Collaborative Research: Measuring and Improving Physics Quantitative Literacy throughout the Undergraduate Curriculum

该项目旨在通过开发工具来评估和描述不同学生群体的物理学数学推理能力，从而为国家利益服务。许多STEM专业都需要介绍物理学，在很大程度上是因为它可以帮助培养数学推理能力，使学生能够在学位课程中取得成功。需要新的教学材料和方法来帮助学生学习这些基本技能。本研究计划评估这些技能在物理专业的发展，因为他们完成了中，高年级的物理课程。将开发和验证一种新的评估工具，使教师和研究人员能够衡量地理和社会经济上不同人群的数学推理能力。这些评估的结果将用于设计，开发和测试干预措施，以提高这些技能。 项目成果将在国家会议上介绍，并发表在STEM教育的同行评审期刊上。评估工具将通过在线存储库提供给STEM教育界。该项目致力于提高学生的数学推理能力，使他们能够从定量的角度描述和理解世界，该项目建立在最近开发的物理定量素养量表（PIQL）的基础上，以满足对学生物理数学推理的形成性评估的需要，称为物理定量素养（PQL）。PIQL与微积分为基础的入门物理学生在一个大型公立研究型大学进行了验证。这个项目将通过收集介绍和高级本科课程中的PIQL数据来绘制整个本科物理专业的PQL发展。该项目将开发和验证一个新的测试，基于PIQL，这是适合人群接触正规数学课程较少。这个新的测试将用于测量PQL在物理课程的广度由许多STEM专业，跨多个机构。将根据验证PIQL时建立的成功程序，通过定量和定性分析的迭代循环，建立该新试验有效性和可靠性的证据。最终，本项目将开发和试点教学活动，以提高学生的PQL作为一个结果。将使用PIQL或新开发的试验评估这些材料的有效性。NSF IUSE：EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to serve the national interest by developing tools to assess and characterize students’ mathematical reasoning skills in physics across a diverse student population. Introductory physics is required for many STEM majors, in large part, because it can help develop mathematical reasoning skills so that students can succeed in their degree program. New instructional materials and methods are needed that can help students learn these essential skills. This study plans to assess the development of these skills in physics majors as they complete middle- and upper-division physics courses. A new assessment instrument will be developed and validated to allow instructors and researchers to measure mathematical reasoning skills across geographically and socioeconomically diverse populations. Results from these assessments will be used to design, develop, and test interventions to improve these skills. Project results will be presented at national conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals in STEM education. The assessment instruments will be made available to the STEM education community through online repositories. The project addresses a national need to improve students’ mathematical reasoning skills so that they can describe and understand the world from a quantitative perspective.This project builds on the recent development of the Physics Inventory of Quantitative Literacy (PIQL) to meet the need for a formative assessment of students’ mathematical reasoning in physics, referred to as Physics Quantitative Literacy (PQL). The PIQL was validated with calculus-based introductory physics students at a large public research university. This project will map the development of PQL throughout the undergraduate physics major by collecting PIQL data in introductory and advanced undergraduate courses. The project will develop and validate a new test, based on the PIQL, that is appropriate for populations with less exposure to formal mathematics courses. This new test will be used to measure PQL in the breadth of physics courses taken by many STEM majors, across multiple institutions. Evidence for the validity and reliability of this new test will be established through an iterative cycle of quantitative and qualitative analyses, based on the successful procedures established while validating the PIQL. Ultimately, this project will develop and pilot instructional activities to improve students’ PQL as an outcome. The effectiveness of these materials will be assessed using either the PIQL or the newly developed test. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.