Two of the major challenges facing physics education internationally is the shortage of qualified physics teachers and an increased focus on the use of integrated STEM learning experiences at primary and second level.Firstly, this talk discusses the design and influence of a professional learning programme to upskill second-level teachers of mathematics, chemistry, biology to become qualified...
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the fastest-growing fields dealing with understanding and building intelligent machines that can compute how to act effectively and safely in a diversity of novel challenges. Today, generative AI is applied in a varied collection of applications, from creating art to helping in education and improving healthcare. Generative AI has the potential to bridge...
An active-learning workshop is offered to provide an example of a collaborative group-learning pedagogical environment for introductory physics at the university level. Participants will engage in various hands-on and minds-on exercises to illustrate how such a dynamic classroom can transform the strategy for teaching physics in university classes. A discussion about the benefits and...
Awakening, recognizing, and fostering gifted students is a challenge in science education, that teachers should address for the purpose of a comprehensive STEM support. A number of models and strategies are known for promoting giftedness. In this talk, we will discuss to what extent a format such as the Physics Olympiad is at all suitable to meet the desiderata of educating the gifted....
This research aims at designing a teaching approach to understand CO2 influence on temperature, as accessible as possible. We first analyse the most common approaches, which led us to question the relevance of some experiments on radiative properties of solids, then extrapolated to gases. We show that this generalisation is not obvious at all for students, and thus deserves empirical evidence....
In complex thermal systems in which the heat capacity varies with temperature, such as a typical Debye solid like silicon, the effective number of active degrees of freedom at any temperature can be defined from the internal energy in combination with equipartition. This allows for a conceptual picture of thermal equilibrium as well as elucidation of the link between the Boltzmann and...
We are surrounded by a lot of information and some of it is not based on truth. In physics classes, we should teach students how to identify information in scientific articles that are not scientifically correct – develop their critical reading skills. Activity will be presented using two newspaper articles, which were implemented by primary and secondary school pupils. After reading the text,...
Problem solving is an integral part of teaching and learning physics, however, the research shows that by solving traditional problems students do not develop coherent knowledge. In the technological era there is a high demand for professionals of different areas with higher level thinking skills and scientific abilities characteristic for physicists. To help the students to learn to act and...
In this research a model of teaching and learning within the University introductory physics course was designed implementing selected interactive engagement (IE) methods within the original course format. This model has been used for 10 years within the study programme of future physicists and physics teachers and compared with the traditional lecture and problem solving methods. The results...
Physics textbooks are viewed as primary resources for the implementation of curricula throughout the world. Scientific literacy (SL) skills are a core goal of physics education in many curriculum documents, in which four aspects of SL are recognized: Science as (1) a body of knowledge, (2) a way of investigation, (3) a way of thinking, and (4) the interaction amongst science, technology,and...
Learning about Electricity suffers from the fundamental concepts being difficult to understand for students. The multimedia application “PUMA : Spannungslabor” was developed to support students by visualizing didactic analogies for electricity. The application uses Augmented Reality-technology to place a digital representation atop a real-world circuit. It is connected to the real-world...
A Teaching-Learning Sequence, designed to promote scientific practices in high school students, is presented. The TLS included laboratory experiences on linear motion using low-cost tools, as Arduino, which were easy to replicate in other schools. The focus was on the process of laboratory work, the use of different representations and the development of arguments based on evidence....
Objective evaluation of learning outcomes is a major part of teaching. Choosing an appropriate test analysis method is crucial. Item response curve analysis, as part of item response theory, and the Rasch method effectively analyse test scores and indicate the possibilities of improving the selection of questions or the offered answers, in terms of identifying students’ preconceptions. In the...
Making substantiated decisions is an important critical thinking skill. In this study we look at students substantiating their choice of apparatus for experiments. Students’ choices were registered and they were asked about the reasoning behind their choice. About three quarters of our population reasoned only by intuition. However, having students choose from similar apparatus that differ...
Two curricula of introducing measurement uncertainties for high school students have been developed. The central design principle was “trustworthiness of experiments and data” following the GUM recommendations of Type-A and Type-B methods. A time-delayed post-test showed the long term acceptance of the key ideas.
SEK-1 starts with an experiment that leads them to measurement uncertainties....
The central topic of the paper is the specialized physics test in which the Czech Republic participated in TIMSS Advanced 1995. We briefly recall the methodology of the TIMSS study and the test results of Czech students in the final-year of upper-secondary school. We present the repetition of the TIMSS Advanced physics test in the Czech Republic in 2023. We discuss future outputs of the...
The nature of concepts and conceptual understanding is discussed in relation to approaches to teaching which enhance conceptual understanding. The role of qualitative relationships, mental models, discussion, team work and the use of different kinds of representations are all discussed with reference to their use in scientific reasoning and, by extension, learning to reason in science....
We present a characterization of undergraduate physics teachers' approaches to the pedagogy of derivations. Six teachers were interviewed and to analyze the data, we are developing an analytical framework, comprising three categories: Algorithmic approach b) Representational approach and c) Model building approach. Analysis shows evidence of cohering clusters of practices and value systems....
This presentation describes the results of design and implementation of an educational laboratory on Old Quantum Theory (OQT), consisting of 5 afternoon meetings with 36 high-school students and 9 teachers, held in early 2023. The course was aimed to propose an approach to the OQT which is coherent, meaningful, and historically correct, without radically changing the physics contents, the...
The current data-driven era is rapidly transforming the world around us, including physics education research (PER) and education. Modern statistical, data science, and artificial intelligence (AI) methodologies enhance data processing, analysis, and visualization, enabling optimal data-driven decision-making. As PER increasingly adopts advanced methods and tools, there is still a lack of full...
Increasing popularity of the escape rooms leads to using escape games in educational process. Attendants of the workshop will experience the game PhysLab Break – escape game designed for physics education. The game will be followed by discussion focused on potentials and obstacles of using escape games in physics education, and criteria for selecting physics tasks suitable for escape games.
In this presentation we showcase a novel approach to interdisciplinary education in Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), grounded in the field of Quantum Technologies (QT). We present the findings from a workshop undertaken with 40 PhD students, structured through the culturo-scientific storytelling. Using the interactive Quantum Decide Game, in which students debate the possible futures...
Our increasingly data-driven societies put pressure on the students’ skillsets while schools struggle to fit the demands of global digitalisation into their curricula. Promoting data-based literacy skills in the students’ upbringing requires their committed long-term application in meaningful contexts, in which open data from “the real world” of scientific experiments and governmental...
The students’ difficulties around dialectical argumentation in Physics problem-solving tasks are studied through acoustic, interaction, and argumentative analyses. Our case study with teacher students shows that they struggle with their conceptual understanding – leading to uncertainty and therefore no debate – but also with the social norms of not challenging the other learners’ ideas. We...
Recent studies on astronomy teaching, considering the Brazilian context, have pointed out problems that make it impossible for students to learn. Among those, the area of teacher training stands out above all, and its real difficulties in developing the teaching of Astronomy. In this way, we seek in this paper to present a study developed in a Brazilian school about the implementation of a...
In this presentation we describe how we incorporated data analysis with Python in the first year laboratory course at the University of Potsdam. This transformation was implemented without considerably altering the course structure. We carefully designed Jupyter Notebooks with exercises and applied physics examples. We use these Notebooks to guide students through the fundamentals of data...
The development and trial of a laboratory exercise dealing with rotational motion using vector quantities such as angular momentum, torque, and moment of inertia have been evaluated through interviews with students. The lab consists of two parts, rolling cylinders down a slope, and exploring a rotating bicycle wheel. The second part allows the students to determine the wheel's moment of...
Algebra has a special and fundamental feature in the teaching of kinematics. The study was conducted with high school teachers teaching physical science from different types of schools and with different backgrounds. An open-ended questionnaire was distributed to them, and they voluntarily participated in the study. The study investigated their perceptions of their pedagogy of teaching...
Lab reports form an important part of learning experimental physics in undergraduate courses. Advances in natural language processing give us new tools that allow for the large-scale qualitative analysis of lab reports to understand how students demonstrate their skills and knowledge. Hence, we compare natural language processing techniques to understand whether it is possible to reliably...
Laboratory instruction in physics is often justified with the claim "physics is an experimental subject." While this claim is certainly true, we can make much better and--one hopes--more convincing arguments for laboratory instruction in physics. This discussion is particularly important for many reasons. Among the reasons is that students are often unclear on why they have to spend time in...
Creating the conditions to foster the development of children’s scientific thinking in early childhood education services is a very stimulating cultural project based on the most recent psychological research findings. According to these findings, we present a brief theoretical overview of the reference framework we used to promote the growth of scientific thinking in some Italian...
Much research has shown that students’ misconceptions of radioactivity and ionizing radiation are common and have a significant impact on their learning process and their ability to act as responsible citizens. The use of MiniPIX cameras, based on the Timepix hybrid pixel detectors read out designed at CERN, is bringing experimental particle physics and radioactivity into secondary education....
Is it possible to maintain elements of active learning for introductory university and secondary physics students working at home? I have adapted Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (ILDs) for home use, using the wealth of multimedia materials currently available (videos, simulations, photos, computer-based laboratory graphs, etc.) for experimental observations. While small-group discussions...
The workshop is an illustration for my plenary lecture, where the mode of working in professional learning community of in-service teachers in Ljubljana, Slovenia, within the STAMPEd project is also described. Here, the participants will carry out one of the activties developed in the project and discuss a plethory of possibilities for inquiry a very simple task offers when considered to more details.
Effective and high-quality science teaching involves complex practices that depend on teachers' professional knowledge. Researchers have investigated the nature of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) predominantly in the in-service secondary school teachers’ context. This research project aims to investigate the PCK construct through video analysis focusing on pre-service primary teachers and...
Motion simulation programs can be key components in learning mechanics due to their sandbox approach and intuitive use. In our research we focus on examining, whether students who use a motion simulation program while learning mechanics learn the curriculum more effectively. To measure this, we conducted an experiment that involved 700 students. The data shows, that the students who learned...
The contribution focuses on exploring upper secondary students’ intrinsic motivation and its predictors in relation to different student engagement in experimental activities. The data were collected via a questionnaire based on the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory and analysed using Welch’s one-way ANOVA. Three experimental activities were compared: (1) lecture demonstrations with low student...
In Physics Education Research (PER), Hake’s learning gain is widely used to measure students’ improvements. As learning gain tries to emphasise students’ progression in learning, in the same manner, we used teaching gain to measure the trend in changing teaching practices. To define teaching gain, we referred to teachers’ development of new habits of mind and practices when they start to adopt...
This contribution reports the findings of a study with approximately 400 secondary school students in Germany. These students were introduced to a physics problem and had different opportunities to handle hypotheses, before analysing measurement data. First results indicate that if students have high data competencies, then the hypothesis does not influence students’ data-based conclusions....
A central goal of PER is to improve the quality of physics instruction. Therefore, researchers develop and disseminate teaching-learning solutions, like course formats, teacher guides, or student materials to support teachers in practice. The paradigm of Design-Based-Research (DBR) is one framework used to develop such teaching-solutions systematically. DBR also aims to contribute to local...
Peer Instruction is an effective lecturing method in physics but introduces a high demand on student preparedness. Some of the existing methods of increasing student preparedness have problems concerning learning effectiveness, student usage, and alignment with knowledge needs. We made introductory videos to address these problems and used a survey and interviews to investigate its success....
Several research-based suggestions have been made on how concepts from particle physics can be taught to high school students. A frequently used subject-related representation within particle physics is the so-called Feynman diagram. However, very little is known about how this form of representation is perceived by students.
This project aims to design learning materials for 16-19-year-olds...
ARPHYMEDES Erasmus Project Educational Tool
for Increasing Attractivity of Learning Physics Using Augmented Reality and 3D Models
As long as physics has been taught at elementary and secondary schools, it has been one of the least preferred subjects of students. In general students have perception that physics involves complex concepts, the resulting insights of which they do not...
Elixir to Schools started 10 years ago as a project aimed at improving physics education in the Czech Republic. Five years later it became an independent non-profit organisation. Nowadays it organizes more than 50 regional centres in the whole country for teachers of mainly physics and computer science but also from primary schools and kindergartens. Currently, over 3,000 teachers are involved...
This study examines students' conceptions about the greenhouse effect using multiple-choice questions and analyses student’s answers from two perspectives: the "knowledge as theory" and "knowledge in pieces" perspectives. The former emphasizes coherence and stability, while the latter highlights context-dependency and fragmentation. Findings reveal that 30% of the 501 German A-level students...
Learners tend to perceive electric circuits as abstract and uninteresting, and often fail to achieve a basic conceptual understanding. Therefore, we have developed a teaching concept for simple circuits with real-world contexts which is based on findings from research on students' interests and includes contexts that appeal to different interest types. Controlling for various covariates in an...
The project “FisicaMente al Liceo” aims at strengthening students’ mathematization skills and their understanding of physics. After a trial in a pilot school, in 2022 we started an experimentation with twelve teachers belonging to five high schools in the network of the “Licei Matematici” in our region in Italy. The creation of a community of practice of teachers allowed co-designing pathways...
As part of the AT-NE-ST project, which aims to bring children closer to complexity and sensors, we designed and tested an educational path for middle schools concerning the development of the concepts of heat and temperature. It is based on a narrative approach and the exploitation of basic mental schemes. A series of measurements are carried out using appropriate sensors on model buildings in...
In this paper we focus on education aimed at developing students' skills and competencies by building scientific literacy, which requires teachers to implement innovative teaching methods. Digital technologies and the wide availability of information make it possible to combine formal education with self-study at home. We strive for teachers to gain a personal conviction in the suitability and...
In this research we intend to present Ausubel's Significant Learning (1980) as a central theme, linked to the construction of PET bottle rockets for teaching Newton's Third Law in a first-year high school class, with 32 students, from a public school in the state of Paraná, Brazil. Based on the empirical knowledge of the students on the subject, educational activities were planned and...
The advancement of space exploration is an important socio-scientific and political issue in Sweden. This study attempts to understand secondary school students’ awareness about this national “space ethos” and roles of space technology in their everyday life. Methodologically, this research draws on a sociocultural framework and examines the reflections of 69 grade 9 students in a...
We present a project called ATENA – Asiago Teachers’ Network on Astrophysics. Based on authentic collaboration and action research, a teacher learning community was set up around the common research question of how Astronomy can be integrated into the secondary school curriculum to foster a coherent comprehension of the physics of the Universe. Four physics topics across the different grades...
Electrical concepts are difficult to grasp for secondary school students. According to multimedia learning theories, multimedia technology can be used to support the learning of didactic models and the collection of data in experiments. A study was conducted with 200 secondary school students, investigating the effects of using multimedia applications on students’ conceptual knowledge gain and...
Argumentation in solving physics problems is among the important aspects of teaching that contribute to the development of the students´ personality. In the paper we gave a definition of argumentation in teaching of physics, and criteria for evaluating students’ responses in terms of argumentation. As part of the research, we dealt with argumentation of students in solving physics problems in...
One of the basic concepts to understand several topics of optics is the reflexion of light. The design of experiment related to reflection of light contribute to understand the physics in a specific case the study and construction of a kaleidoscope is a funny, interesting and easy activity for the students in basic levels or high school. In this contribution we can understand the process of...
The talk presents the central elements of and thoughts behind the two-day student laboratory Labs4Future. This extracurricular offer for 15-year-old high school students tries to manage the linking of knowledge about climate change with effective individual and societal action. Based on a newly developed theoretical framework Lessons4Future, which integrates environmental psychology, sociology...
The aim of this action research was to improve the mastery of pre-service science teachers in designing and implementing inquiry-based physics experiments. The implementation had three phases; i.theoretical information for inquiry, ii.implementation of teacher-prepared experiments, and iii.design and implementation of the participants’ own experiments. Data was gathered through reflection...
Assessment plays an important role in teaching and learning. Within the assessment, teachers and students interact to obtain the information needed to improve learning. As the learning can be supported by the quality assessment, the survey was conducted at the lower and upper-secondary schools to investigate the assessment and feedback students were given. The paper describes the results of...
We present the results of our research on the teachers’ ability to interpret student explanations and respond to them effectively. Students were solving a non-traditional problem involving momentum and energy. Teachers took the survey that contained the text of the problem and students’ written explanations of their answer choice. Teachers were asked to comment on the student’s...
Our group, in Athens and Thessaloniki, is researching issues related to the interconnection between Physics and society. We are also aiming at operating regularly the corresponding GIREP Thematic Group. Therefore, we call for such a Workshop Discussion, within the GIREP 2023 Conference. There, contributors who are interested in this field are asked to share their ideas, results, as well as to...
We present a study of colloquial knowledge in understanding concepts in the field of thermodynamics.The TCE test was adapted to local specificities [1]. Approximately 400 people were surveyed. The aim of the study was to find out how the understanding of concepts: heat, temperature and energy evolve with the age of the respondents, and whether education significantly changes the...
This workshop aims to make participants familiar with the power of tools like Measurement with sensors, video measurement and modelling (computational science) to enable more realistic and challenging Physics Education. With these tools students can experience the Modelling Cycle and carry-out authentic projects. The Coach Authoring and Learning environment is unique because it offers these...
Single-particle entanglement requires at least two degrees of freedom for the particle that is used to make a nonfactorizable superposition. Using a two-slit experiment with horizontal and vertical polarizers over each slit, respectively, we illustrate how one measures at the slits to create an entangled state, followed by a delayed-choice placement of a second polarizer (before the photons...
According to researchers in the Nature of Science (NoS), it is desirable that students are directly exposed to the process of building of scientific knowledge, in particular concerning the role of models and theories. In this contribution, a few experimental activities, aimed at explicitly showing several aspects of the role of models in science, are described. In order to set the stage, the...
In Europe, there is a strong push for the development of an industry around Quantum Technologies (QT). To this end, it is crucial to develop a workforce consisting not only of Physicists, but also those able to create and market companies and products: engineers and businesspeople. We report on a novel course designed using the Quantum Competence Framework to provide transparency between...
Quantum boom has brought quantum physics to everyday life, e.g., to movies or newspaper articles. But do Finnish university students with different majors notice it? Here, we explore their perceptions about the presence of quantum physics in their lives (past), its importance (present), and a possible interest to study it (future). We find that noticing the word “quantum” in their free time...
Covering the most exciting results that push the limits of our knowledge about the Universe is a challenge for school education. Several complications hinder the direct implementation of such content into school curricula. This gap can be bridged by outreach activities. We report on outreach activities in particle physics that are organised in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, most notably the...
This work summarizes a project-based learning experience around electricity and magnetism at the university level. The challenge for students was to build a mechanical balance with the capacity of measure the mass of different objects using a relationship between voltage and mass without using a microprocessor. The typical solution of this project must be relied on mechanical and...
Extended reality (XR) technology blends the physical and virtual worlds, and has significant potential to transform education. Augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR) provide an interactive learning experience that allows students to visualize and explore complex concepts. AR technology is particularly useful for physics as it can provide an immersive and interactive learning experience,...
This talk will explore a diverse set of trajectories into higher education physics, zooming in on what has made physics studies possible for minoritised students. In doing so, mechanisms of in/exclusion will be highlighted, with a focus on how gender and social class are made relevant in students’ stories about their trajectories to higher education physics. The talk will also zoom out to...
Plenary lecture;
Marked as oral presentation.
It was impossible to choose the target level, as the content extends from lower secondary to university level and in service teachers.
Despite its relevance in secondary science education, measurement uncertainty is a topic that is largely neglected in classroom practice and for which hardly any suitable (evaluated) teaching material exists. Consequently, it is a topic that many students have conceptual difficulties with. To investigate how this topic can be introduced, we developed a digital learning environment and report...
Students’ being active in their approach to learning and learning from each other has been shown to lead to good learning outcomes. Several approaches use multiple-choice questions (MCQs) to achieve this. However, the discussions often proceed in ways unanticipated by the teacher, and we still do not understand how these discussions work in many contexts. Therefore, we videotaped discussions...
One of the central features of quantum mechanics is entanglement. It is crucial for understanding the theory, and its applications, especially in quantum technologies. At the 2023 GIREP meeting, an activity of the GTG "Teaching and learning in quantum physics" will address questions about this fundamental principle. The workshop organizers have invited interested parties to participate with...
Physics education research has shown that attitudes and beliefs influence students' in-class performance. The study examined changes in undergraduate molecular biology and genetics (MBG) students' attitudes toward physics before and after their introductory physics course. A total of 24 first-year MBGE students (Female:18, Male:6) enrolled in the General Physics I course during the Fall...
Abstract. The International Handbook of Physics Education Research is a comprehensive review of the literature that spans learning, teaching and special topics, such as research methodology. The IHPER is the first such resource for the field and is intended to serve newcomers, as well as established researchers entering new areas. The development of the Handbook also served as an opportunity...
Traditional ways of teaching and learning Physics are usually led only by teachers. Students study historical discoveries. There is almost no space for creativity and interaction among students. How is it possible to raise a new generation of inventors and innovators that are able to work collaboratively, as they will be expected to do in the future society? This is the story of a high school...
The research focuses on the effectiveness of classical dynamics teaching methods. A group working with a frontal teaching method was compared with two groups working with a learning activity-based method, one of which used a model rocket project to learn the subject. We investigated whether there were differences between the groups in the occurrence of conceptual changes related to dynamics...
Radio waves are essential part of communication technologies as well as basic physics education. Understanding electromagnetic waves requires skills in mathematics and knowledge of the phenomena. Still, data from radio technology may pleasantly surprise an inexperienced or mainly solution-oriented student. The research considers the effect of two different teaching approaches at BA-level. We...
Nowadays in teaching physics in high school, one of the biggest problems is attracting and maintaining students' attention. Gamification can be a very easy and exciting way to get students involved in the class. In my research, I used an RPG (role-playing game) based online platform (Classcraft), where the students can have their own character that they can personalize and level up as they...
. As the COVID-19 pandemic spread through the world, universities switched overnight from in-person to remote teaching and learning. This immediate switch to remote teaching caused a negative impact on laboratory components of physics courses. Remote laboratory delivery illustrated the widespread need for high quality virtual science laboratory resources and served as the catalyst for...
It is a challenge to engage and develop the talents of lower secondary school students who have minimal knowledge of physics but are interested in why and how the world around them works. By making physical toys and conducting simple experiments with readily available materials, students are introduced to selected physical phenomena through play. In the physics club, we discuss physical...
Continuous Professional Development (CPD) of school teachers is promoted worldwide and broadly researched. At the same time, academic teachers’ CPD is rarely addressed. Usually, science faculty members prove themselves to be high-level researchers, but at the same time, their interpersonal skills, pedagogical knowledge, and attitude of self-reflection on teaching are very limited. To address...
An annual STEM career information day, organized by students for their classmates, was transformed into a digital congress format during the Corona pandemic. The face-to-face presentations were replaced by video conferences using the school’s digital platforms. This subsequently allowed to invite foreign speakers, a German YouTube influencer as well as several HGV alumni, who shared their...
Our aim is to showcase the creation of inquiry-based experiment units used in laboratory environment. These units are focused on qualitative and quantitative optics experiments for upper secondary students. Worksheets guiding the students through each unit were created and tested several times to ensure quality using students’ feedback. This contribution presents these worksheets for...
The understanding of the anthropic greenhouse effect (GHE) rests on two key concepts, namely thermal emission and the interaction of different kinds of electromagnetic radiation with different kinds of matter. A survey of the existing Physics Education research concerning the GHE and climate change shows that students have in general a poor understanding of such concepts. In this work, we...
In the last years, the use of smartphones as laboratory tools for school physics experiments has received attention for the possibility of carrying out a wide variety of didactic experiences with low-cost experimental equipment. In this contribution, we describe an experimental activity that can be carried out by using smartphones to investigate the oscillations of a damped oscillator made of...
In the field of education, in addition to the evaluation of the learning process, the examination of the effectiveness of teaching plays an important role. Teachers are often hopeless to see what prior knowledge and competencies the student is coming from and thus what the ideal developmental task is in the given lesson. In this research topic, our goal is to create a computer program that can...
The spreadsheet is widely used in practice, not excluding the teaching of physics. One of the possibilities is to use it in the experimental activity of pupils. The aim of the paper is to show how to use quantitative simulated experiments created in a spreadsheet during the teaching of periodic motion at secondary school. Quantitative simulations make it possible to explore periodic phenomena...
In recent years, the use of STEM educational methodology in the classroom has been increasingly promoted, but due to the heterogeneity of approaches and the lack of knowledge on the part of teachers, it is necessary to accompany this process through the design and implementation of research-based STEM projects. This study presents the design of a STEM project for secondary school that...
Fidget spinner is a cheap toy which can be used as a teaching tool to demonstrate rotational motion. The goal of our study is to present simple fidget spinner experiment and a Java applet developed for theoretical investigation of the problem.
The paper aims to show one of the possibilities of how simple devices based on microcontrollers and inexpensive electronic components can be used in the framework of pupils' exploration of the thematic unit of Periodic Motion. The experimental set-up designed at the authors' workplace has a modular design and contains a digital oscilloscope supplemented with suitable sensors. An optional...
The STEAM-ACTIVE project (KA2-Erasmus+) aims to contribute to higher education innovation to train university students to produce meaningful learning, and to develop multiple competencies according to an interdisciplinary approach to solve socio-scientific-technical problems. As a result, a Protocol has been developed for Teachers to illustrate the STEAM project design methodology framework...
The development of scientific thinking is one of the objectives that is established through the teaching of Natural Sciences and Technology, during elementary education in Mexico. The objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between the use of experimental activities related to the optical phenomena of reflection and refraction of light as a didactic resource to promote the...
Over a decade International Particle Physics Outreach Group (IPPOG) has been offering to scientific community, teachers and educators an online collection of high-quality engaging education and outreach materials in particle physics (PP) and related sciences, the Resource Database (RDB). After major revamp and curation a brand new RDB has been published as part of the newly developed IPPOG...
Interest of youth in physics and engineering is declining, even though new generation of specialists is needed to ensure the continuation of cutting-edge research, primordial for innovation, economic progress and sustainable development (SD) [ ]. While SD becomes ever more popular and even obligatory subject in schools, because of lack of teaching resources compatible with curriculum,...
In this interactive workshop, participants will experience physics card games ("Phys-Cards") designed as a summative activity to help students organize what they have learned and make connections between externally different scenarios and underlying physics principles. The Phys-Card games have been implemented in a national network of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) for high school...
We present an overview of demonstration material used in quantum physics education. Our study categorises over 400 articles, covering experiments and demonstrations for quantum education from 1970 to now. Common research questions or goals of studies on demonstration material are identified, together with the number of studies per quantum physics topic. We share insights from studies regarding...
This study aimed to investigate the practices, and perspectives of in-service elementary and middle school teachers in Italy (N=74) and Turkey (N=56) regarding the properties of matter. A new questionnaire was created and used to collect data. Results showed that teachers in both countries mainly focused on the temperature in change of state. Their least concern was on magnetic susceptibility...
This study examines the conceptual understanding of the scientific principles of climate change of German A-level students using the CCCI-422 climate change concept inventory. The sample under investigation consists of 501 A-level students of five German upper-level secondary schools (Gymnasium) representing the complete A-level student body in their schools. Results show that the CCCI-422...
Scientific education needs to be started early, with explorative experiences of the physical world. This contribution presents the implementation of a Teaching Intervention Module (TIM) on magnetic phenomena, using integrated strategies of active learning and arts. A theatrical performance is designed, prepared and implemented by children, during and for their own learning of the main basic...
Elixir to Schools started ten years ago as a project aimed at improving physics education in the Czech Republic. It soon became apparent that it was sensible to support teachers from the primary school, and over time the support was extended to preschool teachers as well. Therefore, for the last five years, Elixir to schools has also targeted these teachers. This contribution has two main...
As a school-university collaboration, the Eszterhazy University Eger in Hungary has launched the Physics from the suitcase project in 2019, i.e. it established a lending library of classroom-sized experimental kits. Pre-service teachers designed inquiry-based activity sheets for the optics and the electricity kits, covering 12-14 weeks of teaching. The two, one-semester-long modules have been...
Starting November 2022, Physical Review Physics Education Research, the flagship journal in physics education research community, has announced the establishment of a Statistical Modeling Review Committee to assess the quality of statistical modeling techniques in submitted papers. The establishment of this committee reflects the increasing number of submissions that exploit techniques such as...
Although nowadays sciences are viewed by most people to be extremely important for society, their human, profound aspect – the one that allows touching, in a way similar to Art, the strings of the human soul – is still missing. Sciences are, in fact, deemed mainly for their utilitarian aspects. If we want science, and more specifically physics, to be truly considered cultural heritage of...
The present communication aims at proving the benefit of an open inquiry approach of physics instruction for college students, as compared to traditional lecture-based teaching strategies. The challenges presented by the emergence of Artificial Intelligence, are major societal issues to the academic culture. We propose to demonstrate that higher levels of thinking abilities can be achieved by...
Active learning experiences can be significantly enhanced by the use of appropriate methods and technological tools. Interactive videos, collaborative learning platforms, interactive simulations, real-time data collection and analysis tools, modeling environments, adaptive learning technologies, and learning management systems are all examples of tools that can promote engagement,...
This symposium is proposed by the GIREP Thematic Group “Physics Preparation of Teachers in Grades K-6” and consists of a discussion on physics education in kindergarten from two interlaced perspectives: children teaching/learning and teacher training in physics. The three contributions suggest ideas to start a discussion on these challenging and multifaceted topics in view of the...
Visualizing multi-qubit systems is challenging due to their high complexity. We present the dimensional circle notation (DCN) as an extension of the so-called circle notation that is used in introductory quantum computing courses to reduce mathematical hurdles. By doing so, we reveal entanglement properties of such systems and make measurements and unitary operations in multi-qubit systems...
Teaching and learning Quantum Mechanics in secondary school is a unique challenge, at once requiring creativity, experimental, and mathematical literacies. Educating students to quantum science and technologies can therefore also be an opportunity to empower them with new ways of thinking, and the skills needed to navigate uncertain futures. However, engaging storytelling and interactive tools...
In this work we report on the results of the first refinement cycle of a teaching learning sequence based on the educational reconstruction of quantum information and computation at the level of secondary school. The results will serve as the base for refinements and improvements of the sequence, in view of a new testing cycle bound to start in late spring 2023.
The aim of this work is to detect university students' difficulties in kinematics with variable acceleration in relation to different representation systems (graphical and algebraic) in order to define the Learning Demands. Thus, design bases of a TLS (Teaching-Learning Sequence) are laid. An open-ended questionnaire has been designed and validated in relation to the epistemological keys and...
We report the result of a collaboration among Universities, Schools, and Institutions to increase interest in new tools and learning environments. To address this issue, we provide scientific and didactic support to teachers through different kinds of training sessions to introduce innovative didactic methodologies for teaching and learning. The project involved a training course both in...
This paper presents a preliminary reflection on the Physics with Elements of Biophysics course taught at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Wroclaw for biology students. Preliminary research on biology students' motivation and attitude towards learning physics, as well as the results of the course evaluation are included. The analysis of the obtained results will help...
This research focuses on the educational experiment of Interdisciplinary Lesson Study, carried out with 15-year-old students in Italy on the energy transformations. The teaching was carried out following the IBSE model of 5E and involving teachers from several disciplines. The theoretical lens used to read the data is the Lotman’s idea of Semiophere revisited in the educational context. It...
Vector fields, differential operators, and the integral theorems of Gauss and Stokes are a central part of Maxwell's equations to describe electric and magnetic fields. For physics applications, a conceptual understanding is of particular importance, which often causes difficulties for students. Therefore, previous research emphasizes the need to foster conceptual knowledge by...
This work presents the photoelectric effect and the electromagnetic spectrum topic from a Physics course in High School learned through the study of the implementation of spectroscopy techniques in Art analysis. In general, students have difficulties with Physics, especially when the topics are within the framework of contemporary Physics, either due to the complications inherent to the...
Multi-representations are fundamental to improve the conceptual learning of abstract topics (such as mathematical aspects), allowing students to actively manipulate concepts and instruments which would otherwise be difficult and little accessible. In this presentation we will show different (and interconnected) representations for the acquisition of the basic mathematical formalism of Quantum...
Empowering young learners to create a sustainable future is critical in educating future responsible citizens. Green education can also act as a vehicle to inspire the next generation of students to pursue a career in science. Under the umbrella of green education, difficult physics concepts can be introduced and explained within a more interesting context, relevant to the everyday (and...
Using models in the physics classroom allows students to explore phenomena in ways that could help facilitate learning. A laboratory exercise was developed where upper secondary school students worked with a mechanical Paul trap and a simulation to understand how a real Paul trap works to investigate the usefulness of ideal models in the physics laboratory for learning. A design-based research...
Multiple choice questions are a common teaching and evaluation tool in large-enrolment introductory physics classes across North-American universities. Unfortunately, they do not provide students with the opportunity to formulate their own ideas. Case studies developed for this project allow the students to collaborate on more open-ended scenarios that cover the most fundamental concepts of a...
To face the current environmental and technological challenges, it is necessary to support and reform teacher training (for primary and lower secondary school teachers) at academic institutions in matters concerning energy. In this context we present the Erasmus project 'eˆ4', which aims to (1) create a higher education course with innovative resources for teacher training in the field of...
Pre-service physics teachers should be prepared for diagnosing students’ conceptions within the physics classroom. This demand is met by a seminar implemented in the teacher training program at the University College of Teacher Education Styria. Within this seminar, participants work with video vignettes and conduct micro-teaching sessions. The focus of this study is to investigate the impact...
This project aims to promote gender inclusion in STEM education at the University of Padova, Italy. The project has examined the level of awareness among secondary education students regarding gender disparities in STEM fields and attempts to develop new initiatives to improve academic guidance and challenge stereotypes and biases that may discourage students from pursuing Physics and other...
Despite a growing number of research on different types of non-classical learning methods and widely known benefits, implementation in the common school system is still rare.
Although there are studies identifying challenges, many of the learning methods seem to assume a specialized school system and they are not simply transferable to practice. Method “Learning using mentors” was designed...
Environmental, societal and economic trends due to climate change require the promotion of socioscientific decision-making (SSDM) in physics education. However, teachers have different attitudes and perceive multiple challenges about its implementation in their classroom. Goal of this project is the research-based development of an in-service teacher training module to change hindering beliefs...
Although the weather accompanies our students every day and the technical basics are taught in various subjects, their understanding of weather phenomena is poorly developed. The difficulties students have in applying their knowledge of mathematics and physics to weather are complex. We would like to explore these difficulties and the reasons for this lack of understanding through various...
The shortage of physics teachers is nowadays reality in many countries. It leads to the need for changes in pre-service teacher education. To support professional identity and building a professional community, a new experiential camp is offered to pre-service teachers. The contribution presents initial research focused on identifying students' expectations, relevance of content and applied...
Learning outcomes in engineering education, in addition to practical knowledge, include understanding concepts from natural sciences and mathematics as an important factor in strengthening engineering competencies and skills. The research was conducted using standardized conceptual tests in mechanics and electromagnetism among first-year undergraduate electrical and computer engineering...
ChatGPT, a recently released revolutionary AI chatbot based on deep learning and artificial neural networks, enables highly proficient human-like conversations, translations, and reasoning. Our ongoing research aims to investigate ChatGPT's potential in physics education, including its capabilities, limitations, and impact on students in real conditions. Employing an exploratory sequential...
Several studies have explored students' perspectives on understanding physics equations. This paper focuses on students' epistemological changes as they deal with the meaning of the wave equation. Prior to interventions, we assessed students' intuition about the wave equation and identified three epistemological beliefs related to this equation. We then designed tutorials that targeted...
We report on the results of a series of interviews conducted with some experts on quantum physics concerning aspects of its teaching at the secondary school level, specifically the overall appropriateness of this teaching, the historical approach, the needed mathematical background and the topics that should be included. Some foundational and controversial aspects of quantum physics, which...
Crosscutting concepts (CCCs) are meant to foster integration between topics belonging to different scientific domains and are considered one of the pillars of an integrated K–12 science education curriculum. CCCs are expected to provide learners with organizational frameworks for connecting knowledge from the various disciplines into a coherent and scientific view of the world. However, CCCs...
The focus of the study is on how pre-service teachers understand mathematical expressions (equations) when they analyse experimental measurements in physics lab courses. Sixteen pre-service physics teachers participated. Data sources were open-ended written tasks, semi-structured interviews and lab reports. The participants have had particular difficulties when they reason with mathematical...
This contribution is focused on the physics upper secondary school curriculum. We present the results of longitudinal research whose methodology is inspired by an objectivist grounded theory approach. We conducted in-depth interviews focused on the physics curriculum with 29 leading Czech physicists and we identified 56 ideas they agreed on. Two years apart, the questionnaire survey based on...
This contribution is focused on getting feedback from students and teachers on science textbooks. A literature search was conducted to answer two questions: How are teachers’ and students’ views on science textbooks obtained? And what should a good science textbook look like? The search revealed the most commonly used methods for obtaining opinions on textbooks and several textbook analysis...
UDCiencia is a multidisciplinary group composed by professors and students from different scientific branches, focused on educational innovation and scientific outreach. Our aim is to create appealing materials and methodologies for teaching physics (and other sciences) to undergraduates, but also to students from schools, high schools, or special education centres. Our approach is based on...
