Conveners
Oral presentations: TLP-2. Teaching and Learning Physics Concepts
- Tetyana Antimirova (Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University))
Oral presentations: PTE-1. Physics Teacher Education and Professional Learning
- Stefano Rini (University of Bologna)
Oral presentations: TLP-1. Teaching and Learning Physics Concepts
- Florian Budimaier (University of Vienna)
Oral presentations: PTE-2. Physics Teacher Education and Professional Learning
- Olga Gkioka (boğaziçi)
Oral presentations: MDR-1. Contemporary Physics, Modern Physics in Schools and Universities
- Efraim Yehuda Weissman (Jerusalem College of Technology)
Oral presentations: EPW-1. Experiments and Practical Work in Physics Education
- Giovanni Organtini (Sapienza Universita e INFN, Roma I (IT))
Oral presentations: CPE-1. Competence-based physics education
- Aleš Mohorič
Oral presentations: H-1. HYBRID 1
- There are no conveners in this block
Oral presentations: PTE-3. Physics Teacher Education and Professional Learning
- Eilish McLoughlin
Oral presentations: PTE-4. Physics Teacher Education and Professional Learning
- Andreja Šarlah
Oral presentations: CUR-1. Physics Curricula
- Vojtěch Žák
Oral presentations: MMP-1. Multimedia, AR, VR and AI in Physics Education
- Andreas Redfors
Oral presentations: TLP-3. Teaching and Learning Physics Concepts
- Kübra Özmen
Oral presentations: H-2. HYBRID 2
- There are no conveners in this block
Oral presentations: TLP-4. Teaching and Learning Physics Concepts
- Marianne Korner
Oral presentations: EAD-1. Evaluation and Assessment of Student Learning and Development
- Mirosława Sajka (University of the National Education Commission in Krakow)
Oral presentations: PSI-1. Physics for Environment and Social issues
- Kristel Uiboupin
Oral presentations: H-3. HYBRID 3
- There are no conveners in this block
Oral presentations: TLP-6. Teaching and Learning Physics Concepts
- Federico Corni (Free University of Bozen-Bolzano)
Oral presentations: TLP-5. Teaching and Learning Physics Concepts
- Mieke De Cock
Oral presentations: PTE-6. Physics Teacher Education and Professional Learning
- Markus Obczovsky
Oral presentations: EPW-2. Experiments and Practical Work in Physics Education
- Lars-Jochen Thoms (University of Konstanz)
Oral presentations: IBP-1. Identity and Belonging in Physics
- Marika Kapanadze
Oral presentations: PTE-5. Physics Teacher Education and Professional Learning
- Ioannis Lefkos (Laboratory of informatics and Robotics in Education and Society, University of Macedonia)
Oral presentations: OUT-1. Outreach of Physics
- Jan Sermeus
Oral presentations: EAD-2. Evaluation and Assessment of Student Learning and Development
- Jun-ichiro Yasuda (Yamagata university)
Oral presentations: MMP-3. Multimedia, AR, VR and AI in Physics Education
- Zdeňka Koupilová
Oral presentations: STM-1. Physics in STEM Education and Interdisciplinary Approaches
- Matteo Tuveri
Oral presentations: MDR-3. Contemporary Physics, Modern Physics in Schools and Universities
- Fabian Hennig
Oral presentations: MDR-2. Contemporary Physics, Modern Physics in Schools and Universities
- Marco Di Mauro (University of Trento)
Oral presentations: MMP-2. Multimedia, AR, VR and AI in Physics Education
- Ivana Poljančić Beljan (University of Rijeka, Faculty of Physics)
Oral presentations: H-4. HYBRID 4
- There are no conveners in this block
Oral presentations: PTE-7. Physics Teacher Education and Professional Learning
- Deepa Chari
Oral presentations: TLP-7. Teaching and Learning Physics Concepts
- Ana Susac
Oral presentations: PTE-8. Physics Teacher Education and Professional Learning
- Gesche Pospiech
Oral presentations: PSI-2. Physics for Environment and Social issues
- Dimitris Stavrou (University of Crete)
Oral presentations: IBP-2. Identity and Belonging in Physics
- Meagan Sundstrom
Oral presentations: EPW-3. Experiments and Practical Work in Physics Education
- Shirish Pathare (Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education)
Oral presentations: EAD-3. Evaluation and Assessment of Student Learning and Development
- Lana Ivanjek
Oral presentations: T-1. TEACHER SESSION 1
- Wim Peeters (PONTOn vzw)
Oral presentations: H-5. HYBRID 5
- There are no conveners in this block
Oral presentations: TLP-8. Teaching and Learning Physics Concepts
- Giulia Termini
Oral presentations: EAD-4. Evaluation and Assessment of Student Learning and Development
- Martina Kekule
Oral presentations: PTE-9. Physics Teacher Education and Professional Learning
- Karen Matsler (UT Arlington)
Oral presentations: CPE-2. Competence-based physics education
- Jesper Bruun (University of Copenhagen, Department of Science Education)
Oral presentations: EPW-4. Experiments and Practical Work in Physics Education
- MARINA CARPINETI (Dipartimento di Fisica - Università degli Studi di Milano)
Oral presentations: T-2. TEACHER SESSION 2
- Wim Peeters (PONTOn vzw)
Oral presentations: EPW-5. Experiments and Practical Work in Physics Education
- Marta Carli
Oral presentations: IBP-3. Identity and Belonging in Physics
- Italo Testa (University Federico II Naples)
Oral presentations: EAD-5. Evaluation and Assessment of Student Learning and Development
- Elizabeth Angstmann
Oral presentations: STM-2. Physics in STEM Education and Interdisciplinary Approaches
- Francesca Monti
Oral presentations: MMP-4. Multimedia, AR, VR and AI in Physics Education
- Will Yeadon (Durham University)
Oral presentations: MDR-4. Contemporary Physics, Modern Physics in Schools and Universities
- Marco Giliberti (Università degli Studi di Milano)
Oral presentations: OUT-2. Outreach of Physics
- Maurizio Dabbicco
Oral presentations: H-6. HYBRID 6
- There are no conveners in this block
Among the non-formal educational initiatives that enable students to enter places where scientific research is realized, the INFN-INSPYRE is an International School of excellence, reaching more than 600 people from 17 countries around the world since 2011. For its 2024 edition, the school will benefit of the collaboration with the physics education research and outreach community of GIREP and...
Quantum Mechanics (QM) is a cornerstone of modern science and technology, yet its complexities have hindered its integration into school curricula. We propose a QM teaching/learning sequence for secondary schools that focuses on Bell's inequalities and their experimental verification, and outline a step-by-step approach, leveraging on students' existing knowledge of statistics and probability....
Despite quantum mechanics' significant role in technological advancements, its interpretations remain a subject of ongoing debate among scientists. In this study we examine the evolution of student perspectives on quantum mechanics interpretations during an elective course on the subject in upper tertiary education. We focus on identifying changes in student thinking and developing an...
Learners in schools seem to have difficulty with conceptual understanding and problem-solving in kinematics graphs. The study investigated what are the learners’ perceptions on the teaching and learning of kinematics graphs, and to find out from them what could make them enhance their learning and performance. A purposeful sand random study was done with Grade 11 leaners doing physical science...
This study focuses on investigating the challenges encountered by preservice physics teachers (PPTs) in using two different methods for the same investigation using a structured inquiry activity. Eight PPTs will be working in pairs to investigate the image formation in plane mirror activity. Data sources include answers to pre-quiz, laboratory reports, video recordings of laboratory practice,...
Since 2000 we have been engaged in professional development programmes to improve the cultural knowledge and skills of pre-service and in-service teachers. All activities focus on promoting active learning in laboratories. After testing different training modalities for in-service teachers, in recent years a series of national summer school has been organised to explore a single general topic...
The article presents a preliminary idea of how local physics competitions serve as a platform for assessing physics competencies, especially among gifted Polish elementary school students. Focusing on the provincial "zDolny Ślązak" competition, the authors will analyze the participants’ solutions to the competition tasks together with the students' physics competencies, especially those...
In this contribution, we focus on the Story game as a stimulus for experimental activity. Storytelling is prevalent in education, hence our decision to incorporate storytelling into the game. We conducted a survey in which we observed sessions involving our created Story game alongside a Standard assigned experiment, aiming to assess whether the Story game is a suitable stimulus for...
There are many ways to introduce quantum mechanics to secondary school students. In the last decades two-state approaches became popular. These may have the disadvantage of being less compatible with traditional approaches (wave-particle duality) and thus not overlapping with the school curriculum. In this presentation we show a new way based on the single photon interpretation of Michelson...
Physics Education Research (PER) seeks to address students' struggles with problem-solving in physics by introducing innovative educational methods. This study proposes using a conceptual problem-solving (CPS) framework to tackle context-rich problems (CRPs) in physics courses of life science disciplines. CRPs have an alternative and misleading narrative, and the CPS framework prioritizes...
In a society where technological applications risk overshadowing the true essence of physics, understanding historical and epistemological aspects becomes crucial for a meaningful and cultural introduction to quantum physics (QP). In this sense, we believe that exclusively presenting Quantum Mechanics (QM) when introducing QP (especially at high school) may prove insufficient, and we emphasize...
This work aims to guide educational communities in creating tinkering workshops from scratch. Such a process demystifies and makes the design of these workshops accessible, positioning teachers as the true owners of the initiative. If we consider tinkering workshops not as isolated events but as venues to provoke, amplify, and potentially address children's inquiries about science, it becomes...
This study presents the results of an evaluation of a teacher professional learning summer school, designed to develop the in-service science/mathematics teachers pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for teaching physics. Workshops were facilitated online on a range of topics, including active learning, catering for diverse learners, formative and summative assessment, making connections,...
The article presents a study mapping the teaching methods used by employees at the University of Wrocław. Conducted via a questionnaire from the ARQUS initiative—a European university consortium—the research analyzed the responses of the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy compared to other departments. This analysis highlighted similarities and differences in teaching declarations, resulting in...
Italian Physics Education Research (IPER) groups decided to create a Community (CooFIS08) to share and compare studies, to promote the role of PER at all levels. Despite international recognition, PER in Italian Physics Departments lacks adequate domestic support, relying on external funding. In 2022, Angela Bracco, President of the Italian Physical Society, endorsed CooFIS08’s proposal for a...
Practical work provides the opportunity for students to make a connection between hands-on activities and minds-on concepts. In this study, lesson design principles were investigated for stimulating Thinking-Back-and-Forth (TBF) between hands-on and minds-on aspects. Nine practical lessons intended to stimulate minds-on learning experiences were designed. These lessons contained an assignment...
Case Studies are a valuable teaching tool that allows us to bring real-world scenarios, introduce a process of authentic scientific inquiry to undergraduate physics courses, and promote a genuine collaboration among the students. Contrary to a common belief, they can be effectively used in a large-enrolment introductory physics classes. The example of Case Studies developed for the...
Design for Physics is a joint project between a physics department and a design institute, aiming at engaging students that feel uncomfortable with scientific disciplines in the exploration of science. Students at IED were asked to design, produce and test low cost and easy to make apparatus for physics experiments, to be used in schools for teaching. We report about the project organisation,...
The evaluation of a teaching-learning sequence (TLS) on the particulate nature of matter (PNM) based on crystal structures is presented. The TLS has been developed in a design-based research project. To test if the TLS fosters students’ use of the PNM it was introduced to several 8th-grade classes in Vienna. Students’ use of the PNM was measured with a pretest and posttest. Preliminary results...
Quantum physics offers numerous technological applications, yet their complexity poses challenges for teaching secondary-level students. Quantum cryptography, grounded in fundamental quantum principles, presents a contemporary and accessible subject. This study investigates the impact of teaching quantum cryptography as part of the Discipline-Culture approach. We analyse the responses of...
The focus of the study is on how pre-service physics teachers have made sense of rates of change at various points of curved graphs when they analyse experimental measurements in physics lab courses. Forty-eight pre-service physics teachers participated. Data sources were open-ended written tasks, semi-structured interviews and lab reports. When talking about rates of change, the participants...
We describe reforms in the Applied physics program at the University of Ljubljana. The reforms utilised the Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) approach to a more effective learning and teaching physics. The course was synchronised with recitations and lab work, the classroom was rearranged in a studio setting to support group work, and semi-open investigations were introduced in...
This study examines the integration of tinkering, a constructivist practice, into formal education, highlighting its potential and challenges. Through the "Officina degli Errori", researchers and educators sought to blend tinkering's open exploratory nature with structured learning in primary school classrooms, focusing on Physics Education. Despite pandemic-induced limitations, feedback from...
Children are interested in astronomy from early age. Numerous studies have been carried out to analyze teacher’s and student’s representations of astronomy. The first one focused by Piaget was concerning children and their development. Another one was carried out by Sharp in 1995. but no study has yet focused on nursery school pupils. We are therefore proposing an approach to astronomy...
This work presents a didactic strategy for High School students, integrating Physics concepts like the electromagnetic spectrum and the photoelectric effect to analyze artworks. Students investigate noninvasive spectroscopic techniques to examine pigment composition and artwork history. Then the students create infographics to communicate their findings, use ultraviolet lamps to reveal hidden...
The subject of electricity offers many experiments to use an augmented learning environment. The Application PUMA: Magnetlabor developed in the PUMA project is mainly intended for visualizing the models of the magnetic field and provide an insight into matter. A comparative study examines the influence of augmented reality on cognitive load and situational interest. The focus is pupils’...
Noticing disadvantages of written individual exams we have conducted research by developing practical test with group work. We wanted to determine whether it is possible to make that kind of test in class and evaluate pupils independently. Moreover we have examined other advantages of that form of test such as opportunity to learn during exam and higher engagement. Our test counted only...
This presentation delves into a practitioner inquiry aimed at enhancing the quality of the 6 CliPs climate change course conducted in April 2023. The inquiry explores the strengths and weaknesses of the course and proposes reshaping it for future iterations while preserving its core objectives. Grounded in a theoretical framework encompassing Inquiry Based Learning (IBL), Practitioner Inquiry...
Recently, I was able to read through almost all of the Newsletters of the International Commission on Physics Education (ICPE) that were published from 1981 to 1990. As it is now, ICPE in the 1980s was quite active in sponsoring conferences. These Newsletters also frequently contained lead articles. Some of the articles discuss the teaching of physics; others talk about issues related to a...
As a part of a broader project that aims to investigate students’ mathematical understanding in physics, this study explores how students understand the partial derivatives of divergence and curl of vector field diagrams. Student difficulties finding partial derivatives of divergence and curl of vector field diagrams will be reported.
With the reintroduction of astronomy into the school curriculum in North Rhine-Westphalia, the question arises as to what ideas learners have about our solar system, how these may have been created and what teaching methods can be used to influence them. To capture learners' mental models in relation to the solar system, we collected and analysed drawings of the solar system (N=100). After...
Engagement has been at the forefront of active learning. With the growing capabilities of engagement strategy and its importance for effective learning, the question emerges: how does ‘’MUCBCS’’ (music, context-based inquiry, computer simulation) contribute to affordances of learning engagement in the science classroom?
It is argued that a strategy fundamental for effective learning and...
In this paper, a teaching intervention is proposed and described. Ιt is methodologically based on the guided inquiry method, while using the modeling, simulation and programming tool of NetLogo. The pre-existing model “Fire” (from the Models’ Library of NetLogo) was modified and additional parameters were added such as speed of wind and its direction and the possibility of low humidity. This...
The paper presents an educational game called Physics Codenames, which aims to enhance pupils' comprehension of physics concepts. In the research, we observed the game process within three groups: first-year university students, pre-service teachers of biology, chemistry, and geography, and upper-secondary students. The clues and associated concepts were recorded, along with player...
We investigated the learning difficulties of second-year (university) students in electromagnetism courses when applying the Ampère-Maxwell law. We analyzed the written responses of 65 students using phenomenography and supplemented our investigation with 12 interviews. The results revealed that students apply the Ampère-Maxwell law by rote, they believe that it can only be used to calculate...
Developing research competences is an increasing demand in higher education, as it aims to strengthen the link between research and teaching. The literature has classified research competences into five main dimensions. This study aims to evaluate the dimension of methodological skills acquired by physics education students in a research-based learning course. The participants were 15...
This study explores the transformative impact of curiosity-driven (CD) discourse on teacher-mentors' professional development. Eight physics and mathematics in-service teachers participated in CD discourse workshops, alternating roles as mentors and mentees across four rounds. Leveraging Mason's model, we assess changes in mentors' awareness levels through content analysis by categorizing...
This contribution focuses on the search for criteria that should be met by science textbooks. A literature search was conducted and several tools for textbook evaluation or lists of criteria for science textbooks were found. We looked for criteria common to at least three different tools or criteria lists. The criteria found are related to the information in the textbook, its content, the...
Attention and personal stake in an issue are the primary determiners of a student’s quality of memory encoding and retrieval. Increasing both of those variables is a reasonable choice by educators in their pursuit of better pedagogy. Sometimes physics should hurt.
This study explores the views of leading physicists, other scientists, physics teachers from upper secondary schools, and physics teacher educators regarding the physics curriculum. We administered a questionnaire based on previous qualitative research. Only in a few cases the evaluations by other groups of respondents were statistically significantly different from those by leading physicists...
This presentation is about physics teaching supported by video productions with tablets in Swedish preschools, which were part of a three-year professional development programme on teaching chemistry and physics. Temporal case studies focused on children’s and teachers’ communication during jointly developed extended teaching sequences with three- to five-year-old children. The children worked...
Physics teachers often consider what is the influence of their teaching methods and strategies on their student learning, motivations and achievements. However, teachers often report that they lack the ability or time to systematically examine their own professional practice. This study examines teachers embracing an inquiry stance in their own professional learning.
The University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics is reforming its Applied Physics study program following the Investigative Science Learning Environment methodology. The reformed courses are conducted by teachers who did not have previous experience in teaching reformed courses. They were prepared for the task by receiving a short training in ISLE methodology and by continuous...
The study aims to develop interdisciplinary teaching units focusing on environmental issues like sea level rise and ocean acidification to promote critical, creative, and caring thinking skills among 9th and 10th-grade German students. The development of the teaching units is inspired by the socio-scientific issues (SSI) framework and Lipman’s model on thinking. Teaching materials are...
This talk reports findings about the teaching method cross-age peer tutoring (CAPT) with regard to high school students‘ academic achievement in electromagnetic radiation, and their motivation. Within CAPT, elder students (tutors) teach younger ones (tutees). Additionally to previous studies, revealing evidence that CAPT works effectively in specific contexts, the outcomes of tutors and tutees...
This study compared graphical representations in primary school science textbooks in Turkish and English contexts regarding the light and sound concepts in physics.186 visual representations were analyzed across four textbooks using document analysis methodology. The analysis encompassed graphical types (e.g., iconic, schematic), indexing and captioning of representations, quality (dynamic vs....
This study was designed to overcome students' difficulties in interpreting motion graphs and describing motion through graphs. We used tasks involving motion that can be observed in everyday life, such as a modified PISA racing car problem, and designed a short intervention. Eye-tracking technology was used to track participants' visual attention while they completed the tasks and analysed the...
This paper refers to a scheduled teaching intervention, based on Arduino and the Scratch programming environment, for programming the rotation of small Newton discs. The aim is for students in Primary or Secondary school classes, as well as for University students, to explore concepts of Optics and issues related to elements of Physics. In this context, concepts such as colours and persistence...
Electromagnetic waves represents the propagation of the electromagnetic field. In this study we investigate how electromagnetic waves are presented in physics textbooks at upper secondary level. We focused the analysis on the most used textbooks in Italy and Argentina, as in some other countries the electromagnetic waves are not part of school curricula. We elaborated a rubric according to...
Teaching Astronomy is a great challenge, specially in Brazil. On the other hand, astronomical observations can contribute to the dissemination and teaching of Astronomy and Physics, supporting teachers and students. The topic is important and should be instigated both in non-academic scope as well as in the scope of teacher and student training. An itinerant project about Astronomy has been...
The Next Generation program of the EU prioritizes digital transition to address educational inequalities. In Italy, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan highlights the importance of embracing the digital revolution. ADELANTE is a research project aimed at enhancing secondary school physics labs with smartphones and Arduino microprocessors. Despite the abundance of resources, the...
Perspective-taking is considered as a key competency for socio-scientific reasoning. Out-of-school education has multifaceted potentials for science education because of its authenti¬ci¬ty and cross-disciplinary nature. In a comparative study it is examined to what extent and in which way the visit of an out-of-school-education site during a course with socio-scientific issues influences the...
Cross cutting concepts have been introduced formally as a set of items and are meant to bridge disciplinary borders. They can potentially provide students with an organizational framework for connecting knowledge from the various disciplines. Trying to support this direction, we introduce the Intensive and Extensive Properties as an idea that cuts across science disciplines. This study focuses...
A relevant part of Physics Education Research is devoted to identifying, searching, and designing processes for implementing professional training development. Among them, the greatest attention focuses on secondary education, somehow in higher and less on primary education. Instead of fragmented scenarios for different grades, we developed a longitudinal training experience engaging Physics...
The study takes a comprehensive look at students’ educational choices from the perspective of identity. German students are surveyed at three points in time during the initial physics and chemistry lessons. We present the study design and then focus on the quantitative findings. Constructs associated with identity are analysed and corresponding scales are validated. Gender proves to have...
Game is a method of active learning, that teachers may use not only to fix already acquired knowledge, but also to convey new information, or as a means of assessment. In this paper we will present our research, which is focused on the use of games in physics teaching and on identifying the factors influencing the use/non-use of games in physics teaching by primary and secondary school...
The researchers designed and implemented Authentic Argument Driven Inquiry (AADI) activities in an undergraduate elective course to reveal challenges faced by pre-service physics teachers (PPTs) in AADI activities. The course was structured into three phases: learning, preparation, and teaching. This study specifically focused on three PPTs with the lowest performance, out of ten taking the...
In science education students learn to utilize discipline-specific mathematical concepts, but, it is equally important to develop students’ deeper understanding of physics. Traditional courses with textbooks and basic exercises have their limitations in developing students' understanding and critical thinking. This study presents pedagogical strategies that can foster students' creative...
This study addresses the impact of hands-on activities on pre-service science teachers identified as low achievers in physics, aiming to not only enhance their understanding of inertia but also cultivate effective teaching practices. Through a case study conducted with 17 pre-service science teachers, data was gathered through lab reports, observations, and a questionnaire. Findings reveal a...
On the basis of a design-based research approach, a learning environment suitable for the application of flipped classroom was developed for teaching simple electric circuits. A large-scale assessment was used to evaluate the effects. This learning environment included diverse digital offers and various practical in-class exercises. In addition to the teaching concept, this contribution...
Quantum physics is inherently described by mathematical structures. Hence, it seems plausible that mathematical knowledge might support its conceptual understanding already in upper-level secondary school. It is therefore desirable to develop and evaluate corresponding teaching-learning sequences. However, for a successful implementation, it is crucial that teachers accept and understand such...
The invisible ionizing radiation often evokes fears in people's minds as there is no easy way to show and evaluate real impact on their existence. The educational kit SESTRA (School Educational Set with Timepix for Radiation Analysis) has been developed at IEAP CTU in Prague with intention to allow easy access to microcosmos experiments, to anyone, practicable in regular classes. The...
This research explores how the sense of belonging and physics identity are associated with physics achievement in terms of grade level and gender. Five hundred sixty-six students from a science high school participated in the study. Data collection was done via an online survey. Spearman-Rank test was conducted to determine the relationship between these variables. Female high school students...
This contribution explores the integration of uncertainty as a pedagogical tool in a climate change course designed for 12th-13th grade students. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives from physics education and futures studies, the course utilises an original board game to foster students’ awareness of climate complexities and support sustainability competences development. The board game...
Though curriculum materials (CMs) are an important source for teachers’ when designing classroom instruction, the dissemination of innovative CMs has limited influence on teacher practice. A common explanation for this phenomenon is that teacher interpret CMs different than developers. Thus, some teacher educators argue that preservice teachers need to learn how to interpret CMs in order to...
Simulations are one of the most powerful digital tools for science education. This paper investigates the views of Greek secondary school teachers regarding the use of simulations in the teaching and learning of science, aiming to probe the individual factors, positive or negative, that may influence their decisions regarding integrating simulations into their practice. Our preliminary results...
When we directly (physically) encounter Forces of Nature such as Wind, Light, Heat, or Water, the embodied gestalt of a powerful entity forms in our mind. This gestalt is characterized schematically and elaborated metaphorically and analogically, which allows for the construction of imaginative forms of communication supporting concept formation. Examples of forms of expression include natural...
We investigated the extent to which attending a planetarium presentation increases secondary school students’ understanding of the apparent motion of the Sun and stars. We developed a new planetarium presentation with particular attention to the use of the celestial sphere model and a learning module that prepares students at school for this presentation. We measured the learning gains among...
We present a propaedeutic program aimed at prospective medical students, focusing on enhancing their understanding of physics and natural sciences. Recognizing the importance of these fields in medical studies and the challenges students face in achieving high grades in natural sciences, the program offers hands-on experimentation and research opportunities. Initiated by the German Student...
Students’ interest in physics is currently an important issue for effective learning and teaching in many countries. We report about the results of an extensive physics students’ survey at the end of compulsory education and the beginning of upper secondary school in Georgia. Students’ interest in physics is investigated in different contexts regarding ‘out of school’ experiences, attitudes...
A comparison is presented between the training needs expressed by a significant number of physics teachers (about a thousand) and the perception of the effectiveness of the various Association for Physics Teaching (Associazione per l’Insegnamento della Fisica, AIF) in-service training initiatives on AIF’s members. The analysis presents ideas on which initiatives are most effective and how to...
Weather literacy is highly important and closely intertwined with everyday life. Our knowledge regarding the weather comprehension of third-graders and their ability to interpret weather patterns still needs to be improved. The findings of this study revealed that students better understand precipitation and temperature yet need to show greater comprehension of cloud cover and wind patterns....
In this work we present the design and trialling of a teaching-learning sequence (TLS) for university students on surface phenomena. The TLS is aimed at favouring in the student a gradual process of active construction of knowledge. The theoretical framework chosen for the TLS combines concepts from psychology, physics education research, and epistemology. Students use inquiry-based...
Topics from physics occur frequently in the geosciences and are among those reported to cause students most difficulty. One topic that uses physics in a Earth setting is isostasy that accounts for many Earth features as the interplay of elasticity and buoyancy of the Earth’s outer mechanical layer (the lithosphere). We explore the presentation of isostasy in introductory undergraduate...
The present study explores the practices employed by STEM researchers when communicating current scientific issues to the general public in order to enhance public trust in science. The study took place in the context of the European project “STAGE”. Ten STEM researchers, four STEM education researchers and four science communicators participated in the research. The preliminary results...
We developed and researched a course focusing on preparing teacher students for working with Arduino. Based on theoretical foundations and empirical findings, teaching vignettes for reflecting on teaching and learning with Arduino were implemented into the course. The course design was implemented with 13 mathematics and science secondary teacher students in the winter semester of 2022/23. A...
Teaching today is undergoing many changes. Education according to the STE(A)M principle and interdisciplinary approaches contribute to the fact that pupils' knowledge and competences are comprehensive and useful, as this allows students to acquire knowledge more independently and connect different fields. But if we work in class according to such concept, the amount of processed material would...
TikTok videos were used in an exploratory study with grade 8 learners (n= 59) randomly assigned into three classes: Experimental Groups (EG1; EG2), and Control Group (CG). Content creators developed the TikTok videos which included real-life examples. In the lessons, the learners in the experimental groups watched seven teacher curated TikTok videos on concepts in static electricity. Findings...
PER must be based on effective measurement techniques. One approach to addressing the need for careful measurement is Rasch analysis which facilitates the development of a measuring. In this contribution, we will present the results of the longitudinal study of applied physics knowledge tests conducted three consecutive years during different teaching conditions in Croatia at the level of the...
High school students learning quantum physics (QP) exhibit difficulties. In this Study, we investigate in-lesson interactions in the classroom, aiming at identifying these difficulties and their origin. Through the lens of combined categorization system from the literature, we used content and interaction analysis of videotaped lessons. We found difficulties in unexplored topics in QP...
The presentation explores the concept of A New Sequence Model of Interdisciplinary STEM Learning (NSMISL) that does not require any radical initial change to a country’s established curriculum. NSMISL aims to integrate the four core disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, as well as subjects such as geography, economics, physics, chemistry, and art, through Collective...
The two-state paramagnet has previously been proposed as a valuable pedagogical tool for teaching statistical mechanics. In this study, we focused on the role that the two-state paramagnet example played in student discussions while solving problems in statistical mechanics. Students' use of the example was both advantageous and challenging. While we saw students using the two-state paramagnet...
This study explores the impact of epistemic-focused science instruction on college students' paranormal beliefs and physics understanding. Despite lacking scientific validation, paranormal beliefs persist. The intervention, extending over three semesters, included epistemic and ontological training to counteract intuitive biases and encourage empirical evidence-based hypothesis formation....
Abstract. This study investigates the interaction between identity and agency of physics teachers in Turkey from a sociocultural perspective. Data collection included individual semi-structured interviews, fieldnotes from classroom observations, informal interviews after observations, and lesson artifacts. Data analysis of the qualitative data was through thematic analysis to identify and code...
Masterclasses are one-day outreach events for high school students, introducing them to topics of current research. Within the ChETEC-INFRA project, Masterclasses on Nuclear Astrophysics were developed. This interdisciplinary field of science provides a new didactic perspective on nuclear physics and astrophysics by addressing the link between these subjects. The Masterclasses pick up this...
This study explores the feasibility of Chain-CAT, a Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT) approach integrated into the pre-post assessment paradigm in educational contexts. We propose increasing CAT frequency while shortening per-test duration and reducing the total number of items. Utilizing collateral information in CAT algorithms, specifically Bayesian-based proficiency estimation, facilitates...
In 2020, due to the pandemic and lockdowns, upper secondary schools and universities worldwide rapidly transitioned classes and activities to be conducted remotely. This transition presented particular challenges for laboratory courses in science education. The study presented here was carried out in a higher education institution and an upper secondary school in Sweden in three different...
We present an overview of publications on demonstration material for quantum entanglement. Our study analysed over 80 publications, covering experiments and demonstration materials (DM) for quantum entanglement from 2000 to the present. We provide insights into studies regarding design choices and considerations of different types of DM, differences in the use of mathematics, the role of...
Modeling the hydrogen atom is often considered an essential milestone in an introductory quantum mechanics course. Mathematically, the path is clear: from the square potential well, through the harmonic potential, and culminating with the hydrogen atom. However, a working conceptual path is lacking. Here, we present results from a real experiment where the light scattering of an evaporating,...
Missing and sparse data and the associated uncertainty are inevitable in science, and their accurate portrayal is essential for upholding scientific transparency and credibility. Yet revealing uncertainty can be seen as unfavourable in science outreach. Our study, theoretically initiated in Nature of Science, focused on conveying incomplete data on Venus’s upper atmosphere to an adolescent...
University instructors often recognize lacking prior knowledge in incoming first-semester physics students. In this study, we refined the 1978 national study entrance test (SET, [1]) to assess the physics dispositions of first-semester students and compared two cohorts of first-semester physics students: 2013 and 2023. Our findings reveal a small improvement in physics dispositions (i.e. prior...
Integrating inverse problems and nonlinear optimization using open data science tools in inquiry-based STEM education presents a significant opportunity to bridge theoretical STEM knowledge with real-world applications. Our contribution highlights the limitations of traditional linear least squares (LS) fitting methods and demonstrates using SageMath for real-world, nonlinear problems, such as...
In this contribution, the results of a series of questionnaires conducted both with expert researchers and active high school teachers of physics, concerning aspects of the teaching of quantum physics at the secondary school level, are reported and compared. The addressed issues were the overall appropriateness of this teaching, the (quasi-)historical approach, the necessary mathematical tools...
This article shows the results of a Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) strategy articulated with the STEM approach. It was developed with fifth-grade students from an educational institution in Chía-Colombia, carried out in four phases: observation, application, characterization, and evaluation, from a qualitative approach. The results show that 22% of the students were at a "no category" level in...
Virtual Reality (VR) is a promising technology for enhancing concept learning in physics. We developed a three-dimensional VR learning environment comprising tasks on electric potentials and fields. In an experimental study with 210 students of the advanced track of the Swiss secondary school, we compared the learning gains when students solved the tasks using the VR environment with a VR...
This study examines the use of virtual reality (VR) in astronomy education from the joint perspective of educational researchers and education and public outreach (EPO) professionals. Drawing on data from focus group interviews with EPO professionals and scientists from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav), we identify and reflect on...
Assessment tests are commonly used to measure the pedagogical effect. To shorten the test length, we previously suggested the use of computerized adaptive testing (CAT). Based on the study, we propose increasing the frequency of CAT-based assessments during the course, while further reducing the test length per class, thus decreasing the total number of test items during the course. For that...
The incorporation of quantum technologies into secondary school curricula is of growing importance. Nevertheless, this necessitates that high school teachers acquaint themselves with these topics as well. This paper presents insights gained from a series of short-term lectures and long-term courses on the fundamentals of quantum technologies, aimed at upper-secondary school students. A course...
Peer-project learning is an active methodology applied to one university in Ecuador, and it has improved students’ learning process in Physics. The main goal of this research is to provide a first analysis of the effect of the team members' number, working on a real-life project, on the understanding of electromagnetism. An introductory electromagnetism course for engineering students was...
I review popular definitions of elementary particles and argue that their description as excitations of quantum fields has its place in an introductory course on quantum mechanics at universities and can be further simplified to satisfy curiosity of motivated high school students.
According to the curricular changes, quantum physics is going to be given more importance in teaching Physics in secondary schools. The quantum object photon is introduced and discussed. A further study will investigate whether a reduced mathematical formalism can enhance students' understanding of the concept. The instructional elements of the learning sequences developed for this purpose...
We discuss interdisciplinary approaches and their role in bringing contemporary physics topics to high school, fostering students’ motivation and interest in physics. We make an explicit example of an innovative educational program devoted to secondary school students (16-19 years old) to introduce them to gravitational physics-related topics using storytelling. We illustrate and discuss our...
The digital repository of 96 experiments for physics and science teaching was created with the intention of organizing e-content realized at the Faculty of Physics (University of Rijeka, Republic of Croatia) during the pandemic period as part of two courses for primary education and physics teacher studies. The content enables the application of innovative teaching methods in a virtual...
The main focus of this research is to investigate the gender gap in learning processes in physics in five classrooms of sicilian primary school. After analysing the data reported in the literature related to the gender gap in learning processing, we discuss the results of a didactic pathway on the concept of energy, based on the IBSE methodology, conducted with 10-year-old pupils. We discuss...
We explore how educators interpret classroom sociograms and use their network related ideas to inform pedagogical decisions. A workshop titled CLASSNET was designed upon network research evidence in education and collaborative learning techniques (CLTs). CLASSNET was implemented during 2022 and 2023 on a sample in-service (43) and pre-service science teachers (136). Qualitative analysis of...
Creating a scientifically literate population requires insight into how scientific thought is developed and put into practice. Computational essays can provide structural support for acquiring such argumentation skills through data-based reasoning while promoting the students’ epistemic agency. With open data, this method can provide a valuable, authentic and easily accessible experience of...
The paper presents considerations for designing the Measurement and Control Laboratory course taught at the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Wroclaw, aimed at experimental physics students and students of Applied Computer Science and Measurement Systems. Both course content and hardware solutions as well as choice of teaching methods are considered. The design of the...
We developed a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in Kinematics for secondary school students. We present findings from a study that examined its implementation in classrooms taught by in-field (i.e., teachers with strong academic background in physics) and out-of-field teachers (i.e., teachers with limited background in physics and its teaching). Data include semi-structured interviews with 11...
Recent reports highlight that general population seems increasingly aware of climate change. However, forms of radical activism are showing a lack of orientation among young people, who have trouble understanding deeply the complexity of the issue and how to become agents of change. There is a lively research debate, across several disciplines, about how to conceive agency in the field of...
The physics research project "Be Like Isaac Newton" supports students' development through multidirectional activities around concepts such as creativity, innovation, and discovery through experimentation. It was planned to increase knowledge of dynamics. The project's experimental set is inspired by the environmental trend of "zero waste." The project combines skills in physics, mathematics,...
Retention of women remains a persistent problem in physics. Using survey results obtained at the American Physical Society (APS) Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP), we tested several affective factors to find how they correlate with retention at several stages of physics. These factors are motivation, sense of community, sense of belonging, perceived recognition, identity,...
Climate Change (CC) is severely impacting society’s culture, questioning modern human relation with planet Earth, our perception of time and the way we conceptualise and deal with uncertainty and risk. This study aims at identifying and analysing what we call “narrative lines” of CC discourse, in order to implement an educational approach that adopts a narrative perspective in...
This study highlights the significant influence of physics teachers on women´s physics identity development. Identity, within the educational realm, is understood through the lens of recognition within a specific context, with an additional emphasis on performance in the field of physics. We explore the impact of external validation by teachers on physics identity, through the biographies of...
In my school, I guided a pedagogical innovation, called: High school student as a scientific researcher. I chose one 1st class where I taught one out of four lessons per month using the IBL method., from October 2018 until April 2019. During the implementation, I conducted my Practitioner Inquiry to get the answer: How do students perceive IBL in physics lessons? I performed surveys, tests,...
Physics teaching widely varies in strategy and content in addressing various populations of students at their level, goals, interests. We have developed a new approach to the structure of physics course which is appropriate for broad range of levels and goals. It implies a universal demand of identification knowledge items, the structure of a theory based knowledge. The curriculum should...
Given that environmental pollution is one of the main challenges facing humanity, a qualitative, exploratory research is presented, which, through an adapted version of 15 questions from the EAPA test, characterizes the pro-environmental attitudes of 20 science and physics teachers in training in Chía, Cundinamarca, Colombia. The results show that pre-service teachers recognize that fostering...
This work presents the redesign of the Electromagnetism laboratory for engineering careers, incorporating distance activities using remote laboratories and simulators to complement the classroom activities in the laboratory. The inclusion of these activities allows for better use of class time and better preparation of students. It also contributes to the understanding of the concepts and the...
This study focused on the relationship between mathematics and physics education and students’ confidence when using mathematical tools such as derivatives, integrals, and vectors to solve problems. We conducted a longitudinal study with 260 secondary school students, who were given a modified version of the Test of Calculus and Vectors in Mathematics and Physics. The results showed an overall...
A variety of research-based instructional strategies have been designed to promote students’ self-monitoring in physics problem solving but few are implemented, either because of structural constraints or teachers’ perceptions. Although digital activities can help teachers cope with structural constraints their perceptions may still pose a challenge. In this study we focused on teacher leaders...
Gaining recognition as a physics person from peers is an important contributor to undergraduate students’ persistence in physics courses. Previous research has separately demonstrated that women perceive less peer recognition than men (perceived recognition) and that women receive fewer nominations from their peers as strong physics students than men (received recognition). The relationship...
The results of the project, comparing the effectiveness of inquiry-based vs. lecture-based teaching of wave optics, will be presented. An inquiry-based teaching sequence, spanning eight 45-minute sessions, was designed and implemented. The sequence incorporates four investigative student experiments exploring interference, diffraction, and polarization of light, complemented by teacher...
We investigated the impact of different representations on answering conceptual questions in physics using eye tracking. Students' scores and eye-tracking measures were compared across graphical, pictorial, and verbal representations in isomorphic questions. High school students were rather consistent in their answers across all representations, with no significant score differences. However,...
As part of the STAMPEd project, an educational survey was conducted using the Practitioner Inquiry (PI) strategy. Attempts were made to answer the research question during the implementation of two sections: Mechanical vibrations and waves and Electrostatics in classes of 14-year-olds. To sum up each section, the students wrote tests to check their knowledge - once using their own notes, and...
During the pandemic, educational institutions implemented online laboratory options, adapting formats based on available resources. Our approach diverges from traditional instruction-centric models, focusing on fostering procedural understanding. Through interactive webpages, we aim to engage students in critical thinking and problem-solving. Our online laboratory empowers students to make...
In the contribution we present the pedagogical model developed within the Erasmus+ Teacher Academy called CLIMADEMY, coordinated by the University of Crete (https://climademy.eu/). In the project, a comprehensive training framework for in-service and pre-service teachers has been developed to support the teachers in understanding Climate Change drivers and impacts, mitigation and adaptation...
As a high demand for specialists in the field of quantum technologies is expected, interest in this area should be encouraged at school. Teachers play a central role in this: they should be empowered to design lessons that introduce pupils to this topic and provide insight into corresponding professional contexts. To this end, a university course has been designed integrating theoretical...
There is much known about the outcomes or features of a developed community of practice, in general, and also about the teacher communities, however, there is less clarity on how such a teacher community emerges. We believe that the initial stage is the most important one as it is the deciding stage for the fate of the teacher community of practice.
In this study, we report the perspectives...
Decarbonisation of home heating in England is accelerating through the phasing out of gas boilers and the introduction of air-source heat pumps. We argue that the physics secondary school curriculum in England therefore needs to change to include understanding of the thermodynamic principles of operation of air-source heat pumps. We present details of a classroom activity to demonstrate the...
Visualizations in physics education attract attention, fascinate viewers, and motivate engagement with the content. Research has linked visualization attributes to influence learning, but questions persist about how aesthetic visuals affect learning. Understanding student perceptions of picture aesthetics is essential, before investigating this further. Delving into theory of art and design,...
This contribution outlines an experimental procedure that can be executed via smartphones in order to analyse the oscillations of a mass-loaded damped oscillator composed of an elastic rubber loop. By utilising this system, data regarding the viscoelastic characteristics of the rubber material can be acquired. The analysis is conducted by varying the mass. A non-linear model for the elastic...
An educational experiment on nuclear physics topics developed in fourth and fifth grades of an Italian scientific high school is presented. The ten-hour nuclear physics (NP) program was carried out following an innovative energy (IE) related path in two groups of penultimate year classes formed by students selected on a voluntary basis. The first group followed a traditional teaching approach...
After almost 30 years, we repeatedly administered the TIMSS Advanced 1995 specialized physics test to final-year students of gymnasiums in the Czech Republic. In 1995, 819 students from 90 gymnasiums participated; in 2023, the sample consisted of 1602 students from 73 gymnasiums. We compared the overall mean physics achievement, the mean achievement of males and females, and the mean...
In our study, we offer secondary school physics teachers an insight into the effective application of Arduino-based classroom measurements for teaching kinematics. We introduce our Arduino-supported workbook, which contains Arduino-based kinematics measurements with the use of an ultrasonic wave sensor. The aim of the tasks is to develop students’ knowledge and professional skills, e.g.: data...
The Quantum for All project has developed instructional materials and a professional development program to expand Quantum Information Science education in precollege education. In this presentation, we discuss the design of the professional development plan and the development of the materials by the Leadership Team. We then discuss the workshops for teachers to learn and utilize this...
The research project aims to validate an adapted identity model that combines a socio-psychological and a sociological concept of identity. The synthesis of the two perspectives offers a comprehensive insight into learners’ engagement with and their positioning towards science. The adapted identity model proposes four multidirectional identity dimensions to analyse the science identity of...
The overall question that led to this inquiry was: how can I make all of my students feel more motivated to learn physics? In this investigation, I try to find the answer to the sub-question, “How can I increase the power, Watts, of my students so that they feel more like working for physics?” Watts up! To increase this motivation, the use of simple digital tools that playfully test students...
The concept of sound waves is central to our everyday experience and part of upper-secondary school physics. Acoustic levitation represents an application of standing-wave phenomena, which has seen a surge in popularity due to the introduction of cost-effective ultrasonic speakers. However, acoustic levitation by affordable speakers remains absent from most upper-secondary physics education....
In secondary physics education, integrating computer modelling offers diverse benefits for students, such as enhancing realism in understanding physics principles, familiarization with scientific inquiry methods and exploration of complex phenomena. Assessing metamodelling competences is crucial for effective implementation. We present an adaptation of the existing Framework for Modelling...
Students with special educational needs in secondary schools often find it difficult to carry out actions during experiments in physics lessons. These difficulties are sometimes related to a lack of manual dexterity, a reluctance to touch objects, or a feeling of alienation during the
pandemonium. To demonstrate the use of the IBL method as a support for overcoming anxiety when carrying out...
We present the workshop we developed and conducted with the physics teachers using the findings of our previous study regarding the teachers’ interpretation of and responses to students’ explanations. We explain how the goals of the workshops stemmed from the research findings, present the details of the workshop procedure and participants’ activities and discuss how the outcomes of the...
Our ambition is to improve physics courses at the University of Latvia by transforming the lab works, to focus on practical skills and engage students in experiments. To assess Latvian students' perceptions of experimental physics and monitor changes during the transformation, we utilised the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (E-CLASS) instrument with groups of bachelor and...
The growing multicultural and identity diversity of students at the university worldwide requires changing curricula. Our case study aimed to identify inclusive criteria that have emerged in a praxis of designing an Acoustics micro-curriculum carried out in a teacher training course with Peasant students and a Deaf student. Our theoretical-methodological framework comprised the...
We examine students' attitudes to group work in physics courses with the Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) approach. ISLE highlights the importance of group work. Students collaborate in lectures, recitations, and laboratories. We aim to answer the following questions: How have students' attitudes towards group work changed during the course? How is this change influenced by...
An exploratory study on urban thermodynamics with 24 participants compared their responses in interviews with those of an artificial intelligence. Results showed varied responses, with some moderate agreement. The study suggests interdisciplinary educational strategies are crucial for addressing urban thermal challenges, promoting deeper understanding and concrete actions in urban environments.
In 1930, Born and Jordan wrote a quantum mechanics textbook. In that work, they used a strategy to convert the harmonic oscillator equations of motion into two uncoupled first-order equations. In classical mechanics, this mapping explicitly introduces complex numbers into the motion of a harmonic oscillator and directly shows how to solve for the position and momentum observables. I will...
As part of a department-wide effort to enhance instructional laboratories, we are implementing the E-CLASS survey across undergraduate and advanced laboratory courses in Physics and Engineering programs at our institution. Our goal is to understand the current landscape of our laboratories in terms of students’ attitudes towards experimental physics and to identify differences among student...
We suggest a modification to the classical Cartesian diver experiment, wherein the diver operates within a fluid with density stratification rather than uniform density. Unlike the conventional setup, under a given external pressure, the diver achieves a stable equilibrium at a specific depth where its density matches that of the surrounding fluid. By adjusting the applied pressure, its...
Our aim is to show the possibility of using eye tracking to assess some aspects of the validity of multiple-choice tests. Specifically, we focus on nine tasks with textual and graphical representations from the TOSLS science literacy test. Twenty-three high and undergraduate school students participated in the study. We can assess validity based on quantitative analysis (e.g., the time...
In the evolving modern society, technological advancements bring opportunities and challenges. Scientific Literacy is essential for understanding and navigating these changes, fostering responsible citizenship. The perception of science shapes social attitudes, especially among young students, impacting their future choices. Concerns about declining interest in scientific careers emphasize the...
This study aims at investigating the relationship between physics identity and stereotyped views of physics in a sample of N = 386 students enrolled in three undergraduate courses – physics, biology/biotechnology, computer science. Through hierarchical cluster analysis and a 2-way analysis of variance we found that students with higher physics identity had significantly more stereotyped views...
Students have been shown to make use of heuristics that may or may not be aligned with physics, when responding to conceptual tasks. This study analyses student responses (N=1368) to a conceptual survey about refraction. We use network analysis to identify 33 groups of similar responding students. We couple groups’ responses to previously identified heuristics, and compare these to contextual...
In this paper, we present some general aspects of two teaching-learning sequences (TLSs) that target high school students’ learning in the field of surface phenomena. After introducing TLSs’ theoretical framework and pedagogical approaches, we provide a research-based conceptual scheme of what we mean by “improvement of students’ learning”. Then, we discuss the implementation of a...
The absorption of sodium lamp light by the flame spiced with table salt is a cause of the shadow cast by the flame. When the magnetic field is applied, the shadow fades a little due to the Zeeman effect. The experiment and its analysis are of didactical interest because they allow students to observe several aspects of quantum theory and the application of interferometry in an intriguing effect.
The Quantum for All project is designed to expand Quantum Information Science education in precollege education. The professional development model includes an opportunity for teachers to learn QIS and then teach a summer camp. In this presentation, we will examine growth in student knowledge and confidence in the QIS, as well as attitudes the students have around the topics and careers in...
Dutch high school students often question the relevance of learning physics. Addressing this, a STEM project was initiated, challenging students to use their physics knowledge to tackle Spain's drought issues. The project aimed to enhance skills in problem-solving, technical design, automation, scientific literacy, and awareness of career opportunities in physics, providing a real-world...
We are in the midst of the Second Quantum Revolution, which succeeded the First in the early 20th century. The First revolution revolved around the wave-particle duality and led to the emergence of technologies like transistors and lasers. The Second heralds a new technological epoch encompassing quantum sensors, communication, computers, and simulators. This revolution is changing the...
Results in Physics Education Research suggest that cooperative problem-solving (CPS) pedagogy enhances students’ creativity and motivation toward STEM. Researchers in the Aria Project, a project aimed at the cryogenic distillation of stable isotope, designed the “Aria Masterclass”, an educational program devoted to high school students (fourth and fifth classes), to improve scientific...
A team of researchers from Portland State University (PSU) and Prague’s Charles University pioneered the integration of OpenAI's GPT-4 Large Language Module (LLM) into the introductory physics laboratory, serving as a virtual teaching assistant. A class of 26 students participated in a pilot implementation of the AI assistant for introductory physics at PSU. We evaluated students’ interactions...
Can preschool children act as scientists discovering the properties of the colour of the water? In our pilot study, we engaged a group of eight five-year-old children in scientific reasoning, enacting an ISLE process. They were guided in an observational experiment, discovering the colour of the water in different glasses, and they tested their hypothesis based on a prediction of a testing...
We have redesigned a Quantum Physics class at the University of Amsterdam using a collaborative group-learning approach following the SCALE-UP methodology. In this active environment, students work together in groups on conceptual/numerical exercises that are monitored in class by the instructor and Teaching Assistants. Formal lecturing is reduced to a minimum, and students are expected to...
We have developed an Augmented Reality (AR) learning setup in which students investigate the Lorentz force and the superposition of magnetic fields with virtual representations including field vectors, field lines, a vector tripod, and combinations thereof. In an experimental classroom study with N = 77 students, we found no significant differences in conceptual understanding between the...
We will report on how students' scientific abilities as measured by Rutgers scientific abilities rubrics changed over the course of two semesters. In each semester students do one lab per week. For each lab, they submit a report, receive feedback and then submit a revised version. We investigated two research questions: 1) How did students’ scores on each ability change between the initial and...
We have thematically analysed papers from “The Physics Teacher” journal from its inception in 1963 to 2020, to understand what themes were prevalent in the history of physics teaching. The methodology combined an unsupervised machine learning (ML) method called Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) into a qualitative analysis. Specifically, LDA allowed us to identify patterns of words that...
Prompt engineering has increasingly garnered attention with the widespread use of AI-based chatbots over the past year. The formulation of prompts highly impacts the output of chatbots, which rely on Large Language Models and thus generate text that is a statistically good fit with both its training data and the users’ prompt. Through examples from introductory physics, this study shows how...
Knowledge of solid-state physics, such as electrical and thermal conductivity, is very important due to its influence on the development of modern technologies. Although these phenomena appear in the curricula of elementary school, secondary school and universities, students have many incorrect ideas about them. In order to gain detailed insight into students' understanding, we have developed...
A visit to Quantum Rules! at Leiden University allows secondary school students to appreciate the principles of quantum science and technology. We report the outcomes of quantitative research on the effect on students' perceptions of quantum science and technology, following the addition to the Quantum Rules! experience of a serious game that uncovers ways in which quantum is part of daily life.
We present an interdisciplinary didactic module at the high-school level about Infrared Reflectography and Infrared False Colour imaging of artworks jointly conducted by physicists with an art historian expert in heritage science. The teaching sequence includes use of do-it-yourself materials as well as professional instrumentation. It is shown that this interdisciplinary and practical...
The significance of quantum physics in secondary school curricula is increasing, raising the question of modern approaches to the topic for younger target groups. For this purpose, a state-of-the-art teaching concept has been developed to introduce quantum physics conceptually to grade 9 students, focusing on the electron spin in the context of the quantum computers. Formative evaluation...
Chatbots like ChatGPT represent new tools for generating text. This study aims to investigate their potential incorporation into prospective physics teacher training programs. An exploratory study involving prospective physics teachers (n=39) was conducted to explore their perceptions of ChatGPT’s use in educational contexts. Qualitative analysis of students’ evaluations of...
This study explores the intersection of goals and values in grassroot organisations for quantum technologies (QT) education, emphasizing the distinction between providing education and democratizing learning with inclusivity and accessibility. It analyses how these organisations navigate the early stages, balancing core values with sustainable growth in the specialised QT field. Strategic...
Communicating Science is an elective, inclusive, general-purpose course aimed at equipping students with some basic non-disciplinary skills. The Physics & Engineering students group mo-tivated by personal and professional interest, showed the best correlation with self-reported outcomes in terms of learning expectations, acquired skills, and self-confidence.
A long-standing problem within physics education is the difficulty of transferring ideas learned in a mathematics context into a physics context. To address this, first and second year mathematics courses at the University of Edinburgh are taught to physics majors by physics faculty rather than mathematics faculty. To evaluate this, we have devised a problem categorization task using 12 items...
Student motivation is a perennial problem in tertiary education, and it can be a struggle to maintain student motivation in even the most fascinating courses. Extensive research on motivation broadly provides educators with tools to implement interventions to improve motivation. This study tracks students’ motivations for learning across a teaching period in an online tertiary astronomy...
Students have been trained to use marks as a proxy to judge what is important in our courses and their level of understanding. Viewing educational success only via grades can be an impediment to deeper understanding and learning. We know that a fixed mindset, where students believe that grades measure how smart they are, gets in the way of learning and growth and can also entrench privilege,...
In a cultural, history-based, sense-making approach to Quantum Mechanics multi-representations are fundamental to improve conceptual learning of abstract, mathematical aspects. In fact, they can be integrated among each other allowing students to actively manipulate concepts and instruments which would otherwise be difficult and little accessible. In this presentation we will show different...
This contribution explores the profound effects of generative AI, particularly ChatGPT models, on physics education. By melding performance analyses of GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 across diverse assessments - including 593 physics exam questions, 300 coding submissions, and 300 essay submissions - we unveil nuanced insights into AI's effect on assessment. Our findings reveal that AI rivals human...
