Zimbabwean female participation in physics: facets of identity formation considered to be of significance by female students in relation to physics

The study explored facets of identity formation considered to be of significance by Zimbabwean female adolescent students in physics. Four high schools that were offering physics at A' level in the Midlands Province, in Zimbabwe were targeted. Nine female adolescents doing mathematics and physi...

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Main Author: Gudyanga, Anna
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: International Knowledge Sharing Platform 2019
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Online Access:https://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JEP/article/view/34626
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1126523.pdf
http://hdl.handle.net/11408/3719
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author Gudyanga, Anna
author_facet Gudyanga, Anna
author_sort Gudyanga, Anna
collection DSpace
description The study explored facets of identity formation considered to be of significance by Zimbabwean female adolescent students in physics. Four high schools that were offering physics at A' level in the Midlands Province, in Zimbabwe were targeted. Nine female adolescents doing mathematics and physics and only mathematics were chosen. Data generation instruments were semi-structured interview and classroom observation guides. The results of this study indicate that facets of identity formation as confident, fearless, intelligent, and courageous, liking physics and being determined. These facets motivated female students studying physics to develop an identity in favour of physics, resulting in them opting to study physics as a subject of choice at A' Level. On the other hand, female students who had the potential to study physics but were studying only mathematics stated that fear of failing physics, not being courageous, lacking confidence and that physics was irrelevant to their career choice were significant in influencing their non-participation in physics. These facets may have enabled female students to form an identity that contributed towards their motivation for participation or lack of it in physics. The negative physics identity influences their perceptions of physics and their low participation in the subject.
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spelling ir-11408-37192022-06-27T13:49:06Z Zimbabwean female participation in physics: facets of identity formation considered to be of significance by female students in relation to physics Gudyanga, Anna Identity formation Physics identity Facets Participation The study explored facets of identity formation considered to be of significance by Zimbabwean female adolescent students in physics. Four high schools that were offering physics at A' level in the Midlands Province, in Zimbabwe were targeted. Nine female adolescents doing mathematics and physics and only mathematics were chosen. Data generation instruments were semi-structured interview and classroom observation guides. The results of this study indicate that facets of identity formation as confident, fearless, intelligent, and courageous, liking physics and being determined. These facets motivated female students studying physics to develop an identity in favour of physics, resulting in them opting to study physics as a subject of choice at A' Level. On the other hand, female students who had the potential to study physics but were studying only mathematics stated that fear of failing physics, not being courageous, lacking confidence and that physics was irrelevant to their career choice were significant in influencing their non-participation in physics. These facets may have enabled female students to form an identity that contributed towards their motivation for participation or lack of it in physics. The negative physics identity influences their perceptions of physics and their low participation in the subject. 2019-09-30T14:05:29Z 2019-09-30T14:05:29Z 2016 Article 2222-1735 https://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JEP/article/view/34626 https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1126523.pdf http://hdl.handle.net/11408/3719 en Journal of Education and Practice;Vol. 7; No. 35: p. 135-148 open International Knowledge Sharing Platform
spellingShingle Identity formation
Physics identity
Facets
Participation
Gudyanga, Anna
Zimbabwean female participation in physics: facets of identity formation considered to be of significance by female students in relation to physics
title Zimbabwean female participation in physics: facets of identity formation considered to be of significance by female students in relation to physics
title_full Zimbabwean female participation in physics: facets of identity formation considered to be of significance by female students in relation to physics
title_fullStr Zimbabwean female participation in physics: facets of identity formation considered to be of significance by female students in relation to physics
title_full_unstemmed Zimbabwean female participation in physics: facets of identity formation considered to be of significance by female students in relation to physics
title_short Zimbabwean female participation in physics: facets of identity formation considered to be of significance by female students in relation to physics
title_sort zimbabwean female participation in physics: facets of identity formation considered to be of significance by female students in relation to physics
topic Identity formation
Physics identity
Facets
Participation
url https://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JEP/article/view/34626
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1126523.pdf
http://hdl.handle.net/11408/3719
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