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Decision Making in Graduate Physics Coursework: What Is Being Assessed versus What Is Expected

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Title: Decision Making in Graduate Physics Coursework: What Is Being Assessed versus What Is Expected
Language: English
Authors: Michael E. Robbins (ORCID 0009-0002-8896-4578), Nathan D. Davis (ORCID 0000-0001-6657-7644), Eric W. Burkholder (ORCID 0000-0001-7420-4290)
Source: Physical Review Physics Education Research. 2025 21(1).
Availability: American Physical Society. One Physics Ellipse 4th Floor, College Park, MD 20740-3844. Tel: 301-209-3200; Fax: 301-209-0865; e-mail: assocpub@aps.org; Web site: https://journals.aps.org/prper/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 18
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Decision Making, Graduate Students, Physics, Science Instruction, Expectation, Problem Solving, Assignments
Geographic Terms: Alabama
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.21.010148
ISSN: 2469-9896
Abstract: There is currently little physics education literature examining thinking and learning in graduate education and even less literature characterizing problem solving among physics graduate students despite this being an essential professional skill for physicists. Given reports of discrepancies between physics problem solving in the undergraduate classroom and "real-world" problem solving, we sought to investigate whether this discrepancy exists at the graduate level. We first investigate the problem-solving skills present in first-year graduate physics assignments. A recent framework that characterizes problem solving as decisions-to-be-made was used. Assignments were taken from the four core courses of one academic year at one research-intensive university and coded by two researchers. We found that only 4 of the 29 decisions in the framework were present in most of the assignments. We then interviewed 11 instructors from 3 universities and asked which decisions they expected of first-year graduate students. Eleven decisions were expected by eight or more of the participants, but only four of these decisions were commonly practiced on assignments. Therefore, there seems to be a mismatch between instructor expectations and practice of problem solving on assignments. This suggests that graduate physics courses may not be aligned with the problem-solving skills that physics graduate students will need in their research or future careers.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1472474
Database: ERIC
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Michael+E%2E+Robbins%22">Michael E. Robbins</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8896-4578">0009-0002-8896-4578</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nathan+D%2E+Davis%22">Nathan D. Davis</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6657-7644">0000-0001-6657-7644</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Eric+W%2E+Burkholder%22">Eric W. Burkholder</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7420-4290">0000-0001-7420-4290</externalLink>)
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  Data: American Physical Society. One Physics Ellipse 4th Floor, College Park, MD 20740-3844. Tel: 301-209-3200; Fax: 301-209-0865; e-mail: assocpub@aps.org; Web site: https://journals.aps.org/prper/
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  Data: 18
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  Data: 10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.21.010148
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  Data: There is currently little physics education literature examining thinking and learning in graduate education and even less literature characterizing problem solving among physics graduate students despite this being an essential professional skill for physicists. Given reports of discrepancies between physics problem solving in the undergraduate classroom and "real-world" problem solving, we sought to investigate whether this discrepancy exists at the graduate level. We first investigate the problem-solving skills present in first-year graduate physics assignments. A recent framework that characterizes problem solving as decisions-to-be-made was used. Assignments were taken from the four core courses of one academic year at one research-intensive university and coded by two researchers. We found that only 4 of the 29 decisions in the framework were present in most of the assignments. We then interviewed 11 instructors from 3 universities and asked which decisions they expected of first-year graduate students. Eleven decisions were expected by eight or more of the participants, but only four of these decisions were commonly practiced on assignments. Therefore, there seems to be a mismatch between instructor expectations and practice of problem solving on assignments. This suggests that graduate physics courses may not be aligned with the problem-solving skills that physics graduate students will need in their research or future careers.
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      – SubjectFull: Science Instruction
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      – SubjectFull: Problem Solving
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      – SubjectFull: Alabama
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      – TitleFull: Decision Making in Graduate Physics Coursework: What Is Being Assessed versus What Is Expected
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