Learning Assistants' Development of Physics (Teacher) Identity

Close, Eleanor W.; Conn, Jessica; Close, Hunter G.

doi:10.1119/perc.2013.pr.010

Cited by 6 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…We focus this analysis on two communities of which all LAs are members: the community of undergraduate STEM majors, engaged in the joint enterprise of negotiating required coursework and obtaining a STEM degree, and the community of physics instructors, engaged in the joint enterprise of supporting students in their learning of physics concepts and skills (see Refs. [16][17][18]). These communities are not completely distinct, as described in Sec.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[1], p. 160). In previous analysis [16][17][18], we describe the LA program as creating an overlap between the community of practice of STEM majors and that of physics instructors, with LAs experiencing membership in both communities and creating overlap between the practices of each. In addition to these two communities of practice, in which all LAs participate, each LA has other communities and other practices that must be reconciled in their enacted identity.…”

Section: Relating Self-concept and Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

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Becoming physics people: Development of integrated physics identity through the Learning Assistant experience

Conn

2016

Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res.

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102

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[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Preparing and Supporting University Physics Educators.] In this study, we analyze the experience of students in the Physics Learning Assistant (LA) program at Texas State University in terms of the existing theoretical frameworks of community of practice and physics identity, and explore the implications suggested by these theories for LA program adoption and adaptation. Regression models from physics identity studies show that the physics identity construct strongly predicts intended choice of a career in physics. The goal of our current project is to understand the details of the impacts of participation in the LA experience on participants' practice and selfconcept, in order to identify critical elements of LA program structure that positively influence physics identity and physics career intentions for students. Our analysis suggests that participation in the LA program impacts LAs in ways that support both stronger "physics student" identity and stronger "physics instructor" identity, and that these identities are reconciled into a coherent integrated physics identity. Increased comfort in interactions with peers, near peers, and faculty seems to be an important component of this identity development and reconciliation, suggesting that a focus on supporting community membership is useful for effective program design.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Relating Self-concept and Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

Becoming physics people: Development of integrated physics identity through the Learning Assistant experience

Conn

2016

Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res.

Self Cite

102

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“…Given the positive relationships between perceptions of competence, physics identity, and intentions to persist in physics [7,8], our data suggest a possible mechanism for the transformative nature of the LA experience [3]. The novice LAs we interviewed, however, did not demonstrate this shifted perception of competence; the data suggest that this transformation takes up to three semesters to occur.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 50%

“…This encompasses the physics identity dimension of competence / performance. This aspect of the blended identity theory is the focus of analysis in this paper; other aspects are described in previous work [3,4].…”

Section: Relating Self-concept and Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In previous work we have analyzed the LA experience empirically in terms of the existing theoretical frameworks of communities of practice and physics identity [3,4]. Specifically, we have examined written and video data sources for evidence of whether participation in the LA program has affected elements of LAs' identity, and if so, in what ways and through what program elements.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Learning Assistant Identity Development: Is One Semester Enough?

Conn¹,

Close²,

Close³

2015

2014 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings

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Abstract. The physics department at Texas State University has completed five semesters with a Learning Assistant (LA) program and reform-based instructional changes in our introductory course sequences. We are interested in how participation in the LA program influences LAs' identity both as physics students and as physics teachers; we have previously reported trends in increased community involvement and a shift in experienced LAs' concepts of what it means to be competent. Our interview data now include first-semester LAs, and we see a significant difference in physics identity development between these LAs and those with more experience. LAs near the end of their first semester seem to be experiencing a state of unease with respect to teaching and learning. We explain this discomfort in terms of Piagetian disequilibrium: their conceptions of competence in teaching and learning have been challenged, and they have not yet constructed a new model.

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Are there any “science people” in undergraduate health science courses? Assessing science identity among pre‐nursing and pre‐allied health students in a community college setting

Perkins,

Royse,

Cooper

et al. 2023

J Res Sci Teach

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Science identity, or one's sense of recognition and competence as a scientist, is an invaluable tool for predicting student persistence and success, but is understudied among undergraduates completing preparatory work for later studies in medicine, nursing, and allied health (“pre‐health career students”). In the United States, pre‐health career students make up approximately half of all biology students and, as professionals, play important roles in caring for an aging, increasingly diverse population, managing the ongoing effects of a pandemic, and navigating socio‐political shifts in public attitudes toward science and evidence‐based medicine. Pre‐health career students are also often members of groups marginalized and minoritized in STEM education, and generally complete their degrees in community college settings, which are chronically under‐resourced and understudied. Understanding these students' science identities is thus a matter of social justice and increasingly important to public health in the United States. We examined science identity and engagement among community college biology students using two scales established and validated for use with STEM students attending four‐year institutions. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used on two sub‐samples drawn from the pool of 846 participants to confirm that the factor structures functioned as planned among the new population. Science identity values were then compared between pre‐health career students (pre‐nursing and pre‐allied health) and other groups. Pre‐health career students generally reported interest and performance/competence on par with their traditional STEM, pre‐med, and pre‐dentistry peers, challenging popular assumptions about these students' interests and abilities. However, they also reported significantly lower recognition than traditional STEM and pre‐med/dentistry students. The implications for public health, researchers, and faculty are discussed.

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Learning Assistants' Development of Physics (Teacher) Identity

Cited by 6 publications

References 5 publications

Becoming physics people: Development of integrated physics identity through the Learning Assistant experience

Becoming physics people: Development of integrated physics identity through the Learning Assistant experience

Learning Assistant Identity Development: Is One Semester Enough?

Are there any “science people” in undergraduate health science courses? Assessing science identity among pre‐nursing and pre‐allied health students in a community college setting

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