Conceptual inquiry-based introductory physics labs deploy PER-informed pedagogical strategies in physics labs with the aim of helping to improve students' understanding of physics concepts. Unlike traditional labs (which tend to be highly-structured and focus on verification of scientific relationships via precision measurements) and skills-based labs (which tend to eschew the aim of helping students learn physics concepts in favor of teaching experimental skills), some studies have suggested that conceptual inquiry-based labs may have a positive impact on student conceptual understanding, as measured by concept inventories. This paper reports on a randomized controlled study that compares student conceptual gains in electricity and magnetism between a conceptual inquiry-based lab and a skills-based lab. Following a difference-in-differences analytical strategy and hierarchical linear modeling, the result from this study is that the conceptual inquiry-based lab provides no additional benefit to students' conceptual learning gains compared with the skills-based lab. Studies such as these may help physics departments make decisions about the goals and scope of transformations to their introductory lab courses.

Measuring the impact of conceptual inquiry-based labs

Collaborative group work is an important aspect of many introductory physics labs. This research focuses on how the gender diversity of a group of students impacts their engagement in the collaborative portion of an online introductory physics lab. We conducted a mixed methods study to determine the relationship between the gender composition of groups and the degree of engagement those groups demonstrated in weekly collaborative activity reflections, using randomly-assigned groups of four students. We also investigated the impact of giving students explicit grading rubrics. We conducted a series of semi-structured interviews with students in order to understand their perspective and experiences collaborating with others. When students were not provided with grading rubrics, we found that groups of all men had highest levels of engagement, and groups with only one woman had lowest levels of engagement as evidenced by the length of written reflections. On the other hand, when students were provided with explicit grading rubrics, groups with one or more women had higher, comparable, levels of engagement. In interviews, women described interactions in majority-male groups that were detrimental to effective collaboration, such as being ignored or talked over. These results suggest that instructors could improve equity in online lab courses (and perhaps other classes as well) by assembling student groups that do not have a single, isolated, woman group member or providing clear grading expectations.

Challenges of building an inclusive community of learners in the physics lab

Can roles improve group cooperation and make group-work more equitable? During the past year, we developed a series of hour-long collaborative activities to supplement individual investigations for our introductory physics lab course. Students worked in groups of 4 in Zoom breakout rooms with the iOLab lesson player. We developed the activities to revolve around 4 student roles: manager, archivist, experimentalist, and skeptic. Analysis based on student work, interviews, and survey responses suggested that the roles helped support student collaboration, especially when the roles where integrated into the tasks we asked students to complete. However, by themselves, group roles were not sufficient to prevent negative gendered group interactions.

Roles in Collaborative Introductory Lab Activities

Poster Session

poster

PERC 2022 is focused on "queering physics education" through an intersectional lens. By "queering," we are centering queer theory which breaks down social constructions and hierarchies to unpack normalized assumptions. In the context of physics education, we want to apply the theory to unpack who has power in physics to control the production of future physicists, how physics policies and practices are sometimes built on ideas of punishment and power, and how PER embeds binaries in both its content and sociological research. Further, we want to encourage a dialogue that is both a critique and an imagining of a queer future for PER.

Explicit attention will be given to constructions of race, (dis)ability, gender, sexuality and how they interact and impact lived experiences.

We have had such a fun time organizing this year’s PERC. You might be aware that we were committed to transparency and documenting our processes and decision making which we outlined here. This year has also been challenging to be a queer or otherwise marginalized person in the US. And we continue to seek and provide support for those individuals.

As such, we recommend that folks visiting Grand Rapids who have the means consider giving to some local organizations who are working to advocate for those impacted by historic and ongoing marginalization and violence.


PERC SM 22

PERC 2022 focused on "queering physics education" through an intersectional lens. By "queering," we centered queer theory which breaks down social constructions and hierarchies to unpack normalized assumptions. In the context of physics education, we apply the theory to unpack who has power in physics to control the production of future physicists, how physics policies and practices are sometimes built on ideas of punishment and power, and how PER embeds binaries in both its content and sociological research. Further, we wanted to encourage a dialogue that is both a critique and an imagining of a queer future for PER. Explicit attention was given to constructions of race, (dis)ability, gender, sexuality and how they interact and impact lived experiences.

Poster Session 2B

**Making Physics More Inclusive and Eliminating Exclusionary Practices in Physics**

As a gateway discipline to STEM majors and careers, physics plays a central role in deciding who does, and who doesn't, get to discover and pursue scientific careers. Technical and scientific professionals are rewarded with economic privilege and status which affords them both social and cultural power. Therefore, social justice will be realized only when the opportunity, and the choice, to excel in physics is open to all students. The culture and practices of the physics classroom reflect the culture of physics at large, which raises the question of how our professional physics communities can embrace, rather than inadvertently repel, a diverse group of academics that can help improve physics culture.  To this end, the 2021 Physics Education Research Conference will focus on defining inclusive spaces and practices. Additionally, we will explore strategies for eliminating exclusionary practices in our classrooms, research spaces, and professional organizations. We call on the community to propose sessions that will drive conversations related to these initiatives throughout PERC 2021.

Please download the full program [here. ](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TRMC_SYJ3PUqXyP7sskA7LRSA8ow0eRE/view?usp=sharing)

PERC SM 21

August 4, 2021 - August 5, 2021 in a Virtual Conference Format

Making Physics More Inclusive and Eliminating Exclusionary Practices in Physics

PS.A-SA-07: PER: Diverse Investigations I

technical paper

Join AAPT and Physics Educators worldwide in developing and strengthening your professional connections by attending the 2021 AAPT Virtual Summer Meeting. AAPT meetings are a great way to reflect on your teaching, recommit to best practices and re-energize your career with new research, products, and techniques.

Listen to internationally known plenary speakers, attend sessions, workshops, and special activities. Attending the virtual summer meeting is an excellent opportunity to share your expertise and learn from and network with leaders in the field.

Please log in with your AAPT account or register for the event if you haven't already.

If you are registered please note that you need to be logged in with your AAPT email / credentials in order to get access.

Danny Doucette

3

SHORT BIO

Presentations

Measuring the impact of conceptual inquiry-based labs

Challenges of building an inclusive community of learners in the physics lab

Roles in Collaborative Introductory Lab Activities

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