PERC 2025 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | Connecting Culture and Curriculum: Climate Change and Energy in Introductory Physics Classes |
|---|---|
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster Presentation |
| Abstract: | Although much has been explored regarding introductory physics students' everyday ideas about energy, it is often still taught in much the same way as it was 30 years ago (e.g., cannons, roller coasters, skateboarding). During this period, the climate crisis and society's energy consumption has become a culturally important topic, largely neglected in physics courses. Instructors at a Pacific NW community college introduced activities designed to explicitly tie physics energy topics to climate change issues (Levy et al., 2023). We collected post-lesson student written reflections, stating their views of connections between energy topics in physics and climate change, from these classes and another class that did not implement this lesson. We coded responses using a phenomenographic qualitative analysis and found that a greater number of students who engaged with this lesson identified climate-change connections. We make recommendations for a more robust, culturally-relevant integration of climate change into physics education. |
| Session Time: | Poster Session C |
| Poster Number: | C-104 |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Abigail R. Daane (She/Her) South Seattle College Seattle, WA 98106 Phone: (206) 934-5300 |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Larissa Carter (She/Her), South Seattle College Hanan Mohamed (She/Her), South Seattle College Al K. Snow (They/Them), University of Washington |
