Approaches to Assessing Disciplinary STEM Identity through Surveys

Zahra Hazari is a professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning and the STEM Transformation Institute as well as an affiliate faculty member in the Department of Physics. Dr. Hazari’s research focuses on reforming physics learning environments in an effort to improve critical educational outcomes for minoritized groups in physics, especially women. In particular, her work centers on disrupting hegemonic structures within physics learning spaces to enable new opportunities for defining and developing physics identities. This research has provided critical insight for interrogating and shifting the culture of physics in ways that engage the assets and interests of marginalized groups. She is the lead PI for the STEP UP physics project. Dr. Hazari’s research earned her a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award and she was elected Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS). Her research findings have been featured in US News and World Report, Washington Monthly, Science Magazine, Scientific American, LiveScience, Science for the People and APS News. Dr. Hazari has served on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Research in Science Teaching (JRST), American Educational Research Journal (AERJ) and Physical Review Physics Education Research (PRPER). She also served on the APS’s Committee forthe Status of Women in Physics and AAPT’s Committee on Women in Physics. She has taught courses in physics, mathematics (calculus), science methods for pre-service/in-service teachers, history of science and mathematics and research methods for graduate students.