Abstract

In this paper, we present the results of an investigation into the effects of engaging with robotic telescopes during an Astronomy 101 (Astro101) course in the United States and Canada on the self-efficacy of students. Using an astronomy self-efficacy survey that measures both astronomy personal self-efficacy and instrumental self-efficacy, the authors probed their covariance with the respondents' experience of an Astro101 course that uses robotic telescopes to collect astronomical data. Strong effects on both self-efficacy scales were seen over the period of a semester utilizing a scalable educational design using robotic telescopes. After participation in the course, the results show that the gender gap in self-efficacy between self-identified men and women is largely reduced to statistically insignificant differences compared to the initial large significant difference.

RAS ID

70113

Document Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

1-1-2024

Volume

20

Issue

1

Funding Information

National Stroke Foundation

School

School of Education

Grant Number

2013295

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Publisher

American Physical Society

Comments

Freed, R., McKinnon, D., Salimpour, S., Fitzgerald, M., Reichart, D., & Norris, C. (2024). Self-efficacy changes and gender effects on self-efficacy in a large-scale robotic telescope focused curriculum. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 20(1), 010137. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.20.010137

Download

Share

 
COinS
 

Link to publisher version (DOI)

10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.20.010137