Project Empower: Collaborative Curriculum Design Tailored for Student Success and Inclusive Culture in Algebra-Based Physics

Florida International University, Miami FL

Investigators

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national interest by improving curricula in physics education. Algebra-based physics is taught to thousands of U.S. students every year, many of whom are non-physics majors who may be apprehensive of physics and may not know how physics knowledge may be relevant for their future careers. This project involves recruiting undergraduate students in algebra-based physics courses to help identify their career needs, exploring their interests related to physics, and aligning their needs with the utility of physics concepts to design a culturally appropriate and student-centered curriculum. This project intends to provide algebra-based physics students with an opportunity to meaningfully engage in their physics learning by giving them a voice in the curriculum and allowing them to build connections between their own career interests and physics concepts. The project should yield curricular materials for algebra-based physics courses that other instructors will be able to adapt through their participation in immersive workshops. It is hoped that improved algebra-based physics curricula will support better-prepared STEM professionals who can more effectively use their physics knowledge in their chosen careers. Guided by elements of a framework for culturally relevant pedagogy, the project plans to design, adapt, and pilot Modeling Instruction curriculum materials for introductory algebra-based physics courses. The three-year project design will address the following research questions: 1) What are the motivations and expectations of students enrolled in the algebra-based physics course? 2) How does culturally responsive and student-centered curricular activities impact students’ expectancy values, physics identities and sense of belonging in physics? 3) For instructors implementing this curriculum, how do they perceive that culturally responsive pedagogy and student-centered activities can be applied within their own course contexts? The data that will drive the design and adaptation of the curriculum will center the experiences of undergraduates enrolled in algebra-based physics, who will be recruited to be participant researchers and co-designers of curricular reforms. Immersive summer workshops will be offered for faculty from other institutions who are interested in adopting the new curriculum. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. This project is also supported by the NSF IUSE:HSI program, which has the goals of enhancing the quality of undergraduate STEM education, and increasing the recruitment, retention, and graduation rates of students pursuing associate’s or baccalaureate degrees in STEM. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.