Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS)

The purpose of the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) is to “measure students’ self-reported beliefs about physics and their physics courses and how closely these beliefs about physics align with experts’ beliefs” (from physport.org). To take the survey, which can be completed in less than 15 minutes, students indicate their opinions (rating from strongly agree to strongly disagree) regarding 42 statements about physics and learning physics. In this session, we will discuss what the CLASS can tell you, similar assessments of students’ attitudes and beliefs, and tips for giving and scoring the CLASS in your class. 

This event is free and offered virtually via Zoom.

During the 2025-2026 academic year, we are offering a series of presentation-discussion-workshops to share some of the many research-validated assessment instruments used in the physics education community. Join us to learn how you can use these instruments to inform your teaching, to assess your students' learning, and to contribute to a wider body of knowledge about physics students at two-year colleges.

Facilitator:

• Leon Hsu (Santa Rosa Junior College)

Resources:

• W. Adams, K. Perkins, N. Podolefsky, M. Dubson, N. Finkelstein, and C. Wieman, New instrument for measuring student beliefs about physics and learning physics: The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey, Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 2 (1), (2006).