The Science & Math Values Inventories: A Status Report

1. The Science & Math Values Inventories: A Status Report The ACS Reform of Introductory Science Courses for Non-Majors Program November 13, 2004 Millsaps College Bruce Callen Don Deeds V. Luttrell M. Wood C. Allen Drury University This work is supported by NSF under Award DUE-0243207

2. Do students value literacy? • We want students to consider science relevant and important • Affective, as well as content, goals • Science & Math Values Inventory • Goal: a valid & reliable instrument • Four domains of value: • Attainment Utility • Interest Personal Cost

3. Useful in course design • Is what we’re doing useful to students? • Interesting to students? • Have a cost that is reasonable to them?

4. Survey design • Two separate instruments, each with 25-45 Lichter-scale items • 4-7 items on each domain to construct a scale • Domains and items validated by experts, and affirmed by large-scale student tryouts

5. Example format

6. Domain 1: Interest • Importance a student places on science (math) because of genuine interest • Items ask students to reflect on the intrinsic satisfaction they receive from learning about science (math), either in or out of the classroom

7. Domain 2: Utility of Understanding • Importance a student place on understanding science (math) because it helps accomplish short- or long-term goals • Items ask students to reflect on what they have to gain personally by understanding scientific (math) concepts, or reflect on personal benefits of taking science courses • NEW: two components—future and present utility

8. Domain 3: Personal Cost • Sacrifices a student believes are required to develop an understanding, or to do well in science (math) courses • Items ask students to reflect on what may be lost, given up, or compromised in order to master scientific (math) concepts • NEW: 3 components—time cost, self-esteem costs, costs to religious outlook

9. Domain 4: Attainment • Importance a student places on doing well in science (math) • Items ask students to reflect on importance of developing a good understanding or achieving at high levels in science (math) courses (not why it is important)

10. First SVI Tryout: Spring ‘04 • 1,587 usable surveys (out of 1,804) • Factor analysis to identify sets of questions that group together • Seven (not four!) domains • Interest and utility strongly correlated • Internal consistency estimates exceeded 0.70 across all domains

11. Interest Time Cost Cost to Self-Esteem Cost to Religious Outlook Attainment Present Utility Future Utility Results from SVI Tryout 1 • Examination of seven factors identified these domains:

12. Timetable: Science • Expert evaluation of domains (done) • Expert evaluation of item match (done) • Student evaluation of item clarity (done) • Large-scale tryout #1 (done: Spring ‘04) • Analysis; development of tryout #2 (done) • Large-scale tryout #2 (done: Fall ‘04) • Test/retest, social influence (Spring ‘05) • Final science inventory: Fall 2005

13. Timetable: Math • Expert evaluation of domains (done) • Expert evaluation of item match (done) • Student evaluation of item clarity (done) • Large-scale tryout #1 (in process: Fall ‘04) • Analysis; development of tryout #2 (Winter ‘04) • Large-scale tryout #2 (Spring ‘05) • Test/retest, social influence (Fall ‘05) • Final science inventory: Spring 2006

14. ACS Use of SVI • Available for Spring 2005 • Approval of Human Subject Research on your campus • Returned to Drury for scoring and analysis • Report provided to ACS institutions