Zimbabwean female participation in physics: the influence of context on identity formation
The influence of context on identity formation amongst young adolescent females and their subsequent participation in physics as a subject at Advanced Level (A level) is the central focus of this study. A qualitative approach grounded in an interpretivist paradigm was used for the purpose of this st...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
2019
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10288457.2015.1050805?journalCode=rmse20 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/3718 |
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| author | Gudyanga, Anna Adam, Kathija Kurup, Raj |
| author_facet | Gudyanga, Anna Adam, Kathija Kurup, Raj |
| author_sort | Gudyanga, Anna |
| collection | DSpace |
| description | The influence of context on identity formation amongst young adolescent females and their subsequent participation in physics as a subject at Advanced Level (A level) is the central focus of this study. A qualitative approach grounded in an interpretivist paradigm was used for the purpose of this study. Verbal descriptions of the scientist they drew and semi-structured interviews conducted with seven participating female A level students were collated to generate narratives. This paper reports on one aspect of the data generated from the narratives, which is related to context. A di-hybrid theoretical lens comprising Wenger's notion of communities of practice and Sfard and Prusak's notion of ‘telling’ identities or stories enabled a rich understanding of context and its influence on the perspectives of female students. Key findings show that home experiences, mental models of who a scientist is, attitudes of male peers in their classes, and their classroom experiences at Ordinary Level (O level) influenced participants’ identity development and consequent participation in physics. In conclusion, it can be ascertained that the influence of context on identity is an important factor impacting female participation in physics that cannot be negated. |
| format | Article |
| id | ir-11408-3718 |
| institution | My University |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis (Routledge) |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ir-11408-37182022-06-27T13:49:06Z Zimbabwean female participation in physics: the influence of context on identity formation Gudyanga, Anna Adam, Kathija Kurup, Raj Identity formation Female participation Learning and physics The influence of context on identity formation amongst young adolescent females and their subsequent participation in physics as a subject at Advanced Level (A level) is the central focus of this study. A qualitative approach grounded in an interpretivist paradigm was used for the purpose of this study. Verbal descriptions of the scientist they drew and semi-structured interviews conducted with seven participating female A level students were collated to generate narratives. This paper reports on one aspect of the data generated from the narratives, which is related to context. A di-hybrid theoretical lens comprising Wenger's notion of communities of practice and Sfard and Prusak's notion of ‘telling’ identities or stories enabled a rich understanding of context and its influence on the perspectives of female students. Key findings show that home experiences, mental models of who a scientist is, attitudes of male peers in their classes, and their classroom experiences at Ordinary Level (O level) influenced participants’ identity development and consequent participation in physics. In conclusion, it can be ascertained that the influence of context on identity is an important factor impacting female participation in physics that cannot be negated. 2019-09-30T13:44:22Z 2019-09-30T13:44:22Z 2015 Article 1028-8457 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10288457.2015.1050805?journalCode=rmse20 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/3718 en African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education;Vol. 19; No. 2: p. 172-184 open Taylor & Francis (Routledge) |
| spellingShingle | Identity formation Female participation Learning and physics Gudyanga, Anna Adam, Kathija Kurup, Raj Zimbabwean female participation in physics: the influence of context on identity formation |
| title | Zimbabwean female participation in physics: the influence of context on identity formation |
| title_full | Zimbabwean female participation in physics: the influence of context on identity formation |
| title_fullStr | Zimbabwean female participation in physics: the influence of context on identity formation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Zimbabwean female participation in physics: the influence of context on identity formation |
| title_short | Zimbabwean female participation in physics: the influence of context on identity formation |
| title_sort | zimbabwean female participation in physics: the influence of context on identity formation |
| topic | Identity formation Female participation Learning and physics |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10288457.2015.1050805?journalCode=rmse20 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/3718 |
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