Re-evaluating Traditional Predictors of Incoming Knowledge in Astronomy 101 and Implications for Course Revitalization
Abstract
A wide range of incoming knowledge is seen in students taking introductory astronomy courses. Using the Test Of Astronomy STandards (TOAST) as a pre-course measure of incoming knowledge, an evaluation was completed to discover any explanation for this variation. It would be reasonable to suggest that this could result from the variety we see in student's motivation, self-efficacy, general scholastic achievement, their high school science experience, or even whether one or more of their parents is in a STEM field. In this re-evaluation, there was no correlation seen between the above and the student's pre-test scores. Instead, the only predictor of pretest scores was student's exposure to astronomy through informal learning opportunities. This leads to important implications for faculty revitalizing their courses to improve student learning.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AGUFMED23A0810B
- Keywords:
-
- 0805 Elementary and secondary education;
- EDUCATIONDE: 0810 Post-secondary education;
- EDUCATIONDE: 0815 Informal education;
- EDUCATIONDE: 0850 Geoscience education research;
- EDUCATION