STEM Transformation Institute Physics Identity Development Practical Implications

Implications of physics identity research foreffective instruction

Geoff Potvin

Department of Physics, andSTEM Transformation Institute,Florida International University

New Faculty Orientation, Florida International University2016-08-16

© 2016 Geoff Potvin. Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire document are permitted worldwide, without royalty, in any medium, provided this notice is preserved.

STEM Transformation Institute Physics Identity Development Practical Implications

FIU’s STEM Transformation InstituteOverview

• The STEM TI is a cross-college collaboration to support research anddevelopment in effective, evidence-based teaching practices in Science,Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (and related!) areas, includingin K-12 teacher preparation.

• Currently housed in AHC4, permanent home in VH. Homepage atstem.fiu.edu.

• 10 faculty members and ∼30 other scientists, staff, graduate students,master teachers, and others.

STEM Transformation Institute Physics Identity Development Practical Implications

FIU’s STEM Transformation InstitutePrograms and Events

• STEM-TI Faculty Fellows program: a way to be connected to theInstitute and get involved in evidence-based teaching.

• Annual one day STEMPosium hosted in January/February each year,with an annual theme in some area of teaching and learning.

• DBER Meetings: bi-weekly meetings with a focused speaker ordiscussion on various discipline-based education research topics.

• HHMI Faculty Scholars: a program to support ($) faculty to reformcourses.

• Oversight of the Learning Assistant Program.

STEM Transformation Institute Physics Identity Development Practical Implications

IntroductionPhysics identity and participation in physics

• A lot of research has looked at how to support students’ contentlearning in STEM, with much success.1

• Despite this success, several STEM fields (physics included) haven’tgrown very much, and continue to have low persistence in college.2

• Further, several STEM fields continue to have little diversity in manysenses.3

• Why? Part of the answer lies in understanding students’ attitudes,motivations, and identities (e.g. “affect”).4

• Identity has been shown to be strongly predictive of students’ careerchoices.5

1 Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases studentperformance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(23), 8410-8415.

2 President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. (2012). Report to the PresidentâATEngage to Excel: Producing One MillionAdditional College Graduates with Degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

3 Kena, G., Musu-Gillette, L., Robinson, J., Wang, X., Rathbun, A., Zhang, J., ... & Velez, E. D. V. (2015). The Condition of Education 2015.NCES 2015-144. National Center for Education Statistics.

4 Godwin, A., Potvin, G., Hazari, Z., & Lock, R. (2016). Identity, Critical Agency, and Engineering: An Affective Model for PredictingEngineering as a Career Choice. Journal of Engineering Education, 105(2), 312-340.

5 Hazari, Z., Sonnert, G., Sadler, P. M., & Shanahan, M. C. (2010). Connecting high school physics experiences, outcome expectations, physicsidentity, and physics career choice: A gender study. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 47(8), 978-1003.

STEM Transformation Institute Physics Identity Development Practical Implications

Physics Identity DevelopmentTheoretical framework

PersonalIdentity

(Related to characteristicsof the individual)

SocialIdentity

(Related to characteristicsas member of group)

PhysicsIdentity

(Related tocharacteristicsas a physics

student)

Performance/Competence

(Belief in ability toperform on physics tasks

and/or understandphysics content)

Recognition(Identificationfrom others

as a physicsperson)

Interest(Desire/curiosity

to think about andunderstand physics)

PhysicsStudent’sIdentity

6 Hazari, Z., Sonnert, G., Sadler, P. M., & Shanahan, M. C. (2010). Connecting high school physics experiences, outcome expectations, physicsidentity, and physics career choice: A gender study. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 47(8), 978-1003.

7 Potvin, G., & Hazari, Z. (2013). The development and measurement of identity across the physical sciences. In Proceedings of the PhysicsEducation Research Conference (PERC), Portland, OR.

STEM Transformation Institute Physics Identity Development Practical Implications

Physics Identity DevelopmentResults

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• Performance/competence beliefs have a negative direct path tophysics identity (and positive indirect paths).

• Recognition beliefs are the strongest direct predictor of a physicsidentity.

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Physics Identity DevelopmentResults

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• The model including only women looks very similar except thenegative path from performance/competence beliefs to identity is evenmore negative.

STEM Transformation Institute Physics Identity Development Practical Implications

Physics Identity DevelopmentInterpretation

• Recognition beliefs are the strongest predictor of a physics identity, forall students.

• Feeling competent or able to perform in physics is, on its own, notassociated to an improved physics identity (in fact, on its own it may benegative).

• This should help us prioritize which physics experiences we try toensure that students have.

STEM Transformation Institute Physics Identity Development Practical Implications

Practical ImplicationsPutting research into practice

• Classroom situated in AHC5 (rm 201/203; 212 is similar); courseintegrates lecture and laboratory

STEM Transformation Institute Physics Identity Development Practical Implications

Practical ImplicationsPutting research into practice

• Students spend most of their discussion circle time explaining to oneanother (“recognition opportunities”)

STEM Transformation Institute Physics Identity Development Practical Implications

Practical ImplicationsPutting research into practice

• Students spend most of their discussion circle time explaining to oneanother (“recognition opportunities”)

STEM Transformation Institute Physics Identity Development Practical Implications

Practical ImplicationsPutting research into practice

• I don’t lecture (ever).

STEM Transformation Institute Physics Identity Development Practical Implications

Practical ImplicationsPutting research into practice

• Students learn to figure out a lot of their own problems; take ownershipover learning.

STEM Transformation Institute Physics Identity Development Practical Implications

Practical ImplicationsPutting research into practice

• We have highly-qualified TAs and LAs!