Identity statuses in upper-division physics students

TL;DR

This paper explores how upper-division physics students develop their subject-specific identities through case studies, linking identity theories with communities of practice, and highlights the importance of authentic research experiences.

Contribution

It demonstrates the connection between identity statuses and communities of practice in physics students' identity development, emphasizing exploration through research.

Findings

Students' identity progression varies with exploration and engagement.

Engagement in authentic physics practices supports identity development.

Identity crises can influence classroom behavior.

Abstract

We use the theories of identity statuses and communities of practice to describe three different case studies of students finding their paths through undergraduate physics and developing a physics subject-specific identity. Each case study demonstrates a unique path that reinforces the link between the theories of communities of practice and identity statuses. The case studies also illustrate how students progress and regress in their commitment to their subject-specific identities and their professional identities. The progression/regression is dependent on their willingness to explore different aspects of a physics professional identity and their availability to carry out such exploration. Identity status and future identity crises can manifest in students' behavior in the classroom. Allowing students to engage in more legitimate practices of the physics community, especially in the form of undergraduate research, helps students to explore their opportunities and inform the level of commitment they wish to make to physics.