Article
Interactions between disciplinary practices and joint work in undergraduate physics research experiences
Physical Review Physics Education Research
(2018)
Abstract
We analyze how participating in undergraduate research experiences (UREs) influenced physics students’ trajectories of participation within the community of practice of physics researchers. Students in the study participated in an elective seminar in which they were paired with graduate student and faculty mentors on physics research projects and participated in weekly discussions about research. Using video data from student interviews and mentor interviews, we characterize two aspects of students’ engagement in the physics community of practice. First, we find variations in their engagement in physics practice, which we characterize as physics activities that are connected and purposeful. Second, we characterize forms of joint work by the research project’s form and structure and by patterns of interaction between undergraduates and mentors. We argue that forms of joint work influenced students’ varied senses of how physics activities are connected and purposeful. Finally, we use this understanding to suggest how to better scaffold UREs.
Disciplines
Publication Date
December 7, 2018
DOI
10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.14.020124
Publisher Statement
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This article was published in Physical Review Physics Education Research, volume 14, issue 2, 2018, and can also be found at this link.
Copyright © 2018, American Physical Society
Citation Information
Gina M. Quan, Chandra Turpen and Andrew Elby. "Interactions between disciplinary practices and joint work in undergraduate physics research experiences" Physical Review Physics Education Research Vol. 14 Iss. 2 (2018) ISSN: 2469-9896 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/gina-quan/1/