PERC 2021 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | Reimagining physics curricula |
|---|---|
| Abstract: | This session features physics educators and education researchers who interweave sociopolitical and cultural considerations into physics curricula with a focus on student learning. Our goals are to elevate creative work that challenges traditional conceptions of what physics education is or can be, and to inspire innovation in education research, curriculum development, and instruction. In addition, we aim to identify cross-cutting theoretical perspectives that link such work. If the PERC 2021 is virtual, we aspire to dedicate time for participants to (re)engage with speakers' recorded videos if needed, facilitate a fishbowl discussion during which speakers engage with each other's work, and create space for participants to follow up with one or more speakers of their choice. |
| Abstract Type: | Talk Symposium |
| Session Time: | Parallel Sessions Cluster I |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Dimitri R. Dounas-Frazer Western Washington University Bellingham, WA 98225 Phone: 303-862-0337 |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Alexis V. Knaub, AAPT (co-organizer); Carolina Alvarado, California State University, Chico; Egla Ochoa-Madrid, Langley Research Center; Clausell Mathis, University of Washington; David Marasco, Foothill College. |
Symposium Specific Information | |
| Moderator: | Alexis V. Knaub and Dimitri R. Dounas-Frazer |
| Presentation 1 Title: | Empowering future teachers to recognize and transform scientific practices |
| Presentation 1 Authors: | Carolina Alvarado |
| Presentation 1 Abstract: | Physics, as a field, continues to be a predominantly white space, and there is limited access to physics in high schools that serve predominantly students of color. In a physics course serving future elementary and secondary science teachers, how do we introduce students to the scientific practices while our goal is to transform them? I present how students engage in recurrent discussion on power dynamics disrupting harmful practices in our physics environment. The conversations uplift voices that have been living with this knowledge without many venues in science to discuss it and force groups who have never had to address it to do so. We analyze how colorblindness can still be embedded in the discussion while having "good intentions". This is a particularly relevant discussion to share since, for many youth, K-9 teachers might be the first and last contact with physics. |
| Presentation 2 Title: | A Look at Physics Teachers Searching for Cultural Relevance |
| Presentation 2 Authors: | Clausell Mathis |
| Presentation 2 Abstract: | Dr. Clausell Mathis will discuss research on strategies and methods that physics teachers have used to become culturally relevant educators. In particular, Clausell will describe a previous study he did with a female physics instructor who attempted to incorporate culturally relevant pedagogy features, along with his current research in assisting physics teachers to be more equitable in their instruction. Findings from his work show that teachers show the strongest indicators of culturally relevant pedagogy through their willingness to address sensitive topics, consistent encouragement of students toward academic excellence, and the ability to adapt the curriculum to students' strengths. However, there remain challenges that physics teachers have in actualizing culturally relevant pedagogy. Findings from Dr. Mathis's research give implications for physics faculty who wish to use culturally relevant pedagogy in their instruction. He will also discuss the challenges and affordances that may occur when making pedagogical changes that support culturally relevant instruction. |
| Presentation 3 Title: | Fritz Haber: Talking about more than physics in physics class |
| Presentation 3 Authors: | David Marasco |
| Presentation 3 Abstract: | In my general education class that centers on Albert Einstein, I feature a segment on his friend and contemporary Fritz Haber. Haber is a complex figure in history; he both figured out how to synthesize fertilizer, making food cheap for the masses, and he was the father of chemical warfare. His story allows for a deep exploration of how science and society overlap and interact. With fertilizer, there are issues ranging from the depletion of natural resources to actions by organized labor to geopolitics. The transition to warfare takes a path through the Oklahoma City bombing and the Tulsa Massacre. Haber's role in chemical warfare raises the topic of technology and the military. Clara Immerwahr, who was married to Haber, was one of the first STEM PhDs in Germany, and as a Jew, Haber was persecuted under Hitler. I will discuss not only the topics covered, but also the framing of the material, and the accompanying student project. |
| Presentation 4 Title: | Creating space for student discussions about ethics, physics and society |
| Presentation 4 Authors: | Egla Ochoa-Madrid |
| Presentation 4 Abstract: | The challenges of the future require well-rounded physicists who understand their responsibility and impact as scientists in an ever-changing, complex society. In my research group at Texas State, one of our goals was to create space for students to practice making sense of this responsibility, and to research the results. As a graduate researcher, I studied physics students' conversations as they discussed the development and use of the atomic bomb. The unit encouraged perspective-taking and ethical sense-making through the application of an ethical framework. This research gives us insight into what ethics conversations in physics classrooms could look like. In this session, I will share results for instructors looking to implement similar curricula as well as how instructors can approach these conversations. |
