Physics Colloquium: Brilliance attributions in physics learning: Talent or not?
Physics Colloquium
Brilliance attributions in physics learning: Talent or not?
Dr. Yasemin Kalender
Assistant Professor
School of Physics and Astronomy, RIT
Abstract:
Physics is a discipline in which women and other minorities are severely underrepresented. Prior work has identified motivation-based explanations for low participation and retention rates of women in physics. Among various motivational factors, intelligence mindsets (i.e., having fixed or growth mindsets) have been rarely examined in the context of physics. Because physics is commonly associated with requiring brilliance to be successful, many students are likely to hold fixed mindset views for physics, which can be especially detrimental for students from underrepresented groups. I will share some of the existing research on mindset in broader education fields and how physics can be especially important field to understand these attributions. Then, I will share some data from introductory physics courses and how student mindset can relate to course outcomes. Understanding why students hold different mindset views and designing appropriate interventions for physics courses are important areas to consider in efforts seeking to improve outcomes in physics for diverse student groups. I will also briefly share ongoing research from my lab at RIT.
Speaker Bio:
Dr. Z. Yasemin Kalender is an Assistant Professor in Physics in Rochester Institute of Technology. Dr. Kalender received her Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh with a research focus on physics education and broader issues in learning physics. Her overarching research interests are in investigating motivational characteristics of students, diversity issues in the physics discipline, and incorporating mixed method and big data analysis techniques into the area of physics education research. She continued her academic work as a postdoctoral research associate at Cornell University and worked as an Assistant Director of Science Pedagogy at Harvard University before joining RIT. Her current research lines are student motivation, equity and diversity in physics at all levels, group work in lectures and lab courses, sense of agency in hands-on learning spaces, and graduate teaching assistants’ views and teacher identities.
Intended Audience:
Beginners, undergraduates, graduates. Those with interest in the topic.
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