Virtual physics laboratory courses: An evaluation of students' self-efficacy and intelligence mindset

TL;DR

This study evaluates the impact of remote physics lab courses on students' self-efficacy and mindset, finding correlations between intelligence mindset and self-efficacy but no significant effect from Kahoot! participation.

Contribution

It investigates the relationship between self-efficacy, mindset, and remote learning methods in undergraduate physics labs, highlighting the role of mindset over participation incentives.

Findings

No significant self-efficacy increase from Kahoot! participation

Strong correlation between mindset and self-efficacy scores

Positive self-efficacy change observed but not statistically significant

Abstract

Following the emergence of COVID-19 in Spring 2020, undergraduate in-person physics laboratory courses at a R1 public university were adapted for remote learning to accommodate the subsequent campus closure. Video lectures and web-based virtual experiments were utilized to provide students enrolled in these laboratories with required learning materials on a weekly basis. During the fall semester of the 2021-2022 academic year, optional Kahoot! quizzes were offered in addition, serving to incentivize participation and to provide self-efficacy opportunities to students. This study sought to explore the intersection of self-efficacy growth, self-regulatory behaviors, and intelligence mindsets (i.e., having fixed or growth mindsets) for students and to examine the impact of these remote learning methods. Using a modified version of the Colorado Learning Attitudes About Science Survey (CLASS), students' physics self-efficacy was measured at the beginning and end of the semester. The analysis revealed that participation in Kahoot! alone did not correspond to greater self-efficacy scores or greater self-efficacy change. However, a strong correlation was observed between intelligence mindset and self-efficacy for both pre-and post-surveys. Pre-survey intelligence mindset scores were not related to average Kahoot! performance, while post-survey intelligence mindsets were. Finally, positive self-efficacy change $\langle c \rangle$ was measured for the class, but was not statistically significant.