An Exploratory Qualitative Study of the Proximal Goal Setting of Two Introductory Modeling Physics Students

A qualitative investigation on the impact of goal-setting strategies on self-efficacy of two students taking Introductory Modeling Physics was conducted. The study found that the problem solving process can be divided into two main themes: goal-setting and self-efficacy. Self-efficacy plays a role in the goal setting process of these two students, and may be linked to the retention of students in physics. Although many things contribute to the success of a student, many students see success in a physics class as impossible. Introductory Physics focuses heavily on problem solving, but few classes actually work to develop these skills. Over the recent decades, bachelor’s degrees in physics have lagged behind the other sciences such as mathematics, the natural sciences, and engineering receiving only 2% of the undergraduate degrees awarded in these technical fields (Mulvey & Nicholson, 2007). Fencl and Scheel (2005) discussed the possibility of self-efficacy impacting the retention of students in the physics classroom. In 1977, Bandura provided the theoretical framework of self-efficacy in an effort to supply a theoretical explanation for human behavior change. He defined self-efficacy to be the beliefs in one’s ability to perform a specific task, particularly stressing the specificity of the task. Thus though self-efficacy might be well understood in mathematics, it needs to be investigated separately in physics. Betz and Hackett (1989) showed that in mathematics, self-efficacy expectations are strong predictors of mathematics-related educational and career choices. Physics is often considered to be directly related to mathematics, and furthermore studies of self-efficacy in career and educational psychology have strongly linked self-efficacy to both persistence in technical fields and success in those same fields (Brown, 1989; Lent, 1986, 1987). These works suggest that it would be beneficial to the science education community to explore the relationship between self-efficacy and physics in general, as well as in specific reformed instructional approaches such as Modeling Instruction. To investigate self-efficacy in the physics classroom, it is necessary to return to the problem-solving structure of most physics classes. One of the primary components of problem solving is goal-setting. Schunk’s (1983, 1991) research on self-efficacy looks at the relationship between self-efficacy and motivational factors, such as goal setting. Bandura and Cervone (as cited in Schunk, 1991) showed that providing students with feedback on goal progress increases self-efficacy. Furthermore, Schunk (1983) showed that setting goals enhances self-efficacy. However, Schunk (1991) also makes it clear that these goals must be proximal in nature (i.e. closely related to the students’ task). To better understand self-efficacy in physics, and its impact on the retention of students in the field, it would be informative to also understand the goal setting habits of students in physics classes. This study uses the definition of goals provided by Wentzel (2000), “a cognitive representation of what it is that an individual is trying to achieve in a given situation” (p.106). With this in mind, this study will address this research question: How do two Modeling Physics students, one man and one woman, construct and use proximal goals?