• Open Access

Other spaces for young women’s identity work in physics: Resources accessed through university-adjacent informal physics learning contexts in Sweden

Allison J. Gonsalves, Anders Johansson, Anne-Sofie Nyström, and Anna T. Danielsson
Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 18, 020118 – Published 19 September 2022

Abstract

For young women, inbound identity trajectories into physics are generally regarded as exceptional. In this study, we investigated the experiences that young women have which may support their sustained interest and achievement in physics, and their ongoing inbound trajectories into post-secondary physics education. To understand these experiences, we look to the role of informal physics learning (IPL) environments as spaces which can offer resources that support women’s trajectories into physics. In this paper, we highlight the important role of what we call “university-adjacent” IPL experiences—internships, summer schools, and associations that connect secondary students with the research lives of physicists. Focusing on case studies of six women enrolled in post-secondary physics programs across Sweden, we identify the various forms of resources made available through IPL environments, and how these create possibilities for young women to engage in forms of identity work that contribute to the construction of new possible selves in physics. Findings suggest that young women can access important relational and ideational resources through university-adjacent IPL programs. Relational resources included (a) supportive social networks, (b) enduring relationships, and (c) relatability. Importantly, our research finds that IPL opportunities that emphasize relationship building can create immersive experiences which go beyond representation and rather emphasize opportunities to develop practice-linked identities. Ideational resources emerged as (a) sources of information which possibilized physics for participants, and (b) types of information that provided possibilities to learn about the life of a physicist. Finally, while we claim that IPL experiences provide important possibilities for young women to immerse themselves in the practices of physics, we also discuss that these kinds of experiences remain inaccessible to most students, and thus reproduce a certain elitism in the field.

  • Received 22 October 2021
  • Accepted 11 July 2022

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.18.020118

Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.

Published by the American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Physics Education Research

Authors & Affiliations

Allison J. Gonsalves1,*, Anders Johansson2, Anne-Sofie Nyström3, and Anna T. Danielsson4

  • 1McGill University, Department of Integrated Studies in Education, 3700 rue McTavish, Montreal H3A 1Y2, Canada
  • 2Chalmers University of Technology, Department of Communication and Learning in Science, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
  • 3Uppsala University, Department of Education, Box 2136 750 02 Uppsala, Sweden
  • 4Stockholm University, Department of Teaching and Learning, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden

  • *Corresponding author. allison.gonsalves@mcgill.ca

Article Text

Click to Expand

References

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 18, Iss. 2 — July - December 2022

Reuse & Permissions
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review Physics Education Research

Reuse & Permissions

It is not necessary to obtain permission to reuse this article or its components as it is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI are maintained. Please note that some figures may have been included with permission from other third parties. It is your responsibility to obtain the proper permission from the rights holder directly for these figures.

×

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×