2023 BFY4 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: |
More than technical support: Professional contexts of physics instructional labs |
| Abstract: |
Physics lab instructors, both faculty and staff, are instrumental to student learning in instructional physics labs. However, the faculty-staff dichotomy belies the complex, varied, and multifaceted landscape of positions that lab instructors hold in the fabrics of physics departments. We present the results of a study of the people who teach instructional labs and their professional contexts. We collected survey responses and conducted interviews with lab instructors across the US. Our investigation revealed that lab instructors vary in terms of their official titles, job descriptions, formal duties, personal agency, and access to resources. We also identified common themes around the value of instructional labs, mismatched job descriptions, and a broad set of necessary skills and expertise. Our results suggest that instructors often occupy overlapping roles that fall in between more canonical jobs in physics departments. |
| Abstract Type: |
Plenary
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Author/Organizer Information |
| Primary Contact: |
L Dana
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
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Co-Author(s)
and Co-Presenter(s) |
Benjamin Pollard - Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Sarah Mueller - Brown University
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Presentation Documents |
| Invited Presentation: |
Download the Invited Presentation
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