ABSTRACT
Many conceptual and theoretical frameworks in education research tend to value social and cultural capital from the most privileged groups and focus on what people from marginalized groups are "lacking." This kind of research often employs a deficit model of understanding the experiences of people marginalized in education. To fully understand the academic experiences of students from marginalized groups it is crucial to focus on the capital these groups use to overcome challenges. The Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) framework values resources Communities of Color have to help them through various systems such as education. The goal of this project is to understand which forms of CCW students utilize when deciding to pursue graduate education in physics and when they face challenges while in graduate school.
Project Lead
Geraldine Cochran
The Ohio State University
GOALS & RESEARCH QUESTIONS
What forms of cultural capital do physics graduate students affiliated with the APS Bridge Program utilize in their educational experiences?
How might the usage of cultural capital in addressing educational challenges changes for students during graduate school?
METHODS
We conducted semi-structured interviews with participants in physics bridge programs from 4 different institutions, and used qualitative coding to identify examples of each of the 6 types of CCW at three different time frames: pre-college, deciding to pursue graduate school, and during graduate school.
CONTRIBUTION TO PROJECT GOALS
The goal of this research project is to understand how community cultural wealth is valued by structures in place in graduate physics programs and how structures may be modified to better leverage the cultural capital that students in bridge programs bring to their educational experiences.
FOCUS AREA WITHIN GRADUATE EDUCATION
Physics Department Culture
INVESTIGATORS
Geraldine L. Cochran, The Ohio State University
Jenna P., Tempkin, Lafayette College
Téa Boone, St. Mary's University
Stella Nelson, The Ohio State University
Sabrina Henige, The Ohio State University