Filippa Dalesjo (2025 – present) Embodiment and belonging in nuclear physics education

Students’ stereotypical beliefs surrounding STEM careers, like race, gender, sexuality and level of intelligence negatively affect their expectations linked to STEM careers. This in turn limits diversity and innovation in the field. Filippa takes aim at one of the central aspects of this problem; the lacking sense of belonging in science that these negative stereotypes can create. This is studied through the topic of nuclear physics, a familiar topic to many students though the societal discussions around nuclear power and atomic weapons. Filippa will produce workshop material on the topic of nuclear physics to test at Science Gateway. A mix of qualitative and quantitative data collection methods will be used in these workshops focusing on the students’ sense of belonging in science which will be studied through the didactical perspective of embodiment and embodied cognition.

University of Copenhagen, Prof. M. Kersting & Prof. I. Bearden