Exploring possible selves in a first-year physics foundation class: Engaging students by establishing relevance
Students often complain that they cannot see the relevance of what they are being taught in foundation physics classes. While revising and adjusting the curriculum and teaching are important, this study suggests it might also be useful to help students view their learning in relation to their future...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Published: |
American Physical Society
2016
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/35991 |
| _version_ | 1848754645901508608 |
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| author | Bennett, Dawn Roberts, Lynne Creagh, C. |
| author_facet | Bennett, Dawn Roberts, Lynne Creagh, C. |
| author_sort | Bennett, Dawn |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Students often complain that they cannot see the relevance of what they are being taught in foundation physics classes. While revising and adjusting the curriculum and teaching are important, this study suggests it might also be useful to help students view their learning in relation to their future career aspirations. This paper reports on a study conducted with first-year students enrolled in a compulsory foundation physics unit with a history of low pass rates.Working within a “possible selves” framework, activities were designed to help students position their learning in relation to possible future lives and careers. Two cohorts of students (N ¼ 93) engaged in an intensive workshop comprising multiple activities relating to self and career. Self-reflection worksheets were analyzed using content analysis. The results indicate that students experience immediate benefits from these activities through self-reflection on the current self, future possible professional selves, and the role of current studies in narrowing the gap between the two. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T08:43:43Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-35991 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T08:43:43Z |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publisher | American Physical Society |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-359912020-07-22T08:22:04Z Exploring possible selves in a first-year physics foundation class: Engaging students by establishing relevance Bennett, Dawn Roberts, Lynne Creagh, C. Students often complain that they cannot see the relevance of what they are being taught in foundation physics classes. While revising and adjusting the curriculum and teaching are important, this study suggests it might also be useful to help students view their learning in relation to their future career aspirations. This paper reports on a study conducted with first-year students enrolled in a compulsory foundation physics unit with a history of low pass rates.Working within a “possible selves” framework, activities were designed to help students position their learning in relation to possible future lives and careers. Two cohorts of students (N ¼ 93) engaged in an intensive workshop comprising multiple activities relating to self and career. Self-reflection worksheets were analyzed using content analysis. The results indicate that students experience immediate benefits from these activities through self-reflection on the current self, future possible professional selves, and the role of current studies in narrowing the gap between the two. 2016 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/35991 10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.12.010120 American Physical Society fulltext |
| spellingShingle | Bennett, Dawn Roberts, Lynne Creagh, C. Exploring possible selves in a first-year physics foundation class: Engaging students by establishing relevance |
| title | Exploring possible selves in a first-year physics foundation class: Engaging students by establishing relevance |
| title_full | Exploring possible selves in a first-year physics foundation class: Engaging students by establishing relevance |
| title_fullStr | Exploring possible selves in a first-year physics foundation class: Engaging students by establishing relevance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring possible selves in a first-year physics foundation class: Engaging students by establishing relevance |
| title_short | Exploring possible selves in a first-year physics foundation class: Engaging students by establishing relevance |
| title_sort | exploring possible selves in a first-year physics foundation class: engaging students by establishing relevance |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/35991 |