arXiv subjects

Ramón Barthelemy

Publications and source records attributed to Ramón Barthelemy.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Unique support from identity-based groups: Professional networks of women and LGBTQ+ physicists analyzed and compared by career sector

This paper presents a social network analysis of the professional support networks of 100 LGBTQ+ and/or women PhD physicists, comparing the networks based on the career sectors of academia, industry, and government/nonprofit. The methods for constructing and analyzing the ego networks, which are novel in many ways, are explained in greater detail in an earlier publication (Hatcher et. al., 2025). We describe the networks of the whole group and use statistical tests of independence to explore differences between sectors in terms of whole network metrics, network composition based on alter (network member) characteristics, and support. We find that alters associated with groups (like affinity groups and personal and professional interest groups) are more likely to provide identity-based and community building support, participants in Academia have fewer personal friends in their networks while those in Industry have more, participants in Government report less instrumental support, and those in Academia report less material support. These results and others lead to suggestions for employers in these sectors on how to better support these physicists, including continuing to promote participation in affinity and interest groups, providing more material support and/or personal time in the academic sector, and more instrumental support in the form of professional development or training in the government sector.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2026

The meaning of closeness to women and/or LGBTQ+ physicists: a social network analysis

'Closeness' is well-defined as a quantitative measure of centrality in social network analysis (SNA), but it is not as well defined qualitatively as a description of social relationships. This paper presents a qualitative analysis of 'closeness' as it is defined both implicitly and explicitly in interviews with 100 women and/or LGBTQ+ PhD physicists. The interviews include a social network construction component, and we define a quantitative network parameter that serves as a proxy for closeness, which we examine in relation to attributes of network members. We find that physicists in this sample see trust, relaxed boundaries, reliance, and support as concepts that most directly define closeness in their relationships. Consistent interaction, positive affect, and commonalities are also often present in (and in some cases, defining of) these relationships. From the quantitative analysis, we find that these physicists tend to view family and partners, friends, and professional friends as comprising their closest relationships. These results are consistent with other studies which have sought to define closeness qualitatively, but the prevalence of trust in this dataset in particular suggests that these physicists see the ability to confide as uniquely important in their relationships. We make recommendations to institutions supporting and employing physicists on how to better support gender and sexual minority (GSM) physicists going forward, and we believe these results help us gain a better understanding of how GSM physicists find success in physics despite the barriers they face due to their identities.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2025

Egocentric Mixed-Methods SNA: Analyzing Interviews with Women and/or LGBTQ+ Ph.D. Physicists

Social network analysis (SNA) has been widely used in physics education research (PER) in recent years, but mostly in a limited range of the available modalities. This paper describes a unique approach to egocentric, mixed-methods SNA applied to qualitative network data obtained from 100 interviews with women and/or queer professional physicists. We focus on our methods for obtaining quantitative network data from these qualitative sources and present novel techniques for analysis of the networks. We also examine the ways in which egocentric and mixed-methods SNA techniques are aligned with critical methods and well-suited to the study of difference, non-normativity, and experiences of marginalization in physics spaces and communities. We explore the limitations and potential applications of these methods and situate this work in the larger context of our study of these interviews. This work bridges a methodological gap between SNA and qualitative work on identity in PER and begins to develop our understanding of the way gender and sexual minority physicists experience support.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2024

Modern physics courses: Understanding the content taught in the U.S

The modern physics course is a crucial gateway for physics majors, introducing concepts beyond the scope of K-12 education. Despite its significance, content varies widely among institutions. This study analyzes 167 modern physics syllabi from 127 US research intensive institutions, employing emergent coding using both human and Natural Language Processing methods from public sources (51.5%) and private correspondence (48.5%). Public course catalogs were consulted to identify pre- and co-requisites, with 37.1% of students having completed calculus II. Foundational topics like Newtonian mechanics (94%), electricity and magnetism (84.4%), and waves or optics (77.2%) were frequently required. Quantum physics (94%), atomic physics (83%), and relativity (70%) were most commonly taught. The study highlights the lack of uniformity in modern physics curricula, emphasizing the importance of a consistent and comprehensive education for physics majors across universities. This insight contributes to the ongoing discourse on optimizing physics education in higher education.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2024

Quantum mechanics curriculum in the US: Quantifying the instructional time, content taught, and paradigms used

Quantum mechanics is an integral course for physics students. An understanding of quantum concepts is imperative for enrollment in physics graduate programs, participating in research within physics-fields, and employment at companies developing quantum technologies. This study analyzes 188 US research intensive institutions' course catalogs to determine the role and volume of quantum mechanics in their undergraduate physics programs. All of the institutions required one course on quantum concepts, 92% required two courses, and half required three. For institutions with complete class data (n=56), the quantum curriculum was analyzed using course syllabi. The mean number of classroom hours spent on quantum concepts was found to be 63.5 hours with a standard deviation of 28.1 hours. The most commonly taught themes in the quantum curriculum were the Schr{ö}dinger equation and three-dimensional quantum mechanics. However, the Stern-Gerlach Experiment was only included in 28% of the course outlines. Despite current efforts to promote a spin-first approach, this study found the traditional position-first approaches were still more common as they were used by 73.7% of instructors.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2024

Person-centered and qualitative approaches to network analysis in physics education research

Network analysis has become a well-recognized methodology in physics education research (PER), with study topics including student performance and persistence, faculty change, and the structure of conceptual networks. The social network analysis side of this work has focused on quantitative analysis of whole-network cases, such as the structure of networks in single classrooms. Egocentric or personal network approaches are largely unexplored, and qualitative methods are underdeveloped. In this paper, we outline theoretical and practical differences between two major network paradigms--whole-network and egocentric--and introduce theoretical frameworks and methodological considerations for egocentric studies. We also describe qualitative and mixed-methods approaches that are currently missing from the PER literature. We identify areas where these additional network methods may be of particular interest to physics education researchers, and end by discussing example cases and implications for new PER studies.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2015

Enriching gender in PER: A binary past and a complex future

In this article, we draw on previous reports from physics, science education, and women's studies to propose a more nuanced treatment of gender in physics education research (PER). A growing body of PER examines gender differences in participation, performance, and attitudes toward physics. We have three critiques of this work: (1) it does not question whether the achievements of men are the most appropriate standard, (2) individual experiences and student identities are undervalued, and (3) the binary model of gender is not questioned. Driven by these critiques, we propose a conception of gender that is more up-to-date with other fields and discuss gender-as-performance as an extended example. We also discuss work on the intersection of identities [e.g., gender with race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) status], much of which has been conducted outside of physics. Within PER, some studies examine the intersection of gender and race, and identify the lack of a single identity as a key challenge of "belonging" in physics. Acknowledging this complexity enables us to further critique what we term a binary gender deficit model. This framework, which is implicit in much of the gender-based PER, casts gender as a fixed binary trait and suggests that women are deficient in characteristics necessary to succeed. Alternative models of gender allow a greater range and fluidity of gender identities, and highlight deficiencies in data that exclude women's experiences. We suggest new investigations that diverge from this expanded gender framework in PER.

physics.ed-ph↗