Group Dynamics in Inquiry-based Labs: Gender Inequities and the Efficacy of Partner Agreements
arXiv (Cornell University)(2023)
Abstract
Recent studies provide evidence that social constructivist pedagogical
methods such as active learning, interactive engagement, and inquiry-based
learning, while pedagogically more effective, can enable inequities in the
classroom. By conducting a quantitative empirical examination of
gender-inequitable group dynamics in two inquiry-based physics labs, we extend
results of previous work. Using a survey on group work preferences and video
recordings of lab sessions, we find similar patterns of gendered role-taking
noted in prior studies. These results are not reducible to differences in
students' preferences. We find that an intervention which employed partner
agreement forms, with the goal of reducing inequities, had a positive impact on
students' engagement with equipment during a first-semester lab course. Our
work will inform implementation of more effective interventions in the future
and emphasizes challenges faced by instructors who are dedicated to both
research-based pedagogical practices and efforts to promote diversity, equity,
and inclusion in their classrooms.
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Key words
gender inequities,partner agreements,labs,inquiry-based
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