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Student Expectations in University Physics: MPEX
The Maryland Physics Expectations Survey

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Here are 34 statements which may or may not describe your beliefs about this course. You are asked to rate each statement by circling a number between 1 and 5 where the numbers mean the following:

1: Strongly Disagree 2: Disagree 3: Neutral 4: Agree 5: Strongly Agree

Answer the questions by circling the number that best expresses your feeling. Work quickly. Don't over-elaborate the meaning of each statement. They are meant to be taken as straightforward and simple. If you don't understand a statement, leave it blank. If you understand, but have no strong opinion, circle 3. If an item combines two statements and you disagree with either one, choose 1 or 2.

1 All I need to do to understand most of the basic ideas in this course is just read the text, work most of the problems, and/or pay close attention in class.
2 All I learn from a derivation or proof of a formula is that the formula obtained is valid and that it is OK to use it in problems.
3 I go over my class notes carefully to prepare for tests in this course.
4 "Problem solving" in physics basically means matching problems with facts or equations and then substituting values to get a number.
5 Learning physics made me change some of my ideas about how the physical world works.
6 I spend a lot of time figuring out and understanding at least some of the derivations or proofs given either in class or in the text.
7 I read the text in detail and work through many of the examples given there.
8 In this course, I do not expect to understand equations in an intuitive sense; they must just be taken as givens.
9 The best way for me to learn physics is by solving many problems rather than by carefully analyzing a few in detail.
10 Physical laws have little relation to what I experience in the real world.
11 A good understanding of physics is necessary for me to achieve my career goals. A good grade in this course is not enough.
12 Knowledge in physics consists of many pieces of information each of which applies primarily to a specific situation.
13 My grade in this course is primarily determined by how familiar I am with the material. Insight or creativity has little to do with it.
14 Learning physics is a matter of acquiring knowledge that is specifically located in the laws, principles, and equations given in class and/or in the textbook.
15 In doing a physics problem, if my calculation gives a result that differs significantly from what I expect, I'd have to trust the calculation.
16 The derivations or proofs of equations in class or in the text has little to do with solving problems or with the skills I need to succeed in this course.
17 Only very few specially qualified people are capable of really understanding physics.
18 To understand physics, I sometimes think about my personal experiences and relate them to the topic being analyzed.
19 The most crucial thing in solving a physics problem is finding the right equation to use.
20 If I don't remember a particular equation needed for a problem in an exam there's nothing much I can do (legally!) to come up with it.
21 If I came up with two different approaches to a problem and they gave different answers, I would not worry about it; I would just choose the answer that seemed most reasonable. (Assume the answer is not in the back of the book.)
22 Physics is related to the real world and it sometimes helps to think about the connection, but it is rarely essential for what I have to do in this course.
23 The main skill I get out of this course is learning how to solve physics problems.
24 The results of an exam don't give me any useful guidance to improve my understanding of the course material. All the learning associated with an exam is in the studying I do before it takes place.
25 Learning physics helps me understand situations in my everyday life.
26 When I solve most exam or homework problems, I explicitly think about the concepts that underlie the problem.
27 "Understanding" physics basically means being able to recall something you've read or been shown.
28 Spending a lot of time (half an hour or more) working on a problem is a waste of time. If I don't make progress quickly, I'd be better off asking someone who knows more than I do.
29 A significant problem in this course is being able to memorize all the information I need to know.
30 The main skill I get out of this course is to learn how to reason logically about the physical world.
31 I use the mistakes I make on homework and on exam problems as clues to what I need to do to understand the material better.
32 To be able to use an equation in a problem (particularly in a problem that I haven't seen before), I need to know more than what each term in the equation represents.
33 It is possible to pass this course (get a "C" or better) without understanding physics very well.
34 Learning physics requires that I substantially rethink, restructure, and reorganize the information that I am given in class and/or in the text.

Click here for a printiable pdf version of the MPEX.

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MPEX Version 4.0, ©U. of Maryland PERG, 1997

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Comments and questions may be directed to E. F. Redish
Last modified March 2, 2001