Transformative Learning: Shifts in Students’ Attitudes toward Physics Measured with the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey
Voltaire Mistades, Ronald delos Reyes, Dr. Joseph Scheiter FSC

ABSTRACT
The study presents a profile of the attitudes and beliefs of De La Salle University – Manila freshmen students enrolled in their General Education Introductory Physics course during Academic Year 2008-2009. Using the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS), the research probed students’ attitudes, beliefs, and assumptions about what sort of things they will learn, what skills will be required, and what they will be expected to do in a Physics class. Comparing the students’ pre-instruction response with their post-instruction responses, the students posted high agreement with the experts’ beliefs in the following CLASS categories: Personal Interest, Real World Connections, Problem-Solving (General), Problem-Solving (Confidence), and Sense-Making / Effort. Their experiences in the Physics course allowed them to appreciate the skills they gained through the various learning activities in the course and through the effort they have put in. The students affirm that the ideas learned in the classroom are relevant and useful in a wide variety of real-world contexts. The students likewise realized that the skills they gained in the course will be useful to their life outside of school.

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