Background: Numerous studies in the literature describe the effectiveness of research-based instructional strategies (RBIS) in the postsecondary STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) context. Many of these studies are predicated on the assumption that instructors implement the RBIS exactly as is intended by the developers. However, by necessity, instructors modify the RBIS to suit their needs and to best support their students. The purpose of this commentary is to describe a framework (Modification Identification Framework) and method (Revealed Causal Mapping) for classifying modifications instructors make to an RBIS as they implement it in their course and identify the reasons why instructors make these modifications. As the MIF was developed in the healthcare field, we altered and extended it to be suitable for educational settings. We then demonstrate the usefulness of the framework and method through an extended sample study of instructors' modifications to the Student-Centered Active Learning Environment with Upside-Down Pedagogies (SCALE-UP) model in introductory physics. Conclusions: In general, the findings from investigations with the Modification Identification Framework and Revealed Causal Mapping can be used to identify what experiences lead instructors to modify certain aspects of RBIS. These findings can aid curriculum developers in creating supports for instructors so they can make changes in line with the underlying structure and theory of the RBIS.

Women in physics continue to be an underrepresented group, in part due to negative stereotypes and adverse environments that result from a masculine perception of physics. To address this, we explore and highlight feminine perspectives of success in physics. We focus on success because the term is often used by researchers to frame academic achievements; however, not much work explores how different people conceptualize success. For this study we conducted semi-structured interviews of women at various stages of education and careers in physics. One interview question specifically elicited a participant-constructed metaphor of success in physics. The interview data was then examined with metaphor analysis for structural metaphors, which gives us insight into the characteristics of success that are salient to the individual. For example, with the metaphor of a caramel apple one participant highlighted the difficulty (through the apple's tartness) and overall satisfaction of physics (through the caramel's sweetness).

Recent research has highlighted the need to explore the propagation of innovative teaching strategies. SCALE-UP (StudentCentered Active Learning Environment with Upside-Down Pedagogies) is one such innovative strategy that requires transforming the learning space to support small group work. SCALE-UP is both well-propagated and frequently sustained within departments once it is implemented, possibly due to the investment in a transformed learning space. However, not all instructors and departments reach the significant learning gains typically documented in the literature. In this study, we use interviews to explore the extent to which individual instructors implement and sustain specific features of SCALE-UP, like reduced lecture time and group composition, because such features may be more easily modified over time than the classroom space. We report on instructors' perceptions of the extent to which their courses align with the SCALE-UP model and whether deviations from the literature-based model result from intentional or unintentional changes.

In previous work guided by Feminist Standpoint Theory, we explored woman participants' metaphorical expressions for success in physics. However, some participants pointed out to the researchers that the (re)presentation of their metaphors in scientific prose was lacking the intended emotional expression. In this study, a participant (A.V.S.) joined the research team to interpret her metaphor about blowing a dandelion. Following Colby & Bodily's (2018) poetic analysis, we apply Ricoeur's hermeneutic phenomenology in the interpretation process, which highlights the relationship between interpreters, the text and the metaphor author. Our poetic analysis also applies found poetry to (re)construct the transcript in ways that provide fresh insights and emphasizes the emotions embedded in the original expressions. This collaborative poetic analysis seeks to introduce qualitative methods to the physics education research community that tend to the emotional connotations of interview data and elevate participant perspectives with fidelity. just this little idea grows into these possibilities Breathe.