Did you know? Half of STEM majors are interested in teaching as a profession, and STEM students of color are more interested in teaching as a profession than their White counterparts. If we want these students to consider majoring in a STEM field, it is important to include teaching as one of their career options when entering the major.&nbsp; In this presentation we will share updates on the Get the Facts Out Project including data to support the above claims, new handouts with salary and cost-of-living information for teachers in hundreds of school districts, a new professionally made short video series, and new single-slide conversation starters. We will also share what we learned from a GFO half-day mini-conference where we heard from faculty in physics, chemistry, and mathematics about what they would like to see from GFO in the future.

Increasing the Number and Diversity of Majors by Advertising Teaching

Teachers in the United States rate their lives better than all other occupation groups, trailing only physicians. However, as a nation we face a shortage of qualified math and science teachers. Because students often turn to faculty members for career advice, it is important that faculty hold accurate and positive perceptions of grade 7-12 math and science teaching. To help identify faculty perceptions of the teaching career, an instrument known as the Perceptions of Teaching as a Profession in Higher Education (PTaP.HE) (Pronounced P-Taffy) was developed. In this work a reduced-basis factor analysis was performed on the PTaP.HE and eight underlying factors were identified. These factors provide insight into faculty thinking about grade 7-12 teaching. When survey data are analyzed by these underlying factors, it is found that faculty perceive themselves and their departments as supportive of those who want to pursue grade 7-12 math or science teaching. However, their perceptions of grade 7-12 math and science teaching are sometimes internally inconsistent, with some perceptions being positive and others negative. This work highlights the importance of sharing accurate information about the teaching career with faculty members, so they can in turn share accurate information with their students.

Faculty perceptions of grade 7-12 math and science teaching as a career: Evidence from a reduced-basis factor analysis of the PTAP.HE Instrument

As part of the Get the Facts Out project, we have developed the Perceptions of Teaching as a Profession in Higher Education better known as the PTaP.HE (P-taffy), which measures faculty’s perceptions of grade 7-12 teaching as a career choice. This spring we conducted a new reduced-basis factor analysis on version 2 of the instrument and found a substantial change in category structure from version 1. Here, we will share the new categories as well as present results from our national data sample which reveals themes in faculty thinking about the grade 7-12 teaching career. These results can help guide the improvement of physics teacher recruitment in colleges nationwide. This project is supported by NSF DUE-1821710.

Factor analysis of the PTaP.HE

The Get the Facts Out project, which is entering its fourth year of funding, has an aggressive research arm that studies the effectiveness of every resource produced by the project as well as perceptions of students and perceptions of faculty at over 50 U.S. institutions. In this presentation we will share several exciting results from the project this year including a blog article that went viral, the impact on students as a result of simply sharing the facts with colleagues, and some critical differences between the challenges within mathematics, chemistry and physics departments. Finally, we will share a couple of new resources including professional STEM teacher recruitment videos and A Teacher’s Life by the Numbers. This project is supported by NSF DUE-1821710 & 1821462

The Latest and Greatest from Get the Facts Out

B7 - Get the Facts Out: Changing the Conversation Around Physics Teacher Recruitment

technical paper

This meeting is a great opportunity to explore sessions and workshops designed with your professional development in mind. Present your research and exchange ideas on the latest in teaching and pedagogy. Participate in a wide range of events, activities, plenaries, and so much more, connecting you with peers and colleagues who share your commitment to excellence in physics education.

AAPT WM 22

Poster Session 1B

poster

**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.B-SA-04: Get the Facts Out: Changing the conversation around physics teacher recruitment

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.

Wendy Adams

5

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Presentations

Increasing the Number and Diversity of Majors by Advertising Teaching

Faculty perceptions of grade 7-12 math and science teaching as a career: Evidence from a reduced-basis factor analysis of the PTAP.HE Instrument

Factor analysis of the PTaP.HE

The Latest and Greatest from Get the Facts Out

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