Student End of Semester Survey (SESS), Form A1

STUDENT END OF SEMESTER SURVEY (SESS), FORM A¹

Instructions

Thank you, in advance, for responding to the following questions. This instrument is being administered as part of a long-term research project by WestEd to understand strategies for improving high school economics. WestEd, a research, development, and service agency, works with education and other communities to promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth, and adults.

This survey is designed to gather information about your learning experience in economics, including interest in economics, classroom activity participation, and self-rated learning skills. There are no right or wrong answers, and you will not be graded on this. It will take you about 10 minutes to complete it. All your answers will remain confidential and will be used only for statistical purposes.

Please read each question and indicate the response choice (see example 1) or the point on the scale (see example 2) that best represents your position. Select only one (unless otherwise specified) using “” for each statement.

Example 1

Never

A few times a semester

Once or twice a month

Once or twice a week

Almost everyday

How often do you read economics-related news?…….…..

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Example 2

Not At All Very Much

I enjoy learning economics this semester………………..

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STUDENT END OF SEMESTER SURVEY (SESS), FORM A

1.

S tudent name: (first) (last)

2.

S tudent ID:

3.

T eacher name: (first) (last)

4.

P eriod #:

5.

Were the following class activities helpful for you to learn Economics?

Did NOT Do This (N/A)

Not at all

Very Much

a.

Reading the textbook

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b.

Lectures, presentations and class discussions led by the teacher

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c.

Use of videos, movies, tapes or CDs

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d.

Presentations that you and your classmates gave in front of the class

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e.

Working with other students during class

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f.

Thinking about how to solve a realistic or real world economic problem

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g.

Keeping a journal or log of your progress or thinking about Economic issues

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h.

Keeping a list of what you know and need to know

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i.

Writing assignments that were graded -- papers, essays, speeches, etc.

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j.

Getting feedback on your work from the teacher or other students

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k.

Working on projects that lasted a week or longer

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l.

Using computers to research information on the Internet

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m.

Use computers -- besides word processing -- to analyze or present data (e.g., Excel, PowerPoint, graphing, concept mapping, etc.)

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6.

How often does each of these things happen in THIS CLASS?

Never

Once or twice a semester

Once a month

Once a week

Almost every day

a.

My friends and I talk outside of class about what we are learning in class.

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b.

I try as hard as I can because I am worried about what my friends may think.

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c.

My friends and I study or work together outside of class.

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7.	Do you agree with the following statements?	Strongly Disagree				Strongly Agree
a.	In THIS CLASS too many students get away with being late and not doing their work.					
b.	I LIKE to do more work than I have to in THIS CLASS.					
c.	I could do a lot better in THIS CLASS.					
d.	Studying a lot tends to make you less popular in THIS CLASS.					

8.	In a typical WEEK, how many hours did you spend working on ECONOMICS homework or assignments outside of class?	 No homework or out of class work  One hour a week  1-2 hours a week  3-4 hours per week  5 or more hours per week
9.	In a typical DAY, how many hours did you spend working on assignments outside of class or doing homework for ALL your classes?	 No homework or out of class work  Half an hour  1 hour  2 hours  3-4 hours  5-7 hours  8+ hours
10.	How much effort did you put into Economics compared to your other classes?	 a lot more effort than my other classes  about the same as my other classes  less effort than my other classes

11.	On a typical day, are you interested in reading newspaper or magazine articles about:	Not Interested at all				Very Interested
a.	unemployment					
b.	U.S. government politics					
c.	economic issues faced by union workers					
d.	economic issues faced by workers in other countries					
e.	economic issues faced by the poor					
f.	economic issues faced by the elderly					
g.	why the price of some things is higher than the price of other things.					

12.	How much did this class help you:	Did NOT Do This (N/A)	Not at All				A Great Deal
a.	understand how economics influences current events and real world issues						
b.	appreciate economic ideas and concepts						
c.	understand the economic concerns of different groups in society						
d.	be more interested in economics						

13.	To what extent did your teacher:	Did NOT Do This (N/A)	Not at All				A Great Deal
a.	give class assignments that made Economics more interesting?						
b.	give lectures or lead discussions that made Economics more interesting?						

		One of the least interesting	Less interesting than others	As interesting as others	One of the most interesting	The most interesting class
14.	Compared to other classes that you took this semester, Economics was…					
15.	Compared to ALL other classes you have taken in high school, Economics was….					

16.	How much has this class improved your ability in each of the following?	Not at All					A Great Deal
a.	Solving complex real world problems							
b.	Understanding data, graphs and charts							
c.	Working effectively in groups							
d.	Giving presentations in front of the class							
e.	Writing papers or essays							
f.	Discussing economic issues with others							

17.	Do you agree that the use of Problem Based Economics units help your teacher:	Strongly Disagree				Strongly Agree
a.	be more effective than “traditional” teaching approach (i.e., only using textbook, lectures and/or class discussions) in teaching Economics					
b.	make it possible for you to learn more					

18.	Any additional comments?

Thank you for completing this survey!!!

1 For treatment students.