Another reason that physics students learn by rote

Using written questionnaires, I surveyed introductory physics students about how they study and about how they would advise a hypothetical student to study if she were trying to learn physics deeply with no grade pressure. The survey teases apart students' 'epistemological' beliefs about learning and understanding physics from their more course-specific beliefs about how to earn high grades. The results indicate that students perceive 'trying to understand physics well' to be a significantly different activity from 'trying to do well in the course.'