Challenges in study design for characterizing the informal physics landscape

Willison, Julia; Izadi, Dena; Ward, Issac; Hinko, Kathleen A.; Fracchiolla, C. E.

doi:10.1119/perc.2019.pr.willison

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Survey and interview questions covered factual information as well as information about the history, changes and connections of the program. Protocols, described in [2], were developed through multiple rounds of testing and feedback with varied subjects. We are in the process of determining potential participants, obtaining as high as possible response rate, and collecting diverse data to be a good representation of the national landscape.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This work is part of a large-scale project to characterize the landscape of informal physics efforts, with an intended outcome of understanding what factors influence the effectiveness of such programs [2]. Our broader goals are to understand what factors are important for the 'success' of an informal physics program and how these factors affect each other.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Developing an organizational framework for informal physics programs

Izadi¹,

Willison²,

Hinko³

et al. 2020

2019 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings

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Characterizing the landscape of informal physics learning is a necessary and important endeavor that requires an in-depth study of the different types of existing programs. In this project we focus on informal programs sponsored by physics departments in academic institutes and physics national labs. We seek to understand the structural elements and cultural practices within the diverse array of informal physics spaces. Thus, we are developing a framework based on organizational theory that is contextualized for informal physics programs. We have collected data using survey and interview protocols for different informal physics activities. Here, we present an in-depth case study in which we have analyzed a "science cafe"-style event facilitated by volunteers from a physics and astronomy department. Applying organizational theory to the data set allows us to determine the fine-grained details of the program and the interconnections between the key elements of programming, personnel, resources, audience and institution. We further characterize and discuss the challenges the program faces from the facilitator's perspective. From these findings, we will be able to look at larger data sets in the national study.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing an organizational framework for informal physics programs

Izadi¹,

Willison²,

Hinko³

et al. 2020

2019 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…al. [28][29][30][31]. Our analysis started with initial coding of the survey data by a single coder, using the 'audience' theme subcategories (satisfaction, interactions, motivation & attitudes, attendance, needs, and impact on the audience) [28,29].…”

Section: Teachers' Needs and Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

You pick my brain and I'll pick yours: a pilot case study of research-practice partnership in an informal physics space

Izadi¹,

Gennuso²,

Sherriffs³

2022

2022 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings

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Research-Practice Partnership (RPP) is recognized as a valuable tool for generating actionable research and improving educational practices by involving practitioners and researchers in both research and the implementation of research findings. However, creating and maintaining such partnerships is challenging; it requires time and financial resources, and a team with diverse expertise and high commitment. Despite their wide recognition in educational fields, RPPs are under-studied in physics education research and literature in informal physics programs is sparse. In this paper, we present a case study of RPP between a physics education researcher and an informal physics practitioner. We describe the development and maintenance of this partnership and use qualitative and ethnographic methods to investigate practitioner-driven concerns about self-evaluation practices and attendance in the program under study, an informal conference for physics teachers. We found evidence that surveys and ethnographic interviews provided complementary data: surveys allowed the practitioner to learn about their audience's motivations, needs, and perception of the program's value. Ethnographic interviews were particularly useful as a means to elicit actionable ideas for how conference organizers might better support teacher attendance. In addition, participating in the RPP provided the practitioner with skills that they can carry forward into their future assessment work and yielded actionable insights beneficial to both practitioner and audience. Our experience suggests that RPPs in informal physics spaces face many of the same challenges as those conducted in formal education settings, and that best practices documented for formal education RPPs will also be of benefit to them.

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“…The landscape of informal physics learning environments is complex as programs can vary drastically in their structure, activities, contents, and engagement [6][7][8]. Due to the complexity and richness of the landscape, it is difficult to evaluate the functionality and effectiveness of the programs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perspectives on informal programs: How site visits can help us learn more

Stanley¹,

Izadi²,

Hinko³

2020

2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings

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We are continuing a nationwide effort to develop a systemic understanding of the landscape of informal physics using an organizational theory perspective. We have collected surveys and interviews with informal physics program facilitators, but this information is only from the perspective of the faculty or physics student leaders and does not tell us about the social dynamics within each program. Thus, to complement these data, we need to observe informal physics events as they occur. In this paper, we will discuss our strategy for visits to program sites to observe social interactions between program participants as well as programmatic details in action. We report on an initial site visit to a physics open house event, where we took field-notes and conducted interviews with participating personnel members. Here, we compare the types of data we are able to collect from site visits and interviews/surveys with lead program facilitators.

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Challenges in study design for characterizing the informal physics landscape

Cited by 4 publications

References 3 publications

Developing an organizational framework for informal physics programs

Developing an organizational framework for informal physics programs

You pick my brain and I'll pick yours: a pilot case study of research-practice partnership in an informal physics space

Perspectives on informal programs: How site visits can help us learn more

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