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Although most teachers recognize the importance of taking investigative, open-ended approaches to students’ learning experiences, implementing them in high school classes can be challenging for teachers. In this work, we analyzed data from multiple sources from a teaching Community of Practice (CoP) to investigate (a) barriers to taking an open-ended approach in teaching labs in physics classes, (b) shifts in teachers’ beliefs about taking an open-ended approach during their engagement in a physics teaching CoP in a partnership program, and (c) a case study of one teacher whose shifts in perceptions about taking an open-ended approach in teaching labs led to her successful implementation in her class. The findings confirm the existence of well-known psychological and structural barriers that can prevent teachers from adopting investigative approaches in teaching physics labs. Moreover, we learned how the interaction of these barriers further complicates the adoption of open-ended approaches in physics classes. The study also revealed a significant gap between teachers’ current practices and their desired methods of conducting labs, particularly in terms of structured versus open-ended approaches. The case study offered deeper insights into how shifts in teaching practices occur through changes in perceptions within a supportive CoP. 

Students often struggle in the transition from high school to college. One component of this struggle is adjusting study habits to navigate new academic expectations. Another is establishing new relationships in college that can support their emotional well-being and academic success. We administered surveys consisting primarily of open-ended questions to students taking an introductory physics course in order to gain insight into students’ study habits and support structures and how they change from high school to college. We find that many students learn that they need to dedicate more time outside of class to studying in order to succeed in college. Many students trying to improve their performance report practicing more, but our results suggest that more practice alone is not sufficient; rather, students were able to increase their performance and satisfaction in the course by engaging more deeply with the material. Regarding support structures, we find that in high school, students find their teachers highly supportive and accessible, but they are less likely to approach their college professors for help. Meanwhile, many students find peers to be an important source of support in college as the amount of support they receive from their families diminishes with distance from home. Gaining a better understanding of students’ study habits, support structures, and how they conceptualize them can help us design course structures and messaging that can more effectively help students develop strong learning strategies and social networks. Published by the American Physical Society2024 

By taking a responsive approach to the design and enactment of teacher professional development (PD), PD instruction can be tailored to teachers’ needs, interests, and concerns. This is of considerable importance in the high school physics teacher PD space, wherein teacher needs turn out to be particularly complex and diverse due to differences in teacher preparation within the discipline. More generally, understanding the degree to which PD programs are responsive to their teachers’ needs can support increased responsiveness. To this end, having a validated survey can assist in measuring the criteria for this responsiveness. This study presents the initial development of a responsive professional development (RPD) survey based on interviews with 13 high school physics teachers. Nine responsive codes were identified through thematic analysis of teacher interviews, and the resulting survey has been administered to 33 teachers for piloting purposes. In this work, the initial survey development process is presented. 

Preparing for high-stakes exams in introductory physics courses is generally a self-regulated activity. Compared to other exam reviewing strategies, doing practice exams has been shown to help students recognize gaps in their knowledge, encourage active practicing, and produce long-term retention. However, many students, particularly students who are struggling with the course material, are not guided by research-based study strategies and do not use practice exams effectively. Using data collected from a fully online course in Spring 2021, this study examines two interventions aimed at improving student selfregulated studying behaviors and enhancing student metacognition during exam preparation. We found that a modified format of online practice exams with one attempt per question and delayed feedback, increases the accuracy of feedback about student readiness for exams but does not change the accuracy of their predicted exam scores or studying behaviors. Additionally, an added mock exam one week before the actual exam impacts students’ intentions for studying but does not impact actual study behaviors or facilitate metacognition. These results suggest that interventions designed to improve exam preparation likely need to include explicit instruction on study strategies and student beliefs about learning. 

Preparing for high-stakes exams in introductory physics courses is generally a self-regulated activity. Compared to other exam reviewing strategies, doing practice exams has been shown to help students recognize gaps in their knowledge, encourage active practicing, and produce long-term retention. However, many students, particularly students who are struggling with the course material, are not guided by research-based study strategies and do not use practice exams effectively. Using data collected from a fully online course in Spring 2021, this study examines two interventions aimed at improving student selfregulated studying behaviors and enhancing student metacognition during exam preparation. We found that a modified format of online practice exams with one attempt per question and delayed feedback, increases the accuracy of feedback about student readiness for exams but does not change the accuracy of their predicted exam scores or studying behaviors. Additionally, an added mock exam one week before the actual exam impacts students’ intentions for studying but does not impact actual study behaviors or facilitate metacognition. These results suggest that interventions designed to improve exam preparation likely need to include explicit instruction on study strategies and student beliefs about learning. 

Exam preparation in introductory science courses is self-regulated. Practice testing has been shown to produce better learning then other strategies. However, many students do not use practice tests effectively when studying. This mixed-methods study examines two experiments aimed at improving examining student predictions about learning and studying. We found that scores on a mock exam impact students’ intentions for studying but not study habits. We also found that many underperforming students initially increase the use of ineffective study strategies rather than adopt a strategy change. Students who distribute studying throughout the semester and engage with course concepts more deeply demonstrate improvement and increased satisfaction. These results suggest that exam preparation interventions may need to include study strategy and metacognitive instruction. 

Abstract In teacher professional development (PD), grouping teachers with varying levels of experience can be a productive and empowering way to stimulate the exchange and co‐generation of content and pedagogical knowledge. However, less experienced teachers can face socio‐emotional risks when engaging in collaborative science content reasoning tasks with more experienced colleagues, and these risks may impact the collaborative experience of both parties and the learning environment in teacher PD. This exploratory case study examines the process of productively navigating socio‐emotional risks and interpersonal tensions encountered by a veteran and pre‐service physics teacher during one episode of discussing physics content. We use a single term,comfort‐building, to encapsulate discursive moves that result in increased feelings of comfort and safety by the participants. Comfort‐building includes moves that serve to mitigate social risk, ease tension, and avoid discomfort, as well as those geared toward finding common ground and co‐navigating challenges. These moves can carve out conversational space for teachers to more confidently face risks associated with being accountable to the physics content knowledge and engage in discipline‐based conversations more deeply. The presented case was followed by video‐stimulated individual interviews to determine how consciously the teachers connected their participation to explicit risk and comfort. This case study highlights an affective dimension for consideration in the continued study and facilitation of science teacher PD, especially programs that bring together teachers with a variety of backgrounds and skill sets.