[phas-dept] Colloquium Today at 3 PM Room 127

[Kent Montgomery]

Our fourth candidate for the Physics and Astronomy Department Faculty
Position is here and will be giving a colloquium at 3 in room 127. We
invite all to attend. Robynne Lock is currently on a postdoctoral
fellowship at Clemson University. The title and abstract of her talk are
given below.

Title: Understanding physics career choice through identity 

Description: Compared to most other STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering and Math) disciplines, few students earn bachelor's degrees
in physics. Additionally, only 21% of these degrees are earned by women.
In this talk, students' decisions regarding study in physics are
examined using an identity framework. The dimensions of identity include
performance/competence (perceptions of ability to perform/understand),
recognition (perception of recognition by others), and interest (desire
to learn more). Two analyses presented use data from a national survey
of college students in introductory English courses (on science-related
experiences, particularly in high school). First, a regression model
predicting students' intentions to pursue physics careers shows which
identity dimensions are the most important to consider, in particular
for women. Second, structural equation modeling reveals the
relationships between the identity dimensions and the impact of
out-of-class science experiences. The final analysis uses case study
data of two classes to investigate how the explicit discussion of the
underrepresentation of women in physics may increase the physics
identity of female students.

 

 

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