Conveners
Poster session: Target: Early Science/Primary & Secondary Level
- Wim Peeters (PONTOn vzw)
Poster session: Target: University & General
- Wim Peeters (PONTOn vzw)
Cosmic Ray research is a new branch of physics and astrophysics, which was not known until their discovery in 1912 by Victor Francis Hess [1]. Its deeper understanding has been possible through the development of electronics and detectors. Therefore it was rarely introduced to school curricula. Our CREDO-edu program will reverse the trend of avoiding 20th-century discoveries in physics...
The following contribution is part of the outreach project of the Transregional Collaborative Research Center (TRR360) that revolves around Constrained Quantum Matter (ConQuMat). To shed light on quantum physics and inspire curiosity among young minds we create three interactive and engaging school lab units bridging the gap between school physics knowledge and high-end quantum matter...
This paper describes a video study of physics demonstrations for upper-secondary school students from the perspective of parties relevant in physics education – physics teacher trainers, pre-service physics teachers, in-service physics teachers and upper-secondary students. The video-recordings of the performances are divided into numerous short sections, which are evaluated on prepared rating...
The Meter ZD1301A is an affordable multipurpose instrument designed for classroom demonstrations and basic experiments. The device can function as a stopwatch, event counter, RPM meter, digital frequency meter and gamma counter. External components such as photogates, TTL cable for frequency measurements and a Geiger tube can be connected to the device. By introducing our instrument, we hope...
The laws of physics are perceived as complicated, and difficult to explain. Popular media and school textbooks do provoke some issues perceived as challenging to understand. In general opinion, it is a disliked and complicated subject. We show that one of the solutions to this problem is to show students the practical application of physics in the fascinating field of aviation. An example is...
Our poster shows the educational game "Mad Scientist". We organised it, among others: during summer camps at the Aviation Education Center. We have presented knowledge of physics in a scenario related to discovering inventions and getting to know scientists. Through elements of competition and fun, we tried to provide kids not only with knowledge, but also with the method of inquiry through...
The role of quantum physics in the high school curriculum has been emphasized recently. However, the curricular documents cannot bring a complete picture of incorporating quantum physics into the school reality. In this paper, we present a quantitative questionnaire for high school physics teachers as a research tool for investigating the current state of teaching quantum physics at high...
The ADELANTE national project aims at facilitating the adoption of investigative laboratories enhanced by digital technologies in secondary school. A country-wide network of 16 “teacher leaders” was established to develop teaching-learning sequences featuring digitally enhanced laboratories, to be shared with a wider community of teachers in the next phase. To monitor teachers’ competences...
An inquiry-based teaching programme was developed to have students work on Weekend Lab Challenges with the aim of enabling students to develop a view of what they learn in secondary school physics lessons that they can use in their daily lives and in their future lives.
Working on challenges at home not only brings physics learning out of the laboratory and into everyday life, but also allows...
While astronomy is not a standalone subject in the Slovakian educational system, some astronomy concepts are integrated within Physics courses. This study explores how teachers utilize non-formal educational resources to supplement physics instruction and their perspectives on incorporating astronomy. Data from a survey of 33 teachers reveal that while many recognize astronomy's appeal, time...
CERN is the world’s largest particle physics laboratory. It’s the home of the most powerful particle accelerator in the world, which enables scientists to study the fundamental interactions between elementary particles. CERN also offers a unique environment for learning and training. CERN Science Gateway, a brand-new science education and outreach centre that opened on 7 October 2023, offers...
The goal of the CLIMADEMY Erasmus + project is to create a community of practice and network to facilitate the establishment of creative professional development techniques and programs for serving as well as ongoing professional development for teachers about climate change and its effects. A Teachers' Academy, which will be established through four hubs in different countries as well as a...
This contribution offers preliminary ideas for creating a part of a higher secondary school educational program aimed at the holistic development of students. The ideas we illustrate by development of the concept of force, as found in several traditional topics of physics education. We ground our work on the neuroscience view of learning as formulated by T. Tokuhama-Espinosa, and the concept...
We live in a time of enormous technological progress that cannot be ignored or stopped. It affects every sphere of human activity, including education. Therefore, teachers face an increasing challenge in motivating students, especially in physics. Classic experiments are often difficult to perform using outdated experimental equipment and cannot compete with the stimulating environment. Our...
Who hasn't wondered how something as big as an airplane can stay in the sky? Why does a balloon float in the sky? Curiosity about the world is a natural feature for children, but the trick is not to make it disappear when we teach them scientific knowledge. During summer camps at the Aviation Education Center, we put (not only) physical knowledge into a construction scenario. Through elements...
Despite intensive educational efforts, it is generally known that many students still hold numerous astronomical misconceptions by the time they leave secondary school. While the identification of these misconceptions has been widely studied, much less research is devoted to retracing their origin. This work is motivated by the notion that many misconceptions may stem from erroneous estimates...
The interdisciplinary nature of science education often leads to a focus on observing phenomena, neglecting to take care of the epistemic aspects and the acquisition of awareness of basic methodologies. Among these aspects are the properties of matter, their measurement, and their role in physics laws. Our proposal for this study focuses on the application of a mixed model EL-CP-ES to build...
This study examines the effect of the flipped classroom (FC) model on secondary vocational school students through the development of their domains described in the Integrated Taxonomy [1]. This research fills a gap in the Hungarian scientific community having only a few papers written on the FC model examining its effect. Three classes (72 students) participated in the research during Physics...
Inspired by the Reggio Emilia Atelier experience and embracing the DHAC (Development of Habits in Apprenticeship Community) framework, we promoted an in-service Physics teacher training program called “Creative Atelier for Physics Exercises and Problems”. The program aimed to activate teachers’ creativity and skills, expanding their knowledge in deconstructing and re-building from “regular”...
As part of a broader project on students understanding of Newtonian mechanics, a new test-instrument on two-dimensional motion with 36 items has been developed. The instrument probes students understanding on speed, velocity, change of velocity, the relationship between force and motion and the 3rd Newton Law. The test is administered to 140 lower secondary school students aged 12-14 in...
Physical pendulums are commonly used to study the dynamics of rotating systems. The aim of our study is to describe a simple physical pendulum experiment and provide an HTML5 simulation designed for investigating the experiment. In the experiment, we utilize a system consisting of a steel rod and a movable solid sphere as the pendulum. Both the experiment and simulation are intended for high...
This work is concerned with well-known difficulties felt by young students on dealing with Physics learning in schools. We have developed an active learning methodology aiming at the understanding of Sound by 8th grade students, mediated by the use of experimental tools in the classroom which potentiate a gradual building of successive correct cognitive structures. Aware of Physics teachers’...
STEM education is a learning management approach in which students acquire the ability to integrate scientific knowledge, technology, mathematics and engineering processes. Particular attention is paid to the development of so-called "twenty-first century skills", among which ICT skills play significant role. For the needs of research, innovative classes will have been conducted, during which...
One of the most important senses of the human body is the sense of hearing. In Austrian schools ,hearing’ and related physical concepts (sound generation and propagation) are already part of the physics curriculum in 6th grade (age 11-12). However, for this target group, evidence-based teaching concepts covering research findings on learning difficulties and student concepts are not available....
This study presents a sequence of activities aligned with Nature of Science (NoS) principles to engage students in scientific knowledge-building, emphasizing the empirical nature of science. Designed for an experimental physics course for future teachers, the activities explore Zeno's paradox of Achilles and the tortoise. They include experimental and theoretical analyses of phenomena like the...
The Specola Margherita Hack merges cutting-edge technology with historical insight to revolutionize astronomical education and public engagement. The ground floor features an interactive, multilingual multimedia exhibit that not only chronicles the Astronomical Observatory's extensive history but also integrates immersive technologies such as a 3D-projection of the Reinfelder telescope and...
This communication explores the application of Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) utilizing smartphones and Jupyter Notebooks to introduce students to the amplitude spectrum as a graphical representation. Through targeted activities, students engage with real-world applications, analyzing sound signals and exploring sound properties in an accessible manner. We introduce our methodology and the...
The current development of artificial intelligence is driving transformations of various sectors, including education. We focus on examining the use of chatbots in science education: especially, what proportion of students have experience with using chatbots in learning science, and what activities they use chatbots for. The survey was conducted with upper-secondary students (N = 1175) via an...
Concept inventories are crucial for assessing students' understanding. The Climate Change Concept Inventory (CCCI-422) was developed to meet the need for a reliable assessment-tool in German for assessing the effectiveness of educational interventions and informing policy decisions in addressing this pressing issue. To make it accessible internationally, the CCCI-422 underwent a systematic...
Technological, Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model is used as a conceptual framework to define knowledge domains that are required for teachers to successfully incorporate technology in the classroom. Smartphones represent the most accessible resource among the existing technological tools in Georgian schools, surpassing other gadgets, that are widely used by both teachers and...
Teacher professional development (TPD) is a research topic that offers differentiated theoretical frameworks in the literature, giving rise to several evidence-based findings from specific research. Less common is the study of how networks of differentiated competence can produce improvements for actions on TPD. This contribution offers the experience and problems identified by an Italian...
The goal of ECOPOLIS is to develop and evaluate a physics education concept for the use of the digital learning game called Cool It. It focuses on the greenhouse effect challenging the player to remove greenhouse gases. To encourage use of Cool It the game was embedded into a teaching unit and learning success was measured using a mixed-method approach using questionnaires, interviews, and...
This exploratory study addresses the effectiveness of professional learning networks (PLNs) in improving high school physics teachers' understanding and teaching of quantum physics (QP). The research focuses on how participation in a quantum physics-focused PLN can increase teachers' content knowledge (CK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), which ultimately enhances their teaching...
The collaboration of the University of Trento (Italy) with high schools in its province gave us the opportunity to test at that school level the teaching-learning sequence developed by our group on teaching the physical basis of the greenhouse effect.
The sequence had to be adapted to the new learning context: actions were taken both at the level of language, content and order of topics. In...
The physics laboratory is a very engaging teaching tool and allows to clarify fundamental conceptual issues of physics. However, little time is often dedicated to it. Problems, like the lack of maintenance of the instruments or the limited equipment available, could render it difficult. The LAb2Go project propose support in an optional laboratory. The activities carried out as part of this...
Promoting gender equality in STEM disciplinary teaching and self-assessment skills in students requires transversal competences and methodologies that are usually not included in teachers' cultural background. Based on previous experiences, we implemented, in an interdisciplinary team, two in-service training courses for teachers. In one, after introducing the topic of gender and related...
STEM approach encourages interdisciplinary thinking while also emphasizing connections between the fields of science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics and sport. Biomechanical analysis in rowing examines athletes' movements, muscle activity, movement of joints and energy transfer in detail, providing key insights to optimize their performance. In this study, we performed a...
This study uses a multidisciplinary approach to train secondary school teachers on sustainability to promote active learning and behavioural engagement. The teacher training course seeks to improve teachers' understanding of the complexity of sustainability through various topics, including climate, energy considerations, economic and legal aspects, and socio-anthropological perspectives. The...
In this research, focused on selected topics on thermodynamics and statistical physics in secondary and higher education, we aim to find out how well the basic concepts are defined in high school and university literature. Critical analysis of available textbooks and teaching materials was carried out. By examining the accessible Czech and foreign language textbooks, as well as multimedia...
This paper is based on previous works [1, 2] and is an extension of my doctoral thesis [3] completed at the University of Lille under the direction of Prof. Raffaele Pisano. A comprehensive course on the Galileo's physics of motion was implemented in curricular time with particular emphasis on laboratory activities. A questionnaire was administered before and after the teaching activity held...
This practitioner inquiry study evaluates two support models, Model Order Progression (MOP) and Concept Maps (CM), for inquiry-based learning of the photoelectric effect. The support models were evaluated on their impact on cognitive load, knowledge, retention, and scientific literacy. Results did not show a significant difference between the two models; however, the effect size showed a...
Teacher quality significantly impacts student learning outcomes in physics. While traditional teacher education programs emphasize the development of professional competencies, alternative pathways, like the “Quereinstieg” in Austria and Germany, are increasingly common due to teacher shortages. Surprisingly, existing research suggests comparable teaching quality between traditionally and...
Teaching quantum physics requires teachers to be mindful of how students connect bodily experiences with abstract models. However, the abstract nature of the quantum realm implies a lack of well-functioning real-world analogies. In the current study, we examine the prominent Bohr atomic model and its presence in educational materials through the joint lens of embodied cognition and variation...
The present didactic strategy generates in students a relationship between a topic of their interest such as aviation and the physical concepts treated in the field of aerodynamics, specifically Bernoulli's law. Intellectual skills such as asking questions, formulating and contrasting hypotheses will be stimulated in students, which will help in the learning process. The project method...
The STEM-id project responds to the critical need for an integrated STEM teaching approach in the wake of accelerating climate change. In a first phase eight qualified science teachers (4 physics teachers and 4 primary teachers) collaborate with science education and climate science researchers to create integrated STEM modules on climate change. In a second phase, 24 in-service teachers will...
These days we have unlimited access to an overabundance of information. Some of it is not true or not based on scientific knowledge. Therefore, we should be developing the critical thinking skills of students. We need to teach them how to verify information, recognize scientifically correct information and ask questions or draw conclusions appropriately. This contribution presents an initial...
The Physics Teaching Seminar introduced in the second year of undergraduate studies, serves as an important component in preparing pre-service physics teachers for their future profession. It provides students with early insights into the diverse aspects of teaching, engaging them in discussions on various facets of the „teaching craft”. We build the seminar upon both our and students’...
Level of scientific reasoning was measured using the Lawson test of scientific reasoning for 1st-year students entering the Faculty of Science at Palacký University in Olomouc and 3rd-year pupils in grammar school in Czechia. Besides the standard item and test characteristics, we also identified possible factors affecting the scores. We tested five hypotheses based on sex of the examinees,...
The square inverse law with distance plays an important role in many fields of physics covering electromagnetism, optics or acoustics. However, as every law in physics has its range of validity. We propose a laboratory where we challenge these concepts by proposing experiments where the intensity of light decays linearly or even remains constant over a range of distances. This laboratory,...
The aim of this research is to monitor the gender gap in a sample of high school and university students, through a survey by multiple choice test in a well-defined sector of physics teaching (Nuclear Physics). The survey results were analyzed and compared with a fixed threshold reference value and used as a measurement of empathy toward hard-science topics. The comparison with gender...
In this research, we aim to gain insights into the epistemological factors facilitating interdisciplinary skill development in students, during and after the degree. We designed and conducted surveys containing similar problems presented in various disciplinary contexts, and participants from Physics and other Schools in Science and Engineering were asked to categorise these problems based on...
The university drop-out is a complex phenomenon that has different implications both at an individual and at a structural level. In this poster, we present a study to explore the relationships between engagement, psychological distress, academic motivation, the intention to leave the university, the actual drop-out and academic performance. The study will involve about 1000 students enrolled...
This paper explores the challenges faced by Australian universities in teaching Medical Radiation Technology (MRT) to students without a high school physics background. The primary challenges identified include a lack of basic physics knowledge, difficulty in understanding complex MRT concepts, and limited problem-solving skills. These challenges often hinder students' ability to grasp...
We discuss role of the Basic Physics Laboratory classes in the didactic process at the Faculty of Physics of the Adam Mickiewicz University. We show that these classes allow the improvement of specific hard skills as well as soft competences, that make students competitive in today’s job market. The skills taught in the Basic Physics Laboratory are therefore crucial not only for the...
We introduce an economical quantitative optical experiment aimed at acquainting students with the near- and far-field diffraction regimes, as defined by the Fresnel-Kirkhoff and Fraunhofer models, respectively. This experiment demonstrates the transition using a triangular slit. It incorporates the use of cost-effective, easily accessible materials, along with a basic camera, typical of those...
This study aims to develop a critical thinking (CT) model suited for pre-service physics teachers engaged in quantum physics learning. To achieve this, Halpern’s Critical Thinking framework is used, due to its relevance to physics education and its focus on critical thinking skills applicable to quantum physics phenomena like probability, indistinguishability, uncertainty, superposition,...
Within the present study, we empirically examine an example frequently cited in the literature on physics teaching to illustrate that one’s naive conceptions can influence the observation of a natural phenomenon. Conducted through an online survey, we challenged 158 participants to predict, reason, and observe the enlightenment of a light bulb filament. Our interim results reveal a...
A synthesis of the Inter-American Conferences on Physical Education, their organization and areas of interest is presented, considering the papers presented in the last three held (Uruguay 2019, Costa Rica-Guatemala 2021 and Brazil, 2023). The themes and subthemes thereof and the analysis criteria of the papers presented therein are presented
MaSCot project aims to upgrade the informal science learning experiences regarding the communication of materials science developments through the collaboration of the Department of Primary Education and the Materials Science and Technology department of the University of Crete. This paper presents the preliminary results of the analysis of the educational visits currently organized by the two...
Japan's AI strategy requires higher education institutions to train data scientists based on mathematical science. We have developed and implemented a new curriculum for "Mathematics, Data Science, and AI" education at Kagawa University. This curriculum consists of a literacy level, an applied basic level, and an advanced program. Student testing and evaluation results confirm that the program...
Our contribution addresses the computational challenges in physics and STEM education posed by advanced models. We introduce SageMath, a Python-based CAS software that integrates numerous open-source packages. We illustrate two pivotal modeling features: the desolve_odeint procedure for fast and accurate numerical solutions of differential equations and the LMFIT library for fitting their...
Traditional educational institutions are no longer the main source of scientific knowledge for students since the socio-technological transformations of the second half of the 20th century. This role goes to the most varied forms of media. Also, not all physics topics are simple to deal with in high school. Movies and series intrigue students and make them raise questions to the physics...
This research tries to map the failures and misunderstandings that lead to the perception of the earth as flat, and sort them into two types: the lack of scientific knowledge, and misconceptions about the nature of science. From this it is possible to propose educational emphases that can deal with these perceptions.
Understanding reversible and irreversible processes in thermodynamics presents a significant challenge for undergraduate physics students in India. The idealized nature of reversible processes often proves difficult to replicate in laboratory settings. In our activity, inspired by the widely recognized demonstration of food colour drops in highly viscous liquids, we provide students with a...
Abstract. The so-called Betz limit is commonly used to calculate how much mechanical power can be collected from the wind. According to this limit, no mechanism can capture more than (16/27) of the kinetic energy in the wind flow. In this work, a first principles derivation of the Betz limit is presented. It includes elements of linear momentum transfer in the fluid dynamics context in a...
The effect of not giving grades for assignments was investigated in calculus-based introductory mechanics courses at a Japanese engineering college. In the class that was treated as a control group, assignments were graded. In the experimental group class, assignments were given submission points regardless of content, and only feedback was provided. Final exam scores were higher in the...
Higher education institutions providing education of future physics teachers in Czechia experienced lately an increase of students, who are teaching apart from their mandatory teaching practice. To understand this phenomenon a questionnaire survey on students’ motivation and teaching experience was prepared and conducted among 80 Czech students of physics education. This contribution presents...
Our case study examines the shift from traditional teacher training colloquia after teaching practicums to asynchronous Perusall conferences. Two groups of master's students (N = 6 per group) in STEM fields participated in this research. Post-practicum, each student uploaded three video presentations on their teaching experiences to the social reader Perusall, which were then discussed...
What your body feels in swings, carousels or rollercoasters is related to the forces required to change motion. These forces can be visualized with small toys or be measured by a smartphone accelerometer, giving data that can be analysed in the physics classroom. The embodied experiences, as well as accelerometer data, depend on the equivalence between inertial and gravitational mass, which...
The aim of this contribution is to showcase the results of a nation-wide survey conducted in the Czech Republic on general public regarding the long-lasting opinions on physics and physics education originating mainly in lower secondary school and high school physics classrooms in collaboration with the Institute of Sociology. The results of this survey aim to support the modern ideology of...
This contribution summarizes several theoretical models for the value of the gravitational acceleration g. Significant deviations among the predicted theoretical values from these models can be observed. They are compared with experimental values from worldwide open remote laboratories within the World Pendulum (WP@ELAB) Project. Moreover, behaviour of several UJEP and Škoda Auto University...
This paper focuses on a teaching intervention on the measurement of temperature and the intensity of solar radiation, by the students, accompanied by a survey with anonymous questionnaires. The sample consisted of students of the last grade of the Greek Primary school (grade 6). The didactic intervention and the measurement of the solar radiation and the temperature are carried out through an...
