Physics Program Presents
How Undergraduate Research Experiences Impact Students’ Participation in Physics
Friday, November 20, 2015
Hegeman 107
12:00 pm EST/GMT-5
12:00 pm EST/GMT-5
Gina Quan, University of Maryland
Physics Education Research (PER) is a rich field which studies how students learn physics as well as how to support better teaching and learning. In my work, I develop innovative learning spaces that integrate authentic physics practices, student collaboration, and an inclusive community. Within these spaces, I qualitatively study identity, how students recognize themselves and are recognized by others as able to participate in physics. In this talk, I will first present a brief overview of the field of Physics Education Research. I will then present research on an undergraduate freshman seminar that I have co-developed in which students worked with faculty and graduate student research mentors on research projects. In videotaped classroom data and interviews, students described ways in which their research experiences were different from their expectations. Students tie an improved sense of competence in research to a better understanding of who does physics and how physics research works. This work sheds light on mechanisms by which research experiences may positively impact students’ identity development in physics.
For more information, call 845-758-7302, or e-mail [email protected].
Time: 12:00 pm EST/GMT-5
Location: Hegeman 107