Physics Education and identity development: the "personal-epistemological consonance/dissonance" construct

This dissertation explores the interplay between physics education and identity development, introducing the concept of Personal-Epistemological Consonance/Dissonance as a lens to analyze students’ engagement with physics. The research is grounded in the tension between the epistemological foundations of physics—its methods, practices, and values—and the ways students construct their personal and social identities through science learning. The study, developed over three years, is structured into four parts. The first part establishes a theoretical foundation by reviewing identity studies in science education and identifying a research blind spot: the need to investigate how epistemological aspects of physics shape students’ identity trajectories. The research is contextualized within the H2020 FEDORA project, a European initiative aimed at rethinking science education to promote critical thinking and engagement. Parts two and three focus on three empirical case studies conducted in upper secondary school settings. These studies explore classroom interventions, such as the “Physics of Clouds” and “Kairòs” activities, designed to integrate physics concepts with broader existential and epistemological reflections. The final case study involves an orientation course on scientific uncertainty and climate change, highlighting how students negotiate their identities through engagement with contemporary scientific challenges. The findings reveal that physics education impacts students beyond knowledge acquisition—it also shapes their sense of self and agency. The concept of personal-epistemological consonance/dissonance is introduced to describe the alignment or misalignment between students’ personal epistemologies and the disciplinary values of physics. The research contributes to the field of physics education research (PER) by proposing a novel framework for analyzing identity formation and offering recommendations for a more personally relevant science education.