Understanding student views about learning physics in the lab context can be invaluable for efforts to improve student learning. In an ethnographic study in which two researchers observed introductory physics labs, we found that many women in mixed gender groups adopted the role of group leader or project manager and ensured that the group stayed on task and completed the lab work as expected throughout the semester. Here we report on an investigation of the views about the physics lab of four such female pre-medical students with high agency who came across as group leaders in a traditionally-taught introductory physics lab course for bio-science majors, and who strived to ensure that their group did well in the lab. Our findings are based on semi-structured interviews with these students. The interviews focused on diverse issues including the role of their male lab partners, other peers and the teaching assistant in their learning in the physics lab, their views about learning physics in lecture and lab courses, the role of physics labs in promoting conceptual understanding, learning in physics lab compared with other science labs, and the role of bio-inspired labs in their learning. We find that these female student group leaders had surprisingly similar views about these issues pertaining to the physics lab. We recommend that departments trying to revamp their physics lab courses reflect upon these findings in order to make the labs more effective.

了解学生对在实验室环境中学习物理的看法对于改善学生学习的努力是无价的。在一项由两名研究人员观察介绍性物理实验室的人种学研究中，我们发现混合性别群体中的许多女性担任小组组长或项目经理的角色，并确保小组在整个学期中按预期完成任务并完成实验室工作。在这里，我们报告了对四名具有高度能动性的女医学预科学生对物理实验室的看法的调查，她们在传统教授的生物科学专业物理实验室入门课程中担任小组组长，并努力确保他们的小组在实验室做得很好。我们的发现是基于对这些学生的半结构化访谈。访谈的重点是不同的问题，包括他们的男性实验室伙伴、其他同行和助教在物理实验室学习中的作用，他们对在讲座和实验室课程中学习物理的看法，物理实验室在促进概念理解中的作用，物理实验室的学习与其他科学实验室的比较，以及生物启发实验室在他们学习中的作用。我们发现这些女学生团体领袖对这些与物理实验室有关的问题有着惊人的相似看法。我们建议尝试修改物理实验室课程的部门反思这些发现，以使实验室更有效。物理实验室在促进概念理解方面的作用，与其他科学实验室相比，物理实验室的学习，以及仿生实验室在他们的学习中的作用。我们发现这些女学生团体领袖对这些与物理实验室有关的问题有着惊人的相似看法。我们建议尝试修改物理实验室课程的部门反思这些发现，以使实验室更有效。物理实验室在促进概念理解方面的作用，与其他科学实验室相比，物理实验室的学习，以及仿生实验室在他们的学习中的作用。我们发现这些女学生团体领袖对这些与物理实验室有关的问题有着惊人的相似看法。我们建议尝试修改物理实验室课程的部门反思这些发现，以使实验室更有效。