| dcterms.abstract | Despite the substantial amount of critical studies that have investigated low overall physics participation, particularly the underrepresentation of women and minorities, these problems remain unresolved. This dissertation examines different strategies to prepare, recruit and retain diverse participants in the physics community. A qualitative phenomenological methodology was adopted to analyze this problem through the lens of sociocognitve theoretical frameworks. Three separate investigations were conducted to explore strategies that may enhance the accessibility of physics. Various constructs related to career interest and retention are described. High school physics teachers in the U.S. are often in a position of isolation within their schools, due to limited physics access and participation. The first study in this dissertation explores the question of professional isolation and how it impacted two novice physics teachers during their induction years in urban schools. The development of their professional practice was analyzed over a four-year timeframe. Data were collected through a series of interviews, observations, and informal discussions. The teachers reported pervasive feelings of isolation, minimal perceived success, limited professional agency, and a desire for pedagogical collaboration. They also reported a lack of administrative support and meaningful feedback and mentoring. They sought their own networks for collegial planning and transitioned to new urban schools for improved conditions. The second study focused on six undergraduate women to analyze factors that influenced their attraction to physics and their retention in the major. Participants were recruited from a university in the Northeast U.S. Factors that contributed to the process of self-determination and persistence included mentors, introductory physics courses that focused on modern topics, research opportunities, and socialization. Conversely, negative gender stereotypes, expectancy of brilliance, lack of appropriate lab resources, and lack of female professors in the physics department emerged as hindrances that potentially influenced women’s choices to participate in physics. The third study examined the academic and career experiences of professional women physicists to propose different strategies to recruit, prepare, and retain women in the physics community. Subjects included seven career women physicists with master’s degrees in physics and doctorates in physics-related fields. Various latent constructs related to career interest and retention were identified, including early interest in physics and mathematics, recognition of the societal value of physics, and positive experiences with role models. Tensions in their career pathways were related to pervasive feelings of inadequacy, lack of social support, negative stereotypes, awareness of minority status, and struggles with work-life balance. Recommendations to inform policy and educational reforms are discussed to improve high school physics in urban schools and increase the participation of women in the profession. | |
