Document Type

Presentation

Publication Date

July 2016

Publication Title

Physics Education Research Topical Group, American Association of Physics Teachers

Disciplines

Education | Physics

Abstract

Ford (2015) argues for viewing "scientific practice" not as a list of particular skills, but rather, as "sets of regularities of behaviors and social interactions" among scientists. This conceptualization of scientific practices foregrounds how they 1) meaningfully connect to one another, 2) are purposefully employed in their ability to explain nature and 3) prospectively adapt based on critique. While Ford focused on practices in K-12 classrooms, we apply this framework to understand how undergraduate physics majors do or do not make progress toward more central participation in physics research experiences. Using video from interviews with students and research mentors, and classroom and research-lab observations, we argue that this "practice" analytical lens affords new insights into how students experience their undergraduate research experiences. Our analysis traces students' trajectories toward deep engagement with scientific practices through early stages of participation.

Comments

This poster was originally presented at the 2016 Physics Education Research Conference and can also be found online at this link. ©2016 AAPT PERTG

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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