Investigating Physics Self-Belief of Female African-American Students

Abstract

Female African Americans comprise an underrepresented group in physics-focused careers. Between 2002 and 2012 African-American women comprised approximately 1% of graduating physics majors in the United States. It appears that at some point in their educational careers, many female African-American students stop considering the field of physics as being a viable or attractive option. One approach to garnering a greater understanding of this phenomenon is to specifically look into the impact of their self-belief; this encompasses students’ attitudes, self-concept, and self-efficacy. Self-concept refers to how one views one’s own strengths and weaknesses, while self-efficacy refers to one’s capacity to believe in one’s own abilities to succeed in specific situations. There does not yet exist a large body of research that specifically concentrates on middle and high school-aged female African Americans, low physics representation, and its connection to self-belief related to physics. In this instance, the question is: “Do these students believe they can succeed in physics?” This research investigates the levels of physics self-belief of female African Americans who are enrolled in middle and high school physics.