Supporting Young Women's Physics Engagement

Supporting young women’s physics engagement Evidence from an intervention in the context of the Physics Olympiad Dissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel vorgelegt von Peter Wulff Kiel, 2019 Erster Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Knut Neumann Zweite Gutachterin: Prof.in Dr. Ilka Parchmann Prüfungsvorsitzender: Prof. Dr. Stanislav Gorb Viertes Prüfungsmitglied: Prof. Dr. Jeffrey Nordine Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 8. August 2019 Zum Druck genehmigt: 8. August 2019 Abstract (English) Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are vital for inno- vativeness, for economic prosperity, and for tackling of global problems (such as climate change, population growth, and poverty). Consequently, STEM literacy is important to the individuals and the society. For example, emancipation in more and more technology reliant societies hinges on STEM literacy for the individual. On the other hand, large numbers of unfilled STEM positions and a continuing growth of STEM jobs require efforts to recruit and retain talented students in STEM domains. As a means to identify and promote talented students in STEM, many nations developed enrichment programs such as the Science Olympiads. However, a closer examination of enrollment patterns, es- pecially in math-intensive enrichment programs such as the Physics Olympiad, indicates that young women are largely underrepresented in these enrichment programs, such that these programs fail to identify and promote all talented students in STEM. Today, intervention measures that effectively tackle the problem of female underrepresentation in physics coexist and evidence-based strategies for interventions that raise gender equity in these programs are needed. This dissertation seeks to identify viable strategies in order to support young women’s engagement in the Physics Olympiad and inform evidence-based strategies for gender inclusive physics. Implementing and evaluating effective interventions requires a comprehen- sive study of the existing literature. Thus, chapter 2 in this dissertation presents a literature review on female underrepresentation in physics on the basis of which a situated agency model that outlines potential mechanisms that impair physics engagement for young women was outlined. On the basis of this model principles for interventions were deduced that proved effective for raising gender equity in physics in the past. These principles alongside the situated agency model com- prised the framework for designing four empirical studies that were meant to inform the overarching research question of how gender equity in the Physics Olympiad environment can be raised such that young women are supported in their physics engagement. In order to explore facets of the physics engagement for young women in the Physics Olympiad, in study 1 high-achieving young women (N = 9) in two subsequent Physics Olympiads in Germany were interviewed in order to examine facets of physics engagement through a personal narratives approach. The goal of this explorative study was to identify aspects of physics engagement for these successful young women. A common theme amongst the narratives of the young women was the perceived competence and the intrinsic motivation for physics. The young women portrayed themselves as confident problem solvers and expressed an interest and appreciation for physics and the physics problems in the Physics Olympiad. Furthermore, the physics engagement of the young women appeared in supportive environments, where teachers, parents, and/or peers were supportive for the young women. However, the young women also explained female underrepresentation in the Physics Olympiad on the basis of stereotypical notions of society and some reported experiences of social ostracism when engaging in physics, such that the physics engagement of these successful young women was impaired at times. On the basis of these findings, a closer examination of possible effects for altering the Physics Olympiad’s environment towards more gender equity was 4 necessary. Consequently, two studies examined the effectiveness of considerately designed learning materials and social settings for physics learning. In study 2 specifically designed learning materials were utilized in an intervention in a university course in order to probe effects for challenging the traditional physics image with regards to empathizing features and fixed ability notions. The eval- uation of this intervention documented that the learning materials (case study of Rosalind Franklin and the discovery of the DNA, Active-learning instruction for physics) were effective to challenge traditional notions that students hold of physics, i.e., that physics is free of empathizing features. In study 3 the adap- tation of the social context (equal gender ratio, cooperative group-work) was probed in the context of the Physics Olympiad. This intervention functions as a proof-of-concept for the main intervention (study 4). It was shown that particularly the female students increased some of their physics identity resources, namely competence beliefs and interest. Finally, in study 4 a half-year intervention was implemented and evaluated in the context of the Physics Olympiad. The students participated in two in- person seminars and two online seminars. The following design features were implemented: female in-group experts as mentors, equal-sex group constellation, and gender-considerate learning materials. A control group received four online seminars with similar learning materials. Dependent variables were two physics identity resources, namely competence beliefs and recognition. Overall, N = 39 students participated and persisted until the end of the intervention. No time effects appeared for the students with regards to recognition (as operationalized through sense of belonging to the physics community) and competence beliefs (as operationalized through expectancy of success). At the same time, the control group, starting from an initially lower sense of belonging, improved their sense of belonging over time. Young women and men in the treatment group rated the intervention as very positive. In particular, the situational interest of the students affected the development of sense of belonging for the students, such that students with a higher situational interest for the intervention had a more positive development of sense of belonging compared to students with a lower situational interest, regardless of gender. The instructors were rated particularly high by both males and females. Overall, the students in the treatment and control group were found to be more likely to subscribe to the next year’s competition compared to the general olympian population. The empirical research in this dissertation sought to inform evidence-based strategies that tackle the problem of female underrepresentation in the Physics Olympiad. The findings indicate that it was possible to design learning environments in the Physics Olympiad context that supported young women’s physics engagement. For example, young women’s physics identity resources could be increased through an intervention and the participation in the Physics Olym- piad could be stabilized. However, some effects did not appear as would be expected from the literature (e.g., improving young women’s sense of belonging through an intervention). In summary, supporting high-achieving young women’s physics engagement in the context of the Physics Olympiad seems to require concerted efforts that reflect the constraints for young women’s physics engagement as outlined in the situated agency model. 5 Abstract (German) Mathematik, Ingenieurwissenschaft, Naturwissenschaft und Technik (MINT) sind für die Innovationsfähigkeit, den wirtschaftlichen Wohlstand und die Bewäl- tigung globaler Probleme (wie Klimawandel, Bevölkerungswachstum und glob- ale Armut) von entscheidender Bedeutung. Daher ist MINT-Bildung sowohl für das Individuum als auch für die Gesellschaft von großer Bedeutung. Zum Beispiel hängt die Emanzipation des Individuums in zunehmend technologieba- sierten Gesellschaften auch von der Kompetenz in MINT des Individuums ab. Ebenso erfordern die Anzahl unbesetzter Stellen in MINT Fächern und das kon- tinuierliche Wachstum der Arbeitsplätze in MINT Fächern Anstrengungen, um hochleistende Schülerinnen und Schüler für MINT Fächern zu identifizieren und zu fördern. Um talentierte Schülerinnen und Schüler zu identifizieren und zu fördern, die potentiell in einer Karriere in MINT Fächern erfolgreich sein werden, entwickelten viele Nationen Enrichmentprogramme wie die Science Olympiaden. Eine Untersuchung der Teilnehmendenzahlen, insbesondere in mathematikin- tensiven Programmen wie der PhysikOlympiade, zeigt jedoch, dass junge Frauen in diesen Programmen stark unterrepräsentiert sind, so dass diese Programme nicht alle hochleistenden Schülerinnen und Schüler in MINT Fächern identifizieren und fördern. Deshalb sind Interventionsmaßnahmen erforderlich, die theorie- und empiriegeleitet Strategien implementieren und evaluieren, die das Problem der Unterrepräsentation von Frauen in der PhysikOlympiade wirksam angehen. Diese Dissertation widmet sich der Identifikation von Strategien, um Engagement junger Frauen in der PhysikOlympiade zu stärken und Anregungen für geschlechterinklusive Physik zu generieren. Das Design und die Implementierung wirksamer Interventionen erfordert die Sichtung vorhandener Forschung. Daher wird in Kapitel 2

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