It’s not uncommon for educational outreach projects to be overlooked in academic circles, but a recent study from Texas A&M University reveals their value extends far beyond the financial bottom line when it comes to physics education.
About 100 undergraduate and graduate students who presented numerous physics outreach programs at Texas A&M were surveyed and interviewed for about two years by physicists and learning scientists from the University of the Texas System. A recent study published in the journal Physical Review Physics Education Research found that students gain as much from their experiences as their audiences do, namely positive effects on their identities as science professionals that can provide invaluable insight into the persistence and retention of STEM students, as well as the preparation for 21st century careers in science and other fields.
Tatiana Erukhimova, Texas A&M physicist and President of the Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence, said, “Though often considered as a low priority public service, university-based physics outreach programs increasingly are being recognized for the direct positive impact they have, not only on audiences and attendees, but also on the students facilitating them.”
If you simply think that outreach programs benefit children and adults, you’re missing out on a potentially transformative educational experience for university students who are directly involved in presenting these programs, she says.
The study, the largest of its kind to date, found that students who participated in one or more outreach programs during their time at the university experienced an overwhelmingly positive effect on their physics identity, became more confident in their scientific abilities, and felt more connected to the physics community as a result.
A physicist’s journey from novice to expert is a lengthy and difficult one, guided by both formal and informal experiences, Erukhimova added. Some begin this trip with the intention of becoming physicists, but then change their minds and go in different paths. In this study, we noticed how involvement in informal physics programs might help an individual become a physicist and accelerate their development through less-structured but vital experiential learning.”
According to the study’s authors, students who participate in educational outreach have access to a wider range of teaching possibilities, which may help them better understand physics ideas. Physics outreach initiatives, on the other hand, can help students develop a greater sense of self-efficacy through hands-on experiences beyond the classroom and laboratory. Students gain a better grasp of physics concepts as well as communication, teamwork, networking, and other career-ready skills by participating in outreach activities at their universities.
Our findings contribute to the growing understanding of how informal physics, or outreach, programmes facilitate larger interactions between students and the STEM community and prepare university students with the skills needed for the 21st century workforce,” Erukhimova said in a statement. Data from the study could assist physics departments around the country construct their students’ out-of-classroom activities to better prepare them for 21st century scientific and technology careers.”
Texas A&M physics graduate Callie A. Rethman ’20, who is currently teaching in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, was one of the team members, along with Jonathan Perry, who is a University of Texas physicist and former Texas A&M physicist, as well as Jonan Donaldson, who is a postdoctoral research associate at the Texas A&M Center for Teaching Excellence.
