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STRICKLAND_dissertation_Dec_10_23.pdf (1.3 MB)

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Teaching Physics while Female: A Phenomenological Study of Female High School Physics Teachers

Strickland, Hope
http://orcid.org/0009-0005-5422-6106
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1702230545318818

Abstract Details

2023, Doctor of Education (EdD), Wright State University, Leadership Studies.
The lived experiences of female high school physics teachers were researched in this study with the aim of gaining a better understanding of their decisions to remain in the classroom or to leave the teaching profession. To allow the participants to describe their background and teaching experiences, as well as the meaning they found in them, a transcendental phenomenological approach was used during this research. To create a richer representation of the phenomenon, fourteen women ranging from 0-31 years of experience teaching high school physics were interviewed for this study. The data from the interviews was analyzed through the lens of Vroom’s (1964) Expectancy Theory and Hazari et al.’s (2010) Physics Identity model, which formed the theoretical framework for this research. An iterative analysis of the data resulted in the three major themes of self-efficacy, values, and support. Self-efficacy, the most significant theme, was a result of the confidence the women earned from overcoming obstacles and conquering their initial feelings of inadequacy. Values, the second most significant theme, was characterized by the value women placed on relationships with their students. Other values important to the participants included their students’ growth as well as maintaining a work-life balance for themselves. Support, the third most significant theme, centered on support from mentors during high school, college, and student teaching. Also important was the support provided by colleagues and school organizations. Implications of this study include informing female high school physics teachers about the necessity of maintaining a growth mindset, honoring their personal values, and supporting each other. Implications for high school leaders include the importance of implementing practices such as providing common planning periods, establishing mentorship programs, and thoughtfully considering the schedules and responsibilities of first year teachers. Implications for school district leaders include the value of creating content specific professional learning communities (PLCs) for physics teachers and providing them with meaningful professional development opportunities. Importantly, this research also provided the women in the study the opportunity to tell the story of their lives in their own words and to reflect upon the meaning they found in their work.
Yoko Miura, Ed.D. (Committee Chair)
Colleen Saxen, Ed.D. (Committee Member)
Amber Todd, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Adrienne Traxler, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
188 p.
Education; Educational Leadership; Gender; Physics; School Administration; Science Education; Teacher Education
female high school physics teachers; women in physics; retention of high school physics teachers; women teaching high school physics

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Strickland, H. (2023). Teaching Physics while Female: A Phenomenological Study of Female High School Physics Teachers [Doctoral dissertation, Wright State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1702230545318818

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Strickland, Hope. Teaching Physics while Female: A Phenomenological Study of Female High School Physics Teachers. 2023. Wright State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1702230545318818.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Strickland, Hope. "Teaching Physics while Female: A Phenomenological Study of Female High School Physics Teachers." Doctoral dissertation, Wright State University, 2023. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1702230545318818

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

wright1702230545318818
161
© 2023, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Wright State University and OhioLINK.