Abstract:

Addressing the challenge of enhancing student engagement and comprehension is vital in STEM disciplines. Specifically, understanding how student motivation and prior knowledge impact their academic performance and engagement is necessary for technically demanding subjects. Here, we investigate the dynamics of motivation and learning in the context of a Circuit Theory course for first-year undergraduate students. This study aims to bridge the gap in understanding how student motivation and prior knowledge impact their academic performance and engagement in Circuit Theory course laboratory sessions. Between 90 and 110 first-year electrical engineering students from the Polytechnical University of Valencia (Spain) participated in the study. A total of 8 student groups were examined during three laboratory sessions. The session topics comprised basic concepts of DC circuit theory, such as circuit elements and equipment, Ohm law, and voltage-current measurements. By employing an integrated methodology, we combined qualitative data from pre- and post-class online anonymous questionnaires with quantitative assessment through multiple-choice tests. Qualitative questionnaires were carried out in class during the laboratory sessions, whereas quantitative evaluation was examined outside of the lab once all student groups finished the laboratory session. The questionnaires aimed to assess student motivation and perception, while tests provided objective measures of learning. We observed low motivation before class, which increased after the class finished. However, the motivation level was not maintained between lab sessions. On the other hand, we observed that students' perception of their acquired knowledge was overestimated compared to the evaluation test data.Our results reveal that motivation is critical in student learning. These findings provide valuable insights for developing pedagogical strategies in STEM education, emphasizing the need for motivational elements in course design.

Keywords:

Evaluation experience, circuit theory, engineering.