First Year Impact of the Learning Assistant Model on Undergraduate Physics Learning Assistants’ Dispositions Towards Teaching Science as a Profession

This qualitative study aimed to elucidate college physics students’ dispositions towards science teaching and their beliefs about physics before and after participating as a Learning Assistant (LA). Research participants were 15 physics students (13 males; 2 females; 8 Juniors; 5 Seniors; 2 Sophomores) with most having been in their first year as a Learning Assistant (8 of 15) and registered in the Physics program (BS: 5; BA: 4). Pre and post surveys and a focus group interview served as the main instruments of data collection. Pre and post survey responses of participants’ involvement in the Learning Assistant experience were aggregated to see the impact on their dispositions towards teaching science as a profession and their beliefs about physics. Four of these 15 LAs also participated in a focus group interview designed to more deeply understand LA perceptions of teaching and identify successful/unsuccessful elements of the LA program. Findings from the surveys and focus group interviews show that participation in our LA program had little effect on students’ specific views about physics and physics learning, but had a measurable positive impact on their dispositions toward teaching as a profession.