Teaching Toward Equity: The Role of Student Conceptions in Physics Instruction

Many students are affected by inequities in physics education, partly due to instructional norms that prioritize abstract, decontextualized knowledge over students' lived experiences.While equity-intended reforms have called for more inclusive practices, there is limited research about how physics teachers' conceptions of their students shape their approach to equitable instruction.This study investigated how twenty-five secondary and postsecondary physics teachers conceptualize their students' abilities, needs, and how these perceptions influence their pedagogical choices.Drawing on the Physics Teacher Identity Framework [5], we focus on the "conceptions of others" dimension to examine how teachers position students within the classroom.Semi-structured interviews were conducted and thematically analyzed to identify patterns in how teachers interpret students' engagement, motivations, and challenges.Findings reveal that teachers frequently acknowledge the impact of structural barriers, struggles with executive functioning, and emotional factors on student learning.Teachers with more nuanced, student-centered conceptions emphasized differentiated support, relevance to students' goals, and hands-on, phenomenon-based instruction.These views contrast with deficit-oriented perspectives that reduce student difficulties to a lack of effort or ability.Our analysis suggests that physics teachers' conceptions of students are critical to their approach towards enacting equitable practices.Teachers who hold asset-aligned perspectives and view students as capable and complex learners are more likely to adopt inclusive strategies that center emotional support, scaffolding, and culturally relevant pedagogy.This study highlights the significance of addressing teacher beliefs in professional learning and physics education reform initiatives.Implications for developing equity-focused instructional approaches and teacher preparation programs are discussed.