Student Attitude Surveys
Instrument 1: Calculus Survey
Project: A New Calculus Program
University of Michigan
Funding Source: NSF:
Course and Curriculum Development-Calculus (CCD)
Purpose: Student assessment of own motivational
and learning styles
Administered To: Students in a calculus class
Topics Covered:
- Attitudes & Beliefs (Student): collaboration,
skills, understanding
- Self-Assessment (Student): academic habits,
collaborative activities, confidence, content knowledge,
engagement, test anxiety
Format/Length: 31 closed-ended 7-point
Likert scale questions total. Students describe their motivational
and learning styles, scoring statements as "not at all true
of me" (0 points) to "very true of me" (6
points).
CONSTRUCTED SCALES:
THE CALCULUS SURVEY ITEMS: MICHIGAN
Students responded to individual items on a scale from
0-6, with 0 = not at all true of me, and 6 = very true of
me.
Motivation Scales
CONTROL OF LEARNING BELIEFS (2 ITEMS) HIGHER
SCORE = MORE PERSONAL CONTROL
If I don't understand the course material, it is because
I didn't try hard enough.
How well I do in a math course will depend upon how hard
I try.
INTRINSIC MOTIVATION (3 ITEMS) HIGHER SCORE
= GREATER INTRINSIC MOTIVATION
I prefer course material that is new and challenging
to material I have previously studied.
I prefer course material that arouses my curiosity, even
if it is difficult to learn.
The most satisfying thing for me in this course is trying
to understand the content as thoroughly as possible.
SELF-EFFICACY (4 ITEMS) HIGHER SCORE = GREATER
SELF-EFFICACY
I expect to do well in this class.
I'm confident I can learn the basic concepts taught in
this course.
Considering the difficulty of this course, the teacher,
and my skills, I think I will do well in this class.
I'm confident I can understand the most complex material
presented by the instructor in this class.
TASK VALUE (4 ITEMS) HIGHER SCORE = GREATER
TASK VALUE
I think I will be able to use what I learn in this course
in other classes.
I think the course material in this class is useful for
me to learn.
I like math.
Understanding the subject matter of this course is very
important to me.
TEST ANXIETY (2 ITEMS) HIGHER SCORE = GREATER
TEST ANXIETY
When I take a math test I think about how poorly I am
doing compared with other students.
When I take a math test I think about problems on other
parts of the test that I can't answer.
Learning Strategies Scales
REHEARSAL (2 ITEMS) HIGHER SCORE = GREATER
REHEARSAL TECHNIQUES
When studying math, I read my class notes and the book
over and over again.
When I study math, I go over and over the homework problems.
PEER LEARNING (5 ITEMS) HIGHER SCORE = GREATER
PEER-LEARNING TECHNIQUES
Working with other students usually improves my grade.
I try to work with other students from my class when
doing assignments.
I like to study with other students.
Working with other students usually hurts my grade (REVERSE
CODED).
When studying math, I often try to explain the material
to a classmate or friend.
HELP SEEKING (4 ITEMS) HIGHER SCORE = GREATER
HELP-SEEKING TECHNIQUES
I ask the instructor to clarify concepts I don't understand
well.
I try to identify students in class whom I can ask for
assistance.
Even if I have trouble learning math, I try to do the
work on my own, without help from anyone (REVERSE CODED).
When I can't understand the material in a math course,
I ask another student in class for help.
FORM-ORIENTED (2 ITEMS) HIGHER SCORE = GREATER
EMPHASIS ON SOLUTION FORM
One of the most difficult parts of solving a math problem
is knowing the correct way to write down the solution.
Frequently I know how to solve a math problem, but don't
know how to write down the solution.
FORMULA-ORIENTED (3 ITEMS) HIGHER SCORE
= GREATER EMPHASIS ON FORMULAS
One of the most difficult parts of solving a math problem
is knowing the correct formula to use.
When I study for a math test, I spend most of my time
memorizing definitions and formulas.
I need to memorize all the formulas in order to do will
on a math exam.
_______________________________________________________________
Individual scores on the above scales were constructed
by averaging the scores on the sub-items. The higher
the scale-score, the more the student feels the descriptions
are appropriate for them.
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