall semester 2007).

References:

• Glynn, S. M., Taasoobshirazi, G., & Brickman, P. (2009), "Science Motivation Questionnaire: Construct Validation with Nonscience Majors," Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 46, 127-146 (*.html).
  
• Science Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ) website (*.html).
  
• Zeilik, M. & Morris, V. J. (2003), "An Examination of Misconceptions in an Astronomy Course for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Majors," Astronomy Education Review, 2(1), 101 (*.html).
  

Education research: SATA results (Cuesta College, Fall Semester 2010)

Student attitudes were assessed using the Survey of Attitudes Towards Astronomy (SATA), a 34-question, five-point Likert scale questionnaire that measures four attitude subscales (Zeilik & Morris, 2003):

• Affect (positive student attitudes towards astronomy and science);
  
• Cognitive competence (students' self-assessment of their astronomy/science knowledge and skills);
  
• Difficulty (reverse-coded such that high-difficulty corresponds to a rating of 1, low-difficulty assessment of astronomy/science corresponds to a rating of 5);
  
• Value (students' assessment of the usefulness, relevance, and worth of astronomy/science in personal and professional life).

The SATA was administered as a pre-test on the first day of class, and as a post-test on the last day of class.

Cuesta College
Astronomy 210 Fall Semester 2010 sections 70158, 70160
(N = 80, matched pairs only,
          excluding negative informed consent form responses)

        Affect       Cogn. Comp.  Difficulty   Value
Initial 3.8 +/- 0.6  3.7 +/- 0.5  3.9 +/- 0.5  2.7 +/- 0.4
Final   3.8 +/- 0.7  3.7 +/- 0.7  3.8 +/- 0.5  2.9 +/- 0.6

Little or no difference from pre- to post-instruction, and also comparable to six previous semesters' results. Plans for subsequent semesters is to replace the SATA with the Science Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ), a 30-question, five-point Likert scale questionnaire that measures six subscales (Glynn & Koballa, 2006):

• Intrinsic motivation;
  
• Extrinsic motivation;
  
• Personal relevance;
  
• Self-determination;
  
• Self-efficacy;
  
• Assessment anxiety.

References, and more detailed discussion on previous semesters' SATA results:

• Education research: SATA results (Cuesta College, Spring Semester 2010).
  
• Education research: SATA results (Cuesta College, Fall Semester 2009).
  
• Education research: SATA results (Cuesta College, Spring Semester 2009).
  
• Education research: SATA results (Cuesta College, Fall Semester 2008).
  
• Education research: SATA results (Cuesta College, Spring Semester 2008).
  
• Education research: SATA results (Cuesta College, Fall Semester 2007).