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PS.B-SA-9.01 | Contributed | Remote GTA Preparation: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Presenting Author: Emily Alicea-Munoz, Georgia Institute of Technology
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The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a move to remote/online instruction beginning in the middle of the Spring 2020 semester. As a result, the Fall 2020 cohort of first-year physics PhD students, who would also be graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) for the first time, had to both attend their graduate coursework and teach their assigned labs and recitations remotely. Our Physics GTA Preparation course, a robust and comprehensive program that has been running since 2013 and integrates pedagogy, physics, and professional development strategies, had to be modified in terms of content and delivery to adjust to the present situation. In this talk, I will briefly describe our regular GTA preparation course, the changes made for online instruction, and the things that worked or didn't work in the modified curriculum.
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PS.B-SA-9.02 | Contributed | Effectiveness of Action Research and RTOP for Improving Physics Lessons
Presenting Author: Sachiko Tosa, Niigata University
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High-school teaching in Japan is traditionally known as teacher-driven. To improve the situation, the new Course of Study for high schools, which will be fully implemented in 2022, emphasizes the importance of active learning and inquiry. This study examines the effectiveness of the use of action research and RTOP (Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol) for improving high-school physics lessons in Japan. Three action research sessions were conducted for a particular Basic Physics class in two months. The results indicate that the RTOP scores improved dramatically as action research progressed, especially in the areas of teacher’s procedural knowledge and student-student interactions. The teacher’s attitudes towards active learning and collaboration also showed an improvement. Discussions on the difficulties of helping teachers have student-centered views in physics teaching will be included in the presentation.
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PS.B-SA-9.03 | Contributed | Teacher use of resources while integrating computational modeling into classrooms
Presenting Author: Julia Willison, Michigan State University
Additional Author | Marcos D. Caballero, Michigan State University
Additional Author | David Stroupe, College of Education, Michigan State University
Additional Author | Julie Christensen, College of Education, Michigan State University
Additional Author | Sunghwan Byun, College of Education, Michigan State University
Computational modeling is increasingly becoming a critical and necessary component of a physics education. Integrating Computation in Science Across Michigan (ICSAM), an NSF-funded program at Michigan State University, aims to help high school teachers bring computational modeling to their physics classrooms. In this presentation, we illustrate the kinds of resources that participating teachers used to integrate computation in their physics teaching through a case-study analysis of a particularly active teacher participant. Through the past two years, we observed and recorded participating teachers’ journeys in classroom videos, interviews, and other data. We examined the data using emergent coding to characterize the resources that these teachers have used while integrating computation into their classrooms and how these resources have changed over time. Through this work, we aim to share implications for professional development providers, curriculum developers, and practicing teachers. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (DRL-1741575).
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PS.B-SA-9.04 | Contributed | Measure student assistants’ PCK-Q in online settings during COVID pandemic
Presenting Author: Jianlan Wang, Texas Tech University
Additional Author | Beth Thacker, Texas Tech University
Additional Author | Stephanie Hart, Texas Tech University
Additional Author | Kyle Wipfli, Texas Tech University
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Student Assistants (SA), including graduate and undergraduate teaching/learning assistants, are pivotal to non-traditional physics instruction in large classrooms. In this study, we used the framework of Pedagogical Content Knowledge for questioning (PCK-Q) to measure SAs’ questioning skills. We designed a written instrument describing various situations that SAs would encounter while interacting with students. SAs needed to articulate how they would support student learning considering their difficulties. We also developed a coding scheme to analyze how SAs’ questions leveraged students’ conceptual understanding. We administered this written instrument with SAs who had various years of experience in inquiry-based physics courses and analyzed their videos of interacting with students in online settings during the COVID pandemic. We validated the written instrument with class videos, delineated the SAs’ PCK-Q, and suggested how the SAs’ questions contributed to students’ conceptual learning about classical mechanics and electromagnetism.
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PS.B-SA-9.06 | Contributed | Identifying Shifts in Agency In the STEP UP Ambassador Program
Presenting Author: Ben Archibeque, Florida International University (FIU)
Additional Author | Joinee Taylor, Florida International University (FIU)
Additional Author | Anne Kornahrens, American Physical Society
Additional Author | Pooneh Sabouri, Florida International University (FIU)
Additional Author | Zahra Hazari, Florida International University (FIU)
For decades, undergraduate physics programs have struggled with the underrepresentation of women. The STEP UP project (STEPUPphysics.org) was designed to reduce barriers for women in physics and encourage high school women to pursue an undergraduate physics degree. STEP UP focuses on implementing high school interventions by working with cohorts of high school physics teachers, called Ambassadors, who are trained to teach and propagate STEP UP’s research-driven materials throughout their networks. To understand the effects of training, surveys were administered to Ambassadors throughout the school year. Taking a “tempered radicals” framing, this talk will present an analysis of survey responses including how they changed after completing their Ambassadorship and how this information can be used to identify teachers who are willing to disrupt the status quo. Results should help other programs seeking to develop “tempered radicals” in their communities.
Additional co-authors: Geoff Potvin , Florida International University and Robynne Lock, Texas A&M Commerce
This work is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1720810, 1720869, 1720917, 1721021, and 1038321.
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PS.B-SA-9.07 | Contributed | Transitions to online physics teaching: Empathy and above average quality
Presenting Author: Eric Brewe, Drexel University
Additional Author | Adrienne L Traxler, Wright State University
Additional Author | Sarah Scanlin, Drexel University
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We surveyed a national sample of United States physics faculty about the COVID-19 transition to online learning. The majority of faculty had 1-2 weeks to prepare and no prior experience with teaching online. They relied on department peers to discuss approaches and used lecture adaptations such as videoconferencing rather than new curricular elements. Their responses were empathetic to the students' situation, and 90% said they were average or above at implementing online instruction. Faculty's preference for local resources and existing methods suggests that in a crisis, strong network ties will dominate as information sources, with consequences for professional development and instructional change.
This project is supported by NSF DUE 2027958 and DUE 2027963.