The relevance of physics is an active line of inquiry within the physics education research (PER) community. Many studies have shown that physics instruction typically negatively impacts students' sense of the relevance of physics to their lives. Irrespective of students' beliefs, physics is communicated as being relevant through policy recommendations and program requirements. Until now, most efforts in PER to measure or interpret students' beliefs around relevance have been limited to attitudinal and epistemological surveys that provide an incomplete picture and tends to promote deficit interpretations of students' abilities. We first challenge notions of the "real world" and "everyday life" that are ubiquitous in current efforts to understand relevance. These phrases lack meaning and we use case studies of students to argue for an expanded holistic view of relevance. We then introduce a framework that accomplishes viewing relevance in an expanded fashion by adapting ecological systems theory. We trace students' experiences to argue that this framework provides a richer picture of what it means for physics to be relevant to a student. Finally, we present a longitudinal case study of a student who experiences a remarkable transformation in his view of physics. Through the lens of relevance, we articulate the connections he makes during his journey through introductory physics. These connections end up being critical for a lasting impact that empowers him to promote the relevance of physics to others. We argue in this dissertation that using this framework of relevance, physics educators can start to design classrooms that facilitate more positive affective and attitudinal experiences for students. Through relevance, physics classrooms can become inclusive and engaging environments for students to forge lasting connections to a discipline.
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