Emerging STEM education researchers' positioning and perception of discipline-based education research

Abstract

Various motivations bring researchers to discipline-based education research (DBER), but there is little research on their conceptualization of and navigation into this new-to-them area of research. We use phenomenography to analyze interview data collected from twenty-eight emerging STEM education researchers to gain a better understanding of how they perceive themselves within DBER and what they perceive it to be. Grounded in the figured worlds theoretical framework, we identify the spectrum of ways emerging STEM education researchers identify or project themselves into this new space: to improve their teaching, to make it their new primary research field, and/or to negotiate how it will fit with their primary one. We also highlight salient negotiations that emerge because of the close ties between DBER and disciplinary science, which provides us with a better understanding of emerging researchers' perceptions. This work generates insight into the kinds of professional development opportunities that would support emerging education researchers within STEM departments and the broader DBER community.