Understanding physics identity development through the identity performances of Black, Indigenous, and women of color and LGBTQ+ women in physics

Quichocho, Xandria R.; Schipull, Erin M.; Close, Eleanor W.

doi:10.1119/perc.2020.pr.quichocho

Cited by 13 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…In fact, when we conducted a rough analysis of the demographic data of our participants and the number of different pre-college obstacles they faced, we noticed that the more underrepresented characteristics they identified with, the more pre-college obstacles they encountered. This finding is supported by other scholars' work on intersectionality (for example, see [20,25]). Our findings suggest that more work should be conducted in this area to explore how intersectional identities (including low socioeconomic status, first-generation college student, and having a disability) affect one's experiences in physics.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

“…More recently, a team of scholars have begun conducting much needed work on the intersectionality of social identities within the field of physics by investigating the experiences of women of color and LGBTQ+ women at the collegiate level [20][21][22]. However, virtually no work that we could find also included other social identities such as disability, socio-economic status, and first-generation college student status into their analysis of physics students' experiences.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Investigating underrepresented students� choice of a physics major

Piatek-Jimenez¹,

Keblbeck²,

Medina³

2022

2022 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings

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It is well documented that there is little diversity within physics at the undergraduate level in the United States, and this problem is amplified in graduate school and the workforce. The cause of this underrepresentation of women and people of color in physics is reported to be partially due to a "cold" and unwelcoming climate within physics departments and differential pre-college experiences. Our larger research project aims to investigate undergraduate physics students' experiences, to better understand the factors leading to the selection and retention of a physics major, and how these experiences may differ by the intersectionality of one's social identities. To achieve this goal, we conducted a series of in-depth interviews with physics majors at one university to learn more about their pre-college and college experiences regarding physics and astronomy. In this paper, we report a subset of our findings. In particular, we share our preliminary results on the data collected from our nine participants with identities underrepresented in the discipline of physics with regards to their selection of a physics major. Our findings reveal both internal and external motivators for selecting a major in physics and suggest that many of the pre-college obstacles they faced relate to their underrepresented identities.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating underrepresented students� choice of a physics major

Piatek-Jimenez¹,

Keblbeck²,

Medina³

2022

2022 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings

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“…This double consciousness brings a distinct lens to their knowledge production. Valuing such epistemic affordances is vital for the persistence and wellbeing of minoritized students in physics, for whom seeing themselves as physicists plays a central role in cultivating a holistic sense of belonging in the field [14]. Recreating physics as a domain that cultivates epistemic diversity is, thus, central to justice within physics classrooms and the broader scientific community.…”

Section: Epistemic Oppression In Physicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leveraging queer epistemic subjectivity to advance justice through physics teaching

McNeill¹,

Leyva²,

White³

et al. 2022

2022 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings

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In this paper, we advocate for inclusion of queer and trans* (QT) students in physics by promoting epistemic diversity. We draw on literature documenting racial epistemic oppression and research exploring the experiences of QT students of color in STEM to build theory around intersectional, coalition-building epistemic justice for queer inclusion. We highlight the affordances of physics teaching that embraces queer epistemic subjectivity (ways of thinking shaped by the lived experience of transgressing regulatory categories of sexuality and gender), and offer implications for instructors that cultivate appreciation for diverse approaches to physics learning in the classroom. 2022 PERC Proceedings edited by Frank, Jones, and Ryan; Peer-reviewed plenary, doi.org/10.1119/perc.2022.plenary.pr.McNeill Published by the American Association of Physics Teachers under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

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“…While there are efforts to use critical pedagogy [8] to transform physics and astronomy instruction, there have been few efforts to apply principles of critical reflection or critical analysis to PER methods themselves. What little exists has focused on critiquing PER-informed pedagogy and practices [9,10] and the demographics of students included in PER studies [11], introducing QuantCrit approaches in data analysis [12], and applying intersectional approaches to understanding physics identity [13][14][15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A critical examination of "expert-like" in physics education research

Phillips¹,

O’Donnell²

2021

2021 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings

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The growing push to address the lack of diversity in physics has come with an array of curriculum reforms and interventions. There has been work in Physics Education Research (PER) that has supported these reforms, including studying the experiences and identity development of students from minoritized backgrounds. However, there has been a lack of critical reflection on the core methodologies and constructs used in PER. Here, we present a critical analysis of qualitative and quantitative work used to define and measure "expert-like" thinking, beliefs, and practices in physics. We show that this work has largely omitted any consideration of race or cultural backgrounds of participants, instead defining "experts" as either physics faculty or Ph.D. holders. Research in critical theory demonstrates that failing to intentionally address potential biases tends towards reinforcing those biases. Thus, work in PER on expert-like thinking may unintentionally replicate, rather than challenge, existing biased structures in physics. We conclude with recommendations for constructing more inclusive views of what it means for students to develop "expert-like" thinking.

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Understanding physics identity development through the identity performances of Black, Indigenous, and women of color and LGBTQ+ women in physics

Cited by 13 publications

References 11 publications

Investigating underrepresented students� choice of a physics major

Investigating underrepresented students� choice of a physics major

Leveraging queer epistemic subjectivity to advance justice through physics teaching

A critical examination of "expert-like" in physics education research

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