Curriculum Development Instruments

Student Attitude Surveys

Instrument 7: Survey of Student Opinions

Project: A New Investigative Laboratory for Organic Chemistry
DePaul University

Funding Source: NSF: Course and Curriculum Development (CCD)

Purpose: To assess the individual research project laboratory and to help improve the organic chemistry laboratory in general

Administered To: Students in organic chemistry course

Topics Covered:

• Attitudes & Beliefs (Student): practical value
• Course Evaluation: areas for program improvement, collaboration, content, instructor, integration, materials, objectives, opportunity to learn, opportunity to practice, organization, practical value, satisfaction
• Facilities: laboratory
• Impact on Outcomes: confidence, knowledge, student understanding
• Learning Environment: safety
• Plans & Expectations (Student): academic interests, career interests, continue project involvement, family
• Self-Assessment (Student): collaborative activities, confidence, engagement, interest, participation, test anxiety, understanding
• Background Characteristics & Activities (Student): academic interests, purpose for participation

Format/Length: 90 closed-ended 5-point Likert scale questions, plus 2 demographic questions

This is a voluntary, anonymous survey (do not write your name on the SCANTRON form). There are two parts in the survey. Part I is related to the assessment of the individual research project laboratory. The objective of this part is to improve the design of individual research projects. Part II is designed to help improvement of the organic laboratory in general. Each part has specific directions. Please rate the statements as honestly as possible.

General Information

What is your major?  ___________________________________

Why are you taking this class? (please circle one)

a.  to fulfill a requirement

b.  as an elective

Part I. Individual Research Project

Please rate from A to E, A representing strongly agree, B representing agree, C representing neutral, D, representing disagree, E, representing strongly disagree. Fill in an appropriate box in the SCANTRON form with no. 2 pencil only

Space is provided for comments related to any statement at the end of Part I.

1. I am generally interested in science.

2. I am interested in organic chemistry.

3. I think the undergraduate research project is educational.

4. The research project connects well the material presented in lectures with practical organic and polymer chemistry.

5. I felt more anxiety about the project than in conventional organic laboratory exercises during the winter quarter.

6. I would rather continue conventional laboratory exercises than participate in research projects.

7. I do not think undergraduate research will be of value for me.

8. I do not think I have enough of organic laboratory experience after two quarters to be involved in an individual research project.

9. The handouts from the instructor gave enough guidance to conduct the project (having in mind that nobody has prepared your product before).

10. I have been given enough guidance to conduct a literature search.

11. I think the molecular modeling experience is beneficial in my science education.

12. I would like to have my research findings published.

13. I would like to continue work on my research project during summer if funding is provided.

14. The project has helped me to find out interesting things about polymer science.

15. The project is not a good model of research in general.

16. My teaching assistant was helpful in the project.

17. The project has helped me to build confidence in my experimental abilities.

18. I intend to pursue a career in medicine.

19. I was provided with adequate safety instruction and gear to work on the project.

20. I always have followed safety instructions.

The inventory consist of two sections, questions 21-55 relate to actual practices in the organic laboratory class (fall and winter quarters), questions 56-90 relate to what practices you would prefer in the laboratory class.

Section 1.

Please remember that you are being asked how often (A, Almost Never; B, Seldom; C, Sometimes; D, Often; E, Very Often) that each of the following practices actually take place in this laboratory class. Fill in an appropriate box in the SCANTRON form with no. 2 pencil only

21. I get on well with students in this laboratory class.

22. There is opportunity for me to pursue my own science interests in this laboratory class.

23. What I do in our regular organic chemistry lecture class is unrelated to my laboratory work.

24. My laboratory class has clear rules to guide my activities.

25. I find that the laboratory is crowded when I am doing experiments.

26. I have little chance to get to know other students in this laboratory class.

27. In this laboratory class, I am required to design my own experiments to solve a given problem.

28. The laboratory work is unrelated to the topics that I am studying in my organic chemistry class.

29. My laboratory class is rather informal and few rules are imposed on me.

30. The equipment and materials that I needed for laboratory activities are readily available.

31. Members of this laboratory class help me.

32. In my laboratory sessions, other students collect different data than I do for the same problem.

33. My regular organic chemistry class work is integrated with laboratory activities.

34. I am required to follow certain rules in the laboratory.

35. I am ashamed of the appearance of this laboratory.

36. I get to know students in this laboratory class well.

37. I am allowed to go beyond the regular laboratory exercise and do some experimenting of my own.

38. I use the theory from my lecture class during laboratory activities.

39. There is a recognized way for me to do things safely in this laboratory.

40. The laboratory equipment, which I use, is in poor working order.

41. I am able to depend on other students for help during laboratory classes.

42. In my laboratory sessions, I do different experiments than some of the other students.

43. The topics covered in regular organic chemistry class work are quite different from topics with which I deal in laboratory sessions.

44. There are few fixed rules for me to follow in laboratory sessions.

45. I find that the laboratory is hot and stuffy.

46. It takes me a long time to get to know everybody by his/her first name in this laboratory class.

47. In my laboratory sessions, the teacher describes the best way for me to carry out the laboratory experiments.

48. What I do in laboratory sessions helps me to understand the theory covered in regular organic classes.

49. The teacher outlines safety precautions to me before my laboratory sessions commence.

50. The laboratory is an attractive place for me to work in.

51. I work cooperatively in laboratory sessions.

52. I decide the best way to proceed during laboratory experiments.

53. My laboratory work and lecture classes are unrelated.

54. My laboratory class is run under clearer rules than my other classes.

55. My laboratory has enough room for individual or group work.

Please remember that you are being asked how often (A, Almost Never; B, Seldom; C, Sometimes; D, Often; E, Very Often) that you would prefer each of the following practices to take place in this laboratory class. Fill in an appropriate box in the SCANTRON form with no. 2 pencil only

56. I would get on well with students in this laboratory class.

57. There would be opportunity for me to pursue my own science interests in this laboratory class.

58. What I do in our regular organic chemistry lecture class would be unrelated to my laboratory work.

59. My laboratory class would have clear rules to guide my activities.

60. I would find that the laboratory is crowded when I am doing experiments.

61. I would have little chance to get to know other students in this laboratory class.

62. In this laboratory class, I would be required to design my own experiments to solve a given problem.

63. The laboratory work would be unrelated to the topics that I am studying in my organic chemistry class.

64. My laboratory class would be rather informal and few rules are imposed on me.

65. The equipment and materials that I needed for laboratory activities would be readily available.

66. Members of this laboratory class would help me.

67. In my laboratory sessions, other students would collect different data than I would for the same problem.

68. My regular organic chemistry class work would be integrated with laboratory activities.

69. I would be required to follow certain rules in the laboratory.

70. I would be ashamed of the appearance of this laboratory.

71. I would get to know students in this laboratory class well.

72. I would be allowed to go beyond the regular laboratory exercise and do some experimenting of my own.

73. I would use the theory from my lecture class during laboratory activities.

74. There would be a recognized way for me to do things safely in this laboratory.

75. The laboratory equipment, which I use, would be in poor working order.

76. I would be able to depend on other students for help during laboratory classes.

77. In my laboratory sessions, I would do different experiments than some of the other students.

78. The topics covered in regular organic chemistry class work would be quite different from topics with which I deal in laboratory sessions.

79. There would be few fixed rules for me to follow in laboratory sessions.

80. I would find that the laboratory is hot and stuffy.

81. It would take me a long time to get to know everybody by his/her first name in this laboratory class.

82. In my laboratory sessions, the teacher would decide the best way for me to carry out the laboratory experiments.

83. What I do in laboratory sessions would help me to understand the theory covered in regular organic classes.

84. The teacher would outline safety precautions to me before my laboratory sessions commence.

85. The laboratory would be an attractive place for me to work in.

86. I would work cooperatively in laboratory sessions.

87. I would decide the best way to proceed during laboratory experiments.

88. My laboratory work and lecture classes would be unrelated.

89. My laboratory class would be run under clearer rules than my other classes.

90. My laboratory would have enough room for individual or group work.