Enhancing Student Learning Through Facilitating Informal Physics Programs

Student learning at the university level occurs in a variety of settings, both formal and informal. Prior research shows that retention of knowledge is enhanced when students teach material related to their learning. Moreover, there is growing evidence that university students who facilitate informal outreach programs enrich their educational experience through building their disciplinary identity, sense of belonging to the community, and important career skills. In this study, we explored self-reported student experiences and perceptions of their learning through facilitation of informal physics outreach programs. By employing a student-centered investigation on 35 interviews from undergraduate and graduate students who facilitated at least one out of five informal physics outreach programs at Texas A&M university, we identified important themes related to students' learning. We identified three distinct clusters of themes which we termed: disciplinary learning, internal development, and external engagement. Statistically significant links between the clusters hint at the interconnectedness of these themes in the learning experience of STEM students who work to facilitate informal outreach programs.