Impact of Outreach on Physics Student Development: Qualitative Results from a National Survey

Abstract

The role of student experiences in physics beyond the classroom which support their development has been the subject of exciting research in recent years. Results, typically from small studies at single institutions, have illustrated that facilitating informal physics experiences for non-scientists can enhance student disciplinary identity, learning, sense of belonging, and more. However, it is essential to examine whether these impacts are the sole provenance of institutions with well-developed outreach programs or if they may be shared by institutions anywhere. This work reports on the analysis and findings of responses to three open-ended questions presented to students who indicated they had engaged in facilitating outreach programs as part of a national survey distributed through the Society of Physics Students network in spring 2023. Employing a network analysis with Girvan-Newman clusters revealed six core themes of student experiences: community participation, resilience, transformation, audience dialog, disciplinary development, and disciplinary connectedness. The first four of these clusters were observed to be highly interconnected, providing evidence that the impacts and experiences within them are interrelated with other clusters, particularly interactions with the audience, which is a central feature of informal physics programs. In particular, student experiences highlighted that facilitating informal physics programs enhanced their resilience and belonging, grew their physics identity, provided opportunities to develop essential career skills, and cultivated a growth mindset.