Exposing and Challenging "Grit" in Physics Education.
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| Title: | Exposing and Challenging "Grit" in Physics Education. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Robertson, Amy1 (AUTHOR) robertsona2@spu.edu, Vélez, Verónica N.2 (AUTHOR) velezv@wwu.edu, Huynh, Trà3 (AUTHOR), Tali Hairston, W.4 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Science Education. Jan2026, Vol. 110 Issue 1, p102-116. 15p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Physics education, *STEM education, *Qualitative research, *Affective education, *Psychological resilience, Power (Social sciences), Fairness |
| People: | Bourdieu, Pierre, 1930-2002 |
| Abstract: | In STEM education, grit is increasingly the focus of research, with scholars and educators seeking to develop and test interventions that will enhance persistence. As part of the special issue Centering Affect and Emotion Toward Justice and Dignity in Science Education, in this paper, we use interviews with 12 white physics faculty to show that physics culture has taken up the narrative that grit is key to success in the discipline. Using affective technology (Zembylas and Leonardo, 2013), habitus (Bourdieu, 1972/1977) and emotional habitus (Gould et al. 2019) as theoretical anchors, our analysis shows that grit, as described by faculty participants, is part‐and‐parcel of a white physics habitus. In other words, grit acts to reproduce systems of dominance through the internalization of a set of structures, symbols, and worldviews that produce embodied, affective responses, drawing dominant actors toward particular embodiments of hard work and turning them away from others. Thus, we argue that power in physics is mediated through affect and embodiment. Employing qualitative case study methods, we theorize how whiteness, in part, is reproduced in the discipline—how physics came to and continues to be a discipline where power is concentrated in the bodies of white males. We end by joining with existing calls to refuse grit, building from the work of STEM Scholars of Color who have called attention to the suffering that is endemic to notions of schooling and school science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Science Education is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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| Header | DbId: ehh DbLabel: Education Research Complete An: 190305604 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Exposing and Challenging "Grit" in Physics Education. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Robertson%2C+Amy%22">Robertson, Amy</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> robertsona2@spu.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Vélez%2C+Verónica+N%2E%22">Vélez, Verónica N.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> velezv@wwu.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Huynh%2C+Trà%22">Huynh, Trà</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tali+Hairston%2C+W%2E%22">Tali Hairston, W.</searchLink><relatesTo>4</relatesTo> (AUTHOR) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Science+Education%22">Science Education</searchLink>. Jan2026, Vol. 110 Issue 1, p102-116. 15p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Physics+education%22">Physics education</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22STEM+education%22">STEM education</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Qualitative+research%22">Qualitative research</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Affective+education%22">Affective education</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+resilience%22">Psychological resilience</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Power+%28Social+sciences%29%22">Power (Social sciences)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Fairness%22">Fairness</searchLink> – Name: SubjectPerson Label: People Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="PE" term="%22Bourdieu%2C+Pierre%2C+1930-2002%22">Bourdieu, Pierre, 1930-2002</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: In STEM education, grit is increasingly the focus of research, with scholars and educators seeking to develop and test interventions that will enhance persistence. As part of the special issue Centering Affect and Emotion Toward Justice and Dignity in Science Education, in this paper, we use interviews with 12 white physics faculty to show that physics culture has taken up the narrative that grit is key to success in the discipline. Using affective technology (Zembylas and Leonardo, 2013), habitus (Bourdieu, 1972/1977) and emotional habitus (Gould et al. 2019) as theoretical anchors, our analysis shows that grit, as described by faculty participants, is part‐and‐parcel of a white physics habitus. In other words, grit acts to reproduce systems of dominance through the internalization of a set of structures, symbols, and worldviews that produce embodied, affective responses, drawing dominant actors toward particular embodiments of hard work and turning them away from others. Thus, we argue that power in physics is mediated through affect and embodiment. Employing qualitative case study methods, we theorize how whiteness, in part, is reproduced in the discipline—how physics came to and continues to be a discipline where power is concentrated in the bodies of white males. We end by joining with existing calls to refuse grit, building from the work of STEM Scholars of Color who have called attention to the suffering that is endemic to notions of schooling and school science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Science Education is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1002/sce.21961 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 15 StartPage: 102 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Physics education Type: general – SubjectFull: STEM education Type: general – SubjectFull: Qualitative research Type: general – SubjectFull: Affective education Type: general – SubjectFull: Psychological resilience Type: general – SubjectFull: Power (Social sciences) Type: general – SubjectFull: Fairness Type: general – SubjectFull: Bourdieu, Pierre, 1930-2002 Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Exposing and Challenging "Grit" in Physics Education. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Robertson, Amy – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Vélez, Verónica N. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Huynh, Trà – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Tali Hairston, W. IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Text: Jan2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 00368326 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 110 – Type: issue Value: 1 Titles: – TitleFull: Science Education Type: main |
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