28 June 2015 to 3 July 2015
Africa/Johannesburg timezone
SAIP2015 Proceeding published on 17 July 2016

Perceptions of Professional Academic Development: Barriers and bridges between physics lecturers and physics education researchers.

2 Jul 2015, 11:50
20m
Oral Presentation Track E - Physics Education Edu

Speaker

Dr Elsa Lombard (NMMU)

Abstract content <br> &nbsp; (Max 300 words)<br><a href="http://events.saip.org.za/getFile.py/access?resId=0&materialId=0&confId=34" target="_blank">Formatting &<br>Special chars</a>

Although physics lecturers are experts in evidence-based research, they often rely on anecdotal experience to guide their teaching practices. Adoption of research-based instructional strategies (pedagogical approaches that has shown effectiveness through empirical measurement) remains surprisingly low, despite a large body of physics education research and extensive dissemination efforts by physics education researchers. Addressing the low adoption of research-based instructional strategies is becoming increasingly important in the context of undergraduate physics teaching in South Africa.

As part of a larger study focusing on introductory physics teaching, five lecturers were interviewed to uncover their perceptions of Professional Academic Development. Qualitative content analysis, using ‘disciplines as epistemic cultures’ as conceptual framework, was employed to analyse the lecturers’ interviews. The findings of the study provided valuable insights into the barriers between physics lecturers’ perceptions regarding the provision of Professional Academic Development, and physics education researchers with a professional development agenda. In particular, the findings suggested that if the agenda is to enhance undergraduate physics teaching, greater emphasis should be paid to contextualizing Professional Academic Development for ‘hard’ disciplines such as physics.

Level for award<br>&nbsp;(Hons, MSc, <br> &nbsp; PhD, N/A)?

N/A

Would you like to <br> submit a short paper <br> for the Conference <br> Proceedings (Yes / No)?

Yes

Apply to be<br> considered for a student <br> &nbsp; award (Yes / No)?

No

Please indicate whether<br>this abstract may be<br>published online<br>(Yes / No)

Yes

Primary author

Dr Elsa Lombard (NMMU)

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