Conveners
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 115 CONT
- Pradip Deb (RMIT University Australia)
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 111 MATH
- Kristina Zuza (UPV/EHU (Applied Physics Department))
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 112 QUANT
- James Freericks
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 113 TEACH
- Iain Moore
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 114 INSTR
- Jenaro Guisasola
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 214 IDENT
- Daniel Cottle (University of Birmingham)
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 213 MATH
- JOSEPH DE MESA (University of the Philippines Open University)
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 212 TEACH
- Marian Kires (Institute of Physics Faculty of Science UPJS in Košice, Slovakia)
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 211 ASTRO
- André Heck (University of Amsterdam)
- André Heck (University of Amsterdam)
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 215 QUANT
- Kim Krijtenburg-Lewerissa (Utrecht University)
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 224 MATH
- Daniele Provenzano
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 223 QUANT
- Benjamin Zwickl
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 225 LAB
- Forrest Bradbury (Amsterdam University College)
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 222 THERMO
- Mojca Čepič (University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education)
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 221 TEACH
- Stephen Gammell (Dublin City University)
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 315 AI
- Guillermina Ávila García (Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CECyT 11)
- Guillermina Ávila García (Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro de Estudios Científicos y Tecnológicos No. 11)
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 313 INTER
- Zuzana Jeskova
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 311 IDENT
- Joanna Francesca Behrman (University of Copenhagen)
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 312 TEACH
- Estelle Tison
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 314 INSTR
- Tetyana Antimirova (Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University))
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 413 DIGI
- Matteo Tuveri
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 411 TEACH
- Mo Basir
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 412 LAB
- Sapna Sharma (St. Bede's College, Shimla, India)
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 423 INF
- Mirela Kaczmarek (University of Wrocław)
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 424 CLIM
- Thomas Schubatzky (University of Innsbruck)
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 426 INSTR
- Ioannis Lefkos (Laboratory of informatics and Robotics in Education and Society, University of Macedonia)
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 421 TEACH
- Eilish McLoughlin
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 425 EVAL
- Eugenio Tufino (University of Padova)
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 422 LAB
- Freek Pols
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 512 QUANT
- Gesche Pospiech
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 513 TEACH
- Tim Bouchée
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 514 OTHER
- Dominique Persano Adorno (Dipartimento di Fisica e Chimica “E. Segré”, Università di Palermo)
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 515 INTER
- Vera Montalbano (University of Siena)
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 516 METHOD
- Laura Gray
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 524 LAB
- Ingrid Krumphals (University College of Teacher Education Styria)
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 521 TEACH
- Valentina Bologna
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 522 COGN
- Drew Rosen (University of Edinburgh)
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 525 INSTR
- Marilù Chiofalo (Department of Physics “Enrico Fermi”, Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, I-56126 Pisa, Italy)
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 523 DIGI
- Wim Bouwman (Delft University of Technology)
Parallel oral presentations: Parallel oral presentations 511 LAB
- There are no conveners in this block
Special relativity is a challenging topic for secondary school students due to its abstract and counterintuitive nature. Thought experiments are often used to make relativistic effects tangible. Prior research has shown that students often express thought experiments in intuitive operationalisations, rooted in everyday experiences. We developed and evaluated a three-part lesson series focusing...
The design of physics education and learning materials in Slovakia is mostly based on constructivist theory, which emphasises pupils’ experiences and prior knowledge as important parts of their learning. However, newer approaches are currently used globally. We applied selected principles from cognitive neuroscience to designing learning materials concerning fluid mechanics. Within this...
This study identifies a global challenge in mathematics and physics education: a widespread "blind spot" of trigonometric derivatives and their implications for physical systems. Data were collected from 700 university science students across four countries: Israel, USA, China, and India. Findings show that 70%-80% of participants were unaware that these derivatives differ when measured in...
To integrate nature of science learning opportunities for pre-service physics teachers into our teacher education program, we first investigate the pre-service teachers' perceptions of physicists. For this, we use an extended version of the Draw a Scientist test, supplemented by open-ended questions on knowledge, skills and personality traits associated with physicists, as well as the relation...
SER literature calls for a less formal approach to quantum mechanics education. We designed such a lesson based on Glynn’s Teaching-With-Analogies model with Kundt’s tube and a quantum well. We researched its implementation asking: What classical and quantum ontologies do Preservice Teachers use? Nine PSTs participated. Qualitative analysis of group dialogues revealed that the PSTs used five...
College physics education aims to develop students’ knowledge of fundamental and interconnected physics concepts such as kinematics. Previous research has examined students’ understanding of kinematics in various studies addressing naïve beliefs, misconceptions, learning difficulties, and knowledge-in-pieces framework. This study explores students’ reasoning in kinematics based on resources...
Cosmic ray research, a new field in physics and astrophysics, emerged in 1912 [1]. Its deeper understanding became possible through advancements in electronics and detectors. However, it was rarely included in citizen science projects. Our CREDO-edu program aims to change this. We created an app for cosmic ray measurements in schools and homes and developed a year-long school curriculum to...
The teaching of physics in secondary schools not focused on science is highly ineffective. It encounters significant challenges due to students’ low motivation and interest, while being perceived as arid. Therefore, it is imperative to reflect on the aims of school education and subsequently endeavour to present the learning of physics as a cultural enrichment rather than merely a prerequisite...
In the physical sciences, today digital data acquisition (DDA) tools play a core role in empirically testing complex theoretical models. However, the integration of DDA into physics teaching remains infrequent, mainly because many teachers lack the professional skills to use these digital tools in classrooms. To address this challenge, we designed a long-term teacher professional development...
The interplay between mathematics and physics in teaching and learning physics is attributed to a distinct domain, "Physmatics," encompassing unique skills and thinking modes. Students often face difficulties in this domain, yet these difficulties and their link to physmatic skills remain underexplored. This study analyzed recordings of high school physics lessons to identify connections...
The Quantum for All project, funded by the US National Science Foundation, provided opportunities for students to learn about various aspects of quantum science by providing professional development for high school STEM educators to learn and practice quantum information science and engineering (QISE). This paper will share qualitative analysis from the feedback surveys highlighting the...
Mathematics plays many roles in physics and physics education. Although these roles have previously been widely discussed in the physics education research community, no systematic picture of the multifaceted considerations has yet been formed. To gain a comprehensive overview of the existing studies on this topic, we have conducted a systematic literature review. In this presentation, we will...
The reasoning of 64 Greek secondary education students about the nature of electromagnetic radiation and its effects on human health is investigated. The study took place in the context of a teaching-learning sequence on argumentation and climate change. Results indicate that students’ reasoning tended to exploit evidence that was accessible as part of the given scenarios but also prior...
Multiple representations are important in physics education as they help students connect concepts, visualize phenomena, and develop a deeper understanding through various modes of representation. However, students often struggle to interpret these different forms of information, which can hinder learning. We examined how pre-service teachers use multiple representations to understand...
Results from a survey of Scottish secondary science teachers are presented. This survey investigated methods of introducing electrical circuits. Biology, chemistry and physics teachers teach science as one discipline in most schools. Results indicate elements of the curriculum as defined are taught, but there is variation in delivery. There is no agreement on definitions, with electrons...
The Rothschild-Weizmann program for excellence in science teaching grants teachers an MSc degree and involves advanced physics courses, going far beyond knowledge taught at Israeli schools. Clearly, such courses deepen content knowledge. However, it is unclear how they change graduates’ teaching. We used semi-structured interviews to study how the instructors of the physics courses view their...
Ionizing radiations are widely used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes and hence saving millions of lives every year. Over 25 million people in the world living with cancer. Nearly 11 million people are diagnosed with cancer every year and more than 60% of them get curative and/or palliative treatment using ionizing radiations through radiotherapy or brachytherapy or nuclear medicine....
The teaching of the concept of energy, along with the processes of energy transformation and transfer in Newtonian mechanics, is a complex issue that continues to present significant pedagogical challenges. This study examines the epistemic practices of High School students (ages 16-18) in Argentina and Spain when solving problems related to energy transformation, transfer, and the application...
In 1925, quantum mechanics was discovered by Heisenberg in the form of matrix mechanics, which was quickly superseded by Schrödinger’s wave mechanics in 1926. The former worked in an energy eigenspace representation, while the latter predominately in a position-space representation. There is a third way to formulate quantum mechanics in a representation-independent fashion, that I call...
Abstract. The aim of this work is to detect the difficulties of second year (3rd semester) chilean students in kinematics with non-constant acceleration. The focus is on questions in which students receive the information in one representation (graphical or algebraic) and have to transform and answer in the other. The analysis was carried out by phenomenography, which allowed us to categorise...
This study explores interdisciplinary approaches to addressing challenges at the intersection of mathematics and physics in secondary education. Involving 297 students, it focuses on collaborative activities integrating vectors, derivatives, and integrals into physics problem-solving. Inspired by research and tailored to local contexts, the interventions aim to strengthen conceptual...
Five Phys-Cards games were designed and introduced over a four-year period in a national network of professional learning communities for high school physics teachers. The games consist of summative, hands-on activities that highlight physics concepts and support knowledge organization, using research-based pedagogical principles. Large-scale surveys and an analysis of teachers' classroom...
This work discusses the pedagogical partnership between faculty and students in our Applied Physics program, aimed at a comprehensive curriculum revision. This unusual approach allows both groups to collaborate as equal partners within the development team. We identify multiple benefits, not only regarding the curriculum itself, but also regarding the professional development of the team...
This study aims to analyse the mental model of secondary school students on the topic of Sun-Earth-Moon system, focusing on Moon phases and eclipses. That for, an open-ended questionnaire was designed and implemented with 265 secondary school students whose answers were analysed with phenomenography. The identified difficulties were similar to the ones obtained in the studies found in the...
Teaching quantum physics (QP) in high school (HS) has become common globally, yet the reasons for including it vary among stakeholders. This study explores the justifications provided by physics education researchers, university-level physicists, and HS teachers, analyzing responses from 54 participants using content analysis. Findings reveal key themes for teaching QP: gaining knowledge,...
The rapid rise of generative AI offers new possibilities for teaching and learning in STEM education. Based on the DigCompEdu framework, our course integrates AI as a key module, providing pre-service STEM teachers with both practical skills and a conceptual understanding of AI models. Students engage with advanced prompting techniques and use AI to enhance their work as future teachers, e.g.,...
This work reports on the administration of an online, interactive survey, assessing the estimates of N=201 high school students on astronomical scales. Five questions were asked, two of which probing estimates on the relative sizes of astronomical bodies, and three on the relative distances between them. We investigated the effects of different question formulations and customised...
Quantum Mechanics (QM) is often taught without sufficient attention to its historical context. This lack of historical perspective affects learners at all levels, from high-school teachers to young researchers. As Physics Education Research Group in Milan, we conducted a study with high-school teachers and prospective teachers to investigate whether and how a series of selected historical...
While common student difficulties in electromagnetic induction have been identified in the literature, the exact points of pitfalls in the sequence of the associated cognitive operations remain unexplored. In the process of administering a questionnaire based on simple electromagnetic induction situations to students, we experienced the need for a fine-grained probe into students’ mental...
In this paper, we aim to understand the relationship between academic engagement and students’ performance in the first university year, specifically in an introductory physics exam in the first semester of an engineering course. To this aim, we explored if the engagement dimensions have a differential effect on students’ performance controlling also for high school background. Overall, 134...
Although kinematics concepts are key in high school and university physics courses, students face significant difficulties in understanding them. Research shows that real-time graph visualization can help improve comprehension of these concepts. In this oral presentation, we will describe a project we are currently developing, which involves the creation of a physical-computational video game...
Abstract. The field of quantum technology is rapidly advancing and therefore the public should have a basic grasp of quantum concepts. To this end, we designed an activity around an optical illusion known as Pepper’s Ghost to introduce the concept of superposition to primary school students and their teachers.
Research question: What opportunities and difficulties do pre-service primary...
Despite educators' efforts using various representations of the celestial sphere to help students reason about the apparent motion of the Sun and stars, this concept remains challenging for students. It is hypothesised that they may not fully grasp the underlying model of the celestial sphere, including its possibilities and limitations. This study aims to explore how secondary school students...
This study explored how physics teacher students use educational technology for visualizing physical phenomena during lesson planning. Ten students participated in lectures, an online session, and a workshop focused on GeoGebra, with data collection focused on the workshop. They evaluated and modified simulations, with video-data analysed using the TPACK framework. Most pairs collaborated...
Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) is an instrument widely used in evaluating the expert-like attitudes of physics students. Data from the University of Helsinki shows that students who begin physics studies have relatively favourable expert-like attitudes, but there is a gender gap in the factor related to self-efficacy. There are statistically significant differences...
Tidal movement is a fascinating phenomenon, but often plagued by misconceptions among students and teachers. This presentation offers physics teachers a clear, accessible model of the frozen (equilibrium) tide, i.e. the tidal movement on an all-ocean world. Using simple expressions for tidal acceleration, water height, and power loss, it provides key insights to address common misconceptions....
Vector analysis is an essential concept that connects both theoretical and practical fields. However, its meaning and use can differ depending on the teaching methods and focus of each discipline. This study aims to explore the perception and understanding of vector analysis among PhD in Education students. The data was collected through online survey from 38 students enrolled in Mathematical...
The digital competences of teachers, as defined in the DigCompEdu framework, play a key role in the digital transformation of education. The SELFIEforTeachers tool enables the assessment of teachers' preparedness to develop pupils' digital competences. The educational environment in schools should create conditions for active pupil learning, targeted competence development, and creative...
Online physics tutoring that provides near peer mentoring can support a university physics department to engage with a more diverse range of young people interested in studying physics. Benefits for young people are in their knowledge of university application, confidence in their physics knowledge and demystifying what it is like to study physics at university.
The integration of quantum physics (QP) into secondary school curricula is a growing area of interest in physics education, yet there is little consensus on which topics to include. To address this gap, we conducted a three-round Delphi study involving a total of 175 experts (physics teachers, physics education researchers, quantum physics experts). The participants provided insights into why...
To investigate secondary school students' understanding of the First Law of Thermodynamics within the Croatian educational system, we developed a test by adapting the "Survey of Thermodynamic Processes and First and Second Laws (long)". The test was administered to students from three Zagreb secondary schools following their completion of thermodynamics content. Data analysis included the...
Despite empirical evidence for the effectiveness of competence-based physics lab courses, they frequently still follow historically developed structures pragmatically using the infrastructure given. In this talk, the design of a hands-on didactic workshop for instructors and the experiences made over the years are presented. An integral feature is the development of learning goals for the...
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. Students are asked to draw vector field diagrams for the given partial derivative before the instruction. After the instruction they have asked to find the sign of the...
Métioui_Abstract_Oral presentation: see proposal enclosed below.
We present research on the development and initial implementation of hands-on demonstration material for quantum entanglement using electronically modified dice. These “Quantum Dice” are equipped with displays, orientation sensors, and wireless communication to simulate basic quantum physics concepts. The system supports various educational scenarios, from basic entanglement demonstrations to...
This study investigates the impact of experiment-based learning and mathematical modeling on high school students' thermodynamics understanding. It aims to bridge the gap between theoretical concepts and real-world applications through hands-on experiments and computer-based simulations. A sample of 120 students engaged in activities on heat and temperature concepts. Pre- and post-assessments...
This study explores physics teachers' perceptions of the qualities needed for a competent physics teacher. Data was collected from twenty-two secondary physics teachers through a semi-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was validated by seven experts using the Lawshe method. Thematic analysis will be employed to identify the key attributes essential for effective teaching. The findings...
Abstract. The transfer of mathematics to physics remains challenging in secondary education. This presentation focuses on four factors hindering transfer: compartmentalized thinking, mismatch in pedagogical approaches, differing teacher beliefs, and a lack of mathematical proficiency. Key design principles for enhancing this transfer include limited intervention in physics textbooks, involving...
This conference contribution presents an educational concept designed to facilitate understanding of the physical principles underlying a nitrogen vacancy (NV) center magnetometer setup. This concept is strongly based on an experimental setup to profit from the quantum application perspective. Additional experiments are incorporated to provide further insights into key related concepts, such...
Creativity is an important higher order skill but it is hard to measure directly. Various
methods to measure students’ collective creativity are compared and discussed. These methods were applied to students’ design proposals for an own choice experiment in soft matter. After comparison, the most promising quantification of collective creativity was a random probability calculation of the...
Despite calls to increase student agency in experimental research practices in the instructional lab, traditional labs remain highly prescriptive. This study took an ecological perspective to examine teachers' considerations when engaging in a professional learning community (PLC) designed to support reform in lab instruction. We focus on small group discussions to analyze teachers’ discourse...
We accept the idea of power of a Force of Nature as it arises from Sadi Carnot’s Waterfall Analogy. We show in what sense power is experientially and conceptually primary, and how it can be used for motivating the energy principle (rather than taking power as derived from the concept of energy). We use a macroscopic steady-state model of irreversible thermal engines for demonstrating that...
Poor student physics proficiency is a matter of concern in Ethiopia. This study explores in-service high school physics teachers’ conceptual understanding, knowledge of students’ understanding and teaching practices in mechanics in the context of Bahir Dar (Ethiopia) as a possible explanation. The FCI was administered in a three-tier approach with 11 teachers and interviews were conducted with...
We present here a teaching unit about bosons and fermions adapted for high school. Despite the importance of the topic as a gateway to many-particle physics, it is absent from most high school curricula and most research on the subject. A teaching unit is presented, and initial findings supporting its adaptation to high school are presented.
This work examines widespread misconceptions about Bernoulli's equation, both in high school and university courses, where students and instructors often overlook the assumptions required for its correct application. By analysing the most common mistakes of Italian students taking part in Physics competitions, the work highlights how errors emerge, particularly in relation to assumptions like...
Quantum principles are driving advancements in quantum computing, communication, and sensing. While quantum computing has gained significant attention in education, quantum sensing remains largely overlooked. To identify opportunities to integrate sensing into existing quantum-related curricula, we performed an analysis of six commonly used textbooks in modern physics, quantum mechanics, and...
Instructional practices in physics classrooms are recognised as having a strong influence on students’ lack of interest and continuation in studying physics. Teachers’ beliefs are reported to have a significant influence on their classroom practices. This study presents the beliefs of 32 secondary teachers' and their classroom practices, after completing a two-year professional learning...
Labs can be effective in teaching critical thinking and developing student self-efficacy for empirical science. Open inquiry labs allow students agency in all phases of an inquiry, from defining the research question, testing, refining, and implementing the research methods, and drawing conclusions from results. A team of teachers of diverse undergraduate lab courses won a grant to collaborate...
Within the U.S., inequities in primary and secondary education are often perpetuated at the collegiate level, notably in calculus-based introductory physics courses. In this presentation, I will discuss a national initiative aimed at addressing these disparities through a multi-pronged approach involving awareness-raising, curriculum development, and research. The curriculum development...
AI literacy is pivotal for students navigating AI-driven environments. This research introduces a novel performance-based AI literacy assessment test targeting high-school students (16–19). Built on foundational AI literacy conceptualisations, the tool aims to predict students’ proficiency in using AI tools effectively. Validation employs Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theories,...
Results of international assessments (PISA, TALIS) revealed below-average performance in scientific literacy, problem-solving and critical thinking of Croatian students and teachers. That highlights the need for improvement. To address this, we undertook an innovative project, integrating ESG principles to contextualize formal knowledge in real-world settings – ESG Junior Program. The program...
This study explores an interdisciplinary strategy integrating physics and art to enhance students' understanding of the electromagnetic spectrum and the photoelectric effect. Through project-based learning, high school students analyse artworks using non-invasive spectroscopic techniques, experiment with UV light on currency security features, and explore artistic representations of...
It is an important challenge for teacher education programs to promote deep understanding of the nature of science (NOS), and the development of a scientist identity among their students. This study examines how internships in modern physics research, as part of the program, can be employed to attain those aims. Interview data and reflective logs reveal that students feel more confident in...
Recent results of the Basic Education Exit Assessment (DepED, 2019; Manila Times, 2020), a national achievement test that was administered to all Grade 12 students, showed that students had a low mean percentage score (MPS) of 41.6% in Language, 32.1% in Science, and 27.9% in Mathematics. Furthermore, 21st century skills were below proficiency. Specifically, the MPS in problem-solving was...
This study explores the impact of sports-integrated physics instruction on high school students from diverse cultural backgrounds, such as the Indian community in Qatar. A study with 120 students in grades 11 and 12 across three schools revealed that integrating sports into physics instruction greatly enhanced students' comprehension of physics concepts, boosted their motivation, and fostered...
A peer mentoring system for helping college physics faculty members improve their teaching towards active-learning styles was implemented in Japan. Peer mentoring provides faculty members with opportunities to observe different ways of teaching physics and to receive advises from their peers. The results indicate that the peer mentoring system raises their motivation towards improving their...
Our bachelor’s Nanobiology electronic instrumentation course has had limited success in fostering student’s conceptual development during, in their perception, tedious lab work. To improve students’ learning outcomes and their time-management abilities, we developed the Background, Anticipate, Simulate, Implement & Investigate, Compare & Conclude (BASIC) framework to reduce cognitive load: by...
In our previous study, we developed an algorithm called chained computerized adaptive testing (Chain-CAT), which sequentially links the test results of each administration. To validate the algorithm, we analysed the progression of the conceptual understanding of each student based on Chain-CAT against a clinical interview, then examined the consistency of both results. A pilot study showed...
Because of a dropout-rate to 60% in physical degree programs in Germany, a students’ learning offer has been developed minimizing their individual school mathematical weaknesses which are one component that students quit their studies without graduation. While the first three degree’s semesters, the students test their maths competencies and get an individual learn path with exercices and...
The ENACT project represents a pioneering interdisciplinary initiative between the University of Padova and the University of Wroclaw, aiming to integrate materials science, advanced data analysis, and machine learning techniques into physics education. By fostering hands-on learning experiences in energy conversion and storage, the project contributes to the development of critical skills...
This study examines the dynamic nature of students' sense of belonging in physics (SoBP) and physics identity (PI) in relation to different physics topics and emotional states. Using a mixed-methods approach, pre-test and post-test surveys were conducted with 54 11th-grade students in a science high school in Turkey. Data collection is ongoing, covering topics such as motion and projectile...
This study explores the integration of large language models (LLMs) in physics laboratory education, focusing on their effectiveness and required adjustments. An LLM assistant was deployed in four implementations involving 190 students in online and in-person instruction. The research identified that LLM performance varies with question type, excelling with factual and analysis questions but...
Preschool teachers make a great effort to show science content to the children they oversee, but the conceptual and operational tools they were provided with in their training are insufficient for them to design and evaluate meaningful scientific experiences. Therefore, it is important to provide them with elements that allow them to bring science closer to the children in an effective and...
Gender equality in physics is a pressing issue as women continue to be underrepresented at almost all levels of education or employment. However, women’s colleges have produced a disproportionate number of female science graduates for over a hundred years. In this longitudinal interdisciplinary study, historical institutional records have been used to create a purpose-built database of...
Concept maps are visual representations of the relationships between concepts. While a typical undergraduate physics course has a long list of concepts, the concept maps help to organize these ideas into a structure. Physics concept maps can be successfully used in introductory physics courses to visualize the concepts hierarchy and make complex and abstract ideas more comprehensible to...
This inquiry refers to how the use of Artificial Intelligence influences the construction of scientific arguments in the process of experimentation in Physics with high school students in Mexico, where a dependence on the excessive use of AI for argumentation was observed, in such a way that limits the development of critical thinking, since AI generates superficial and sometimes inaccurate...
STEM Investigations is a new subject designed for upper secondary school students (aged 17–18) to address real-world problems through interdisciplinary inquiry. Building on knowledge from mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, geography, and computer science, students engage in activities that integrate scientific methods with digital tools. Example topics include diving safety, UV...
In France, one of the four parts of the Cycle 4 (grades 7 to 9) physics curriculum deals with energy. Teachers are asked to clarify the meaning of the words used to talk about energy, in order to link the concept of energy in physics with that of everyday life. Through a lexicographical analysis, we question the meaning given to these words by the authors of textbooks and official documents....
This study explores student-teacher collaboration during undergraduate physics laboratory activities and its impact on self-efficacy. Using a longitudinal pre-experimental design, collaborative networks and self-efficacy regarding experimental set-up, data analysis and error handling were assessed in 4 laboratory sections (N=42). Results show an increase in the frequency of teacher assistance...
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) equips learners with the knowledge, skills, and values for a sustainable future, yet remains limited in science curricula. This study explores: What are science teachers' views on student competences in ESD? How do they prioritize or dismiss these competences in their teaching? Using Q methodology and KADE software, we identified three factor arrays....
Over the past decade, Physics Education Researchers have increasingly focused on Augmented Reality (AR) as a key technological tool. This ongoing study investigates the effectiveness of AR headsets, specifically using the software AnReAL, in teaching motion-related concepts. AnReAL transforms AR headsets into interactive physics labs, enabling real time visualization of mathematical objects of...
This study investigates the deflation dynamics of soap bubbles attached to cylindrical straws, combining theoretical modelling with laboratory experiments. A mathematical model is developed to describe the evolution of the bubble’s radius, incorporating surface tension and viscosity. The experimental setup validates the model, highlighting the importance of precise measurements, statistical...
In education, there is an increasing discussion about the need to transform teaching approaches. Traditional knowledge-oriented education, where the teacher holds a dominant role, is being replaced by methods where the student is an active participant in the learning process. In our study, we replaced traditional teaching methods with the E-R-R teaching framework. This model is designed to...
Extended Reality (XR) technologies including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) offer new opportunities for physics education and may be integrated into classrooms in the future. This study explores their potential through two XR tools designed for secondary students, expanding on prior AR-based physics simulations for undergraduates. Ten science teachers tested these tools and...
Computational literacy is essential for physics students, yet traditional tools can still be challenging for beginners. We introduce a digital tool, AI-enhanced SageMath HTML notebooks, integrating the Mistral AI assistant for code generation, formatting, and explanation. This seamless integration strongly supports numerical and symbolic calculations, data analysis, and visualization. To...
The Bureau International des Poids et Mesures plays a central role in standardizing metrology. Thirty years ago, it shifted its approach to measurement, moving away from the concept of true value and error toward a framework in which a measurement result is represented as a set of possible values. The transposition of the international standard into secondary education is currently underway....
The paper reports results from a project designed to investigate the difficulties that sixty-four pre-service physics teachers experienced while learning to write lab reports after having performed lab experiments. At the same time, they were giving written comments to peers. Sources of data included lab reports, weekly reflection papers, interviews with the participants and peer-to-peer...
Faculty Online Learning Communities (FOLCs) provide sustained support for faculty implementing research-based instructional strategies (RBIS), fostering both immediate pedagogical improvements and long-term professional growth. Synthesizing two studies on the Next Generation Physical Science and Everyday Thinking (NGPET) FOLC, this study examines how faculty transition from curriculum adopters...
The motion of a pendulum, particularly a swing, is a classic example of periodic motion that follows fundamental physical principles. Understanding the factors that affect the amplitude of a swinging object is essential for understanding a wide range of applications. This paper investigates the dynamics of a simple swinging system, analyzing key aspects such as x vs. t, v vs. t, and energy vs....
Primary and lower secondary school students are naturally curious, often exhibiting a "little scientist" attitude. However, curiosity alone is not enough for developing structured scientific thinking, essential for their education. We present the GRAVIS project, an educational program which brings together gravitational waves physics and digital storytelling to engage students in inquiry-based...
This study focuses on investigating question types written on exhibit labels at six different science centres. Exhibit labels are written materials that help visitors communicate effectively with exhibits at a science centre. Different question types can provide insights into exhibit design and scientific activities conducted in science centers. Questions written on labels are analyzed...
To teach effectively, teachers should be capable of presenting clear and cogent arguments about their subjects. This is especially true in empirical sciences, where many curricula aim to make the students understand how scientific thinking on various fields of study creates new knowledge. Computational essays and open data from today’s research world can provide structural support and...
The pressures and responsibilities students face inside and outside the classroom can result in a distribution of pathways and rates required by students to achieve proficiency with course content. Our team has sought to better accommodate this diversity of student experience by implementing a standards-based grading system in our introductory physics courses. We report here our preliminary...
This study explores the adaptation and implementation of STEM teaching modules on climate change by 27 in-service science teachers. Supported by experienced mentors in learning communities, participants engaged in designing and implementing tailored STEM teaching modules to foster climate change education. Teachers adapted pre-existing materials by redesigning activities to align with their...
In 2024, our department launched the ToPLab initiative to implement department-level, sustainable, and evidence-based innovation in teaching labs. The transition from the broader department initiative to course-specific reforms is facilitated by Faculty Learning Communities along with other change strategies. This complex process entails a collaboration between course instructors and physics...
The book trailer technique urges students to create a trailer that engages them deeply with a book. This study adapts this technique to physics education, focusing on the life of Marie Curie and raising awareness of the challenges women face in science. Pre-service science teachers read about Curie and prepared a 3-minute trailer. Data was collected through pre- and post-questions, evaluation...
In this work we want to improve the level of learning for the subject of a ball bouncing on flat ground. We have a group of 15 engineering students. By applying an active learning methodology supported with simulations, we get a better interest in the subject, since the behavior of the phenomenon is exposed, and the initial conditions can be controlled. We show the Hake factor obtained with...
This study aims to analyze the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) physics curriculum in terms of its inclusion of the behavioral profile characteristics of a scientific literate. For this purpose, the “behavioral profile domain” part of the Citizenship Scientific Literacy (CSL) framework was used for the content analysis of the written curriculum and textbook. Results found...
The ADELANTE project addresses challenges in integrating physics labs into secondary education by incorporating smartphones and Arduino microcontrollers into teaching-learning sequences (TLSs) with educational intentionality. Following the Design-Based Research framework, several TLSs were developed, targeting foundational physics topics: motion, energy, forces and fields, waves and particles....
This study reports the preliminary results of an ongoing research which aims to explore a sample of Turkish preservice physics teachers’ reasoning of uncertainty in scientific measurements. The participants consisted of 23 preservice physics teachers. Data sources included written responses to the Physics Measurement Questionnaire (PMQ), laboratory reports, and in-depth interviews. The initial...
The "Physics Debate: Energy and Climate" project is an innovative educational path, focused on climate change and energy issues, which exploits the debate technique (following the World School Style debating model). This activity was proposed, and still is, to many high-school students, with the aim of raising awareness on energy-environmental issues and their social implications, while...
Quantum technologies are seen as transformative, with potential to revolutionize fields like drug discovery and machine learning. Public engagement is crucial to align these developments with societal needs and foster acceptance. This study evaluated the impact of an exhibit about quantum technologies at the 2024 Lowlands music festival on 812 visitors. Pre- and post-surveys assessed changes...
Working with talented students so that they develop their full potential is a challenging task for the standard school education. This is a task for non-formal education. Physics Correspondence Seminar (FKS) is a student organization based at Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University in Bratislava. For the past 40 years, it has been working with talented students,...
The paper presents dissertation research focusing on educational games in physics education. The research aimed to map the key factors that influence the successful use of games in the process of teaching physics in upper-secondary schools. In the research process, five new educational games were designed. These games were introduced into the teaching of physics in upper-secondary schools....
Critical thinking (CT) is essential in physics education, yet teacher training often lacks effective preparation. This exploratory study, based on Halpern’s CT framework and behavioral theories, examines the challenges and attitudes of 23 German prospective physics teachers in a seminar on designing CT-integrated physics lessons. Inductive content analysis of discussions and pre-post...
Evaluating the efficacy of teaching scientific argumentation skills in undergraduate courses is an important task for ensuring that we are providing a high-quality scientific education. To this end, we propose an approach that leverages recent advancements in computational methods to automate the extraction of text from undergraduate student lab reports and identify elements of scientific...
We present an innovative board game for educational purposes in which participants, divided into teams, are called upon to make strategic decisions in the energy sector to improve the economic-social condition of their country. The core message is to show the advantages and disadvantages of the different energy sources, raising participants' awareness of the complexity of the global energy...
Thermodynamics poses numerous conceptual challenges for pupils. Students frequently possess insufficient knowledge structures for advanced contemplation of thermodynamic processes. Aim of physics education research is often to examine students' comprehension or conceptualisation in physics through standardised assessments. This study examines the 28-item questionnaire titled Heat and...
Teachers often teach the way they were taught themselves as pupils in schools and research highlights that if teachers are to use inquiry methods, they must have met and used these practices as part of their own teacher education programmes. A core aspect of physics teacher learning is supporting them to reflect meaningfully on their classroom practices and experiences. This study examines the...
Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) presents significant challenges for educators due to limited experience and inadequate training. This study evaluates a 20-hour professional development program aimed at equipping Primary School teachers with IBL competencies, utilising the Go-Lab platform’s tools and methodology. Through data collected in pre-, mid- and post-training assessments, we claim that the...
Research in physics education has underscored the importance of making school laboratory activities more engaging and student-centered. The ADELANTE (Adopting Digitally-Enhanced Laboratories in a Network of Teachers) Italian project seeks to promote an innovative approach in secondary school physics labs by integrating digital tools—specifically Arduino microcontrollers and smartphones—within...
The transition to a sustainable energy system requires both systemic change and individual behavioral adaptations. While households account for over a quarter of Europe’s energy consumption, promoting energy-saving behaviors is challenging due to possibly limited public knowledge of everyday energy quantities. This study introduces a validated test instrument assessing individuals’ ability to...
Physics competitions are widely recognized as platforms for assessing students' mastery of scientific concepts and problem-solving skills. Beyond evaluation, these competitions foster intellectual development, creativity, and a deeper understanding of physics. More importantly, they cultivate a lasting commitment to and interest in the subject. This paper provides an overview of physics...
Open Educational Resources have the potential to enhance the quality of teaching materials, but various technical challenges can hinder their implementation. In TU Delft’s first-year physics lab course, we use Jupyter Books hosted on GitHub to address these challenges while maintaining student satisfaction with the content. In this presentation, I will explore the benefits of these platforms...
A learning path on electromagnetic waves was designed for high school students. The theoretical framework we adopted is the Model of Educational Reconstruction, reinterpreted by means of Design-Based Research methods. The path was designed considering three interacting factors: the main conceptual issues characterizing the epistemic structure of the theory, the learning difficulties emerged...
This study explores the integration of the Theory of Conceptual Fields and STEAM education to enhance interdisciplinary learning. Centered on carbohydrates, the project engaged students in an inquiry-based challenge to develop an energy solution for triathlon athletes. Through problem-solving across science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, students strengthened conceptual...
This study explores how physics teachers from undergraduate colleges in India develop sense-making abilities while using a photogate to measure the period of a bar pendulum's oscillation. Thirty-five participants arranged experimental setup and analyzed data to overcome challenges like measurement discrepancies caused by asymmetry. Teachers initially struggled to interpret observations but...
The quantum industry demands a diverse workforce with foundational quantum knowledge, extending beyond traditional physics specialists. To address this, the University of Twente developed Quantum for the Curious, a 15 ECTS minor introducing non-physics students to key quantum phenomena and technologies. Guided by the European Competence Framework for Quantum Technologies, the minor enhances...
The interpretation of thermal processes by every citizen is increasingly important today for energy sustainability. In a previous research work based on experiments of thermal interaction and thermal conduction, emerged the difficulty of interpreting the thermal processes in a coherent framework by students who had already studied thermal phenomena at school. This mainly on thermal conduction...
A few decades ago, Barbie dolls appeared, presenting an idealized body image and indirectly affecting education. The curriculum and methods seemed designed for non-existent students. Nowadays, the toy industry recognizes the need for toys with real personality traits. We should not delay; not all students in physics classes are equally super-capable, and there are increasing special...
As part of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025, the Indian Association of Physics Teachers is launching a quantum physics outreach program for secondary and first-year undergraduate students. The program aims to make students aware of quantum science and related technologies through targeted topics. A case study on de Broglie’s matter wave hypothesis leading to the...
Project-Based Learning (PBL) has emerged as a powerful instructional approach, especially in STEM education, by promoting deeper conceptual understanding through hands-on activities. This study employs an Educational Design Research (Qualitative Research to investigate the impact of PBL in geometric optics, focusing on the design and application of a laser waterdrop microscope. By...
This study explored how gender affects the performance and confidence of first-year physics students (445 total, 202 female, 243 male) at a Turkish state university taking a context-based test (CBT). Confidence was measured by having students rate their certainty in the correctness of each answer. A mismatch between accuracy and confidence is considered miscalibration, and bias is calculated...
As a design-based research project, the E2piMINT team developed and evaluated an inclusive and interdisciplinary teaching concept for lower secondary schools to promote interest in science and to provide teachers with effective support for lesson planning. For this purpose, two laboratory activities with experiments from physics, biology and chemistry on the topics of “colours” and “glueing...
Energy is not merely a means to interpret natural phenomena; it is, above all, a topic on which future citizens will be called to take personal and collective decisions that will shape our collective future. It is essential to combine the right mix of scientific topics with historical aspects that are frequently neglected in the school curriculum to foster students' critical mind and motivate...
Abstract. This study explores how Dutch secondary school physics teachers introduce the band gap concept in pre-university education. Quantum physics is challenging to teach due to its abstract nature, but the band gap provides a practical link between quantum principles and real-world materials like semiconductors. Seven teachers will be observed teaching the concept and interviewed about...
Citizen Science stands out as a highly engaging method that can allow students and teachers to delve into physics research. At INFN Frascati National Laboratory we will organize, in collaboration with European Citizen Science Association (ECSA), the European Citizen Science Academy and Citizen Science Italia, a Citizen Science School addressed to high school students, teachers, University...
Quantum technologies rely on superposition and entanglement, concepts that challenge classical physics and provide a rich context for teaching. We developed a course for high school teachers that focused on quantum cryptography and used Thorlabs' educational equipment for hands-on learning. The course covered quantum mechanics, light polarization, and the BB84 quantum key distribution protocol...
A questionnaire about electromagnetic waves was submitted to 35 undergraduate students after the conclusion of the electromagnetism course. The questionnaire consists of 6 multiple choice questions, also asking for justification of the answer. The answers’ analysis was carried out through an iterative categorization process, aimed at verifying the consistence between the selected options and...
This submission outlines the development of a framework which evolved from a need to structure our research findings, and an understanding that publication can be limited if it is not clearly defined. Data analysis from our physics education research project provided the basis for our C-TEIR (Current - Test, Evaluate, Ideal and Reality) process. Both the practical implementation and reporting...
Active learning methods promote curiosity, enjoyment, and engagement by creating an immersive educational experience. Providing a practical application of physics concepts can boost student interest and academic performance, particularly in today’s rapidly evolving landscape. This paper presents a workshop designed for second-year Cybernetics Engineering undergraduates, aimed at developing...
This article looks at quantum physics from different perspectives with the aim of rethinking the teaching of quantum physics with the additional goal of learning about the nature of science. The historical, the worldview and the mathematical-physical perspectives are put in relation to each other. In the contribution, we will examine how the historical formation of concepts and the...
This study is unique in examining how researchers encode components in Toulmin Argument Pattern (TAP)-based applications and their alignment with the TAP framework. Accurate coding practices are important given the increased emphasis on argumentation in PISA, the US National Research Council, and national curricula. As a result of the content analysis, it was seen that the researchers coded...
Physics education at the graduate level in Latin America faces structural and geographical constraints that limit students' access to experimental training. Higher Education Institutions in the region often lack both the human and technical resources required to provide comprehensive hands-on experiences in advanced physics. The LA-CoNGA Physics project financed by Erasmus+ Capacity Building...
Traditional hands-on lab projects provide valuable learning opportunities but are often constrained by limited lab space, staff availability, and equipment constraints. Additionally, students with social anxiety, neurodiversity, or disabilities may face challenges in traditional lab settings. This work presents a novel approach to addressing these issues through the development of a digital...
It is desirable that secondary students gain an understanding of special relativistic concepts such as length contraction. In a thought experiment-based task, 4 small groups of 11th grade students (11 students total) derived the concept of length contraction and applied it in new situations. These preliminary results indicate that thought experiment-based tasks can contribute to the...
This study examines how domain-specific prior knowledge influences visual attention and the interpretation of graphs. Prior knowledge of functional equations enhances focus on value areas and graphs, enabling more efficient processing. In contrast, the influence of prior knowledge about state changes on efficient processing is weaker, possibly because students struggle to transfer conceptual...
This study explores dialogues in secondary schools physics lessons. Physics lessons in the 5th grade (15-17 yr-olds) were observed from nine teachers in six different Dutch secondary schools. Preliminary results show teachers generally assume an authoritative role for a long duration during class, and the contribution of students to dialogues shows varies. At the time of the conference, the...
This study focuses on investigating how undergraduate physics and astronomy students engage with interactive e-books, which I designed to support active learning and digital accessibility for two courses I lecture in the School of Physics and Astronomy at my institution. These e-books integrate simulations, videos, code, and interactive assessments, embedded all in one place, offering an...
We have designed several school scientific activities on central topics in the curriculum of classical mechanics about translational and rotational motions, available at http://www.fep.if.usp.br/~fisfoto. They were developed in a model-theoretical view of science, using videos of experimental arrangements showing the movement of an object next to an instrument to measure its position. Sets of...
Research on Modeling-based Reasoning (MBR) in physics education indicates that students need to move towards understanding the procedural knowledge of building a conceptual model to explain real world phenomena, and validating this conceptual model against measurement models. We have developed a pedagogical model to teach MBR at the undergraduate level, using a simulation that walks students...
This study investigated the impact of a single video lesson with a spaced learning inputs and timed distraction breaks on students learning of a novel physics topic: atomic structure and nuclear decay. Among 336 students aged 14-16, those receiving SL video lessons alone showed comparable results to traditional teaching in separate science physics. However, using SL in addition to traditional...
The experiment of a cylinder rolled on a string that falls vertically while unrolling is used to contextualize the teaching of the equation of motion of a body that turns around an axis with fixed orientation. The activity with students is led on the model-theoretical framework of science developed by Giere in the adaptation made by Izquierdo. The students read the position of the cylinder...
A new inquiry-based teaching sequence on energy was developed by the authors with the aim to improve Croatian secondary students’ (aged 15-16 years) understanding of the basic concepts related to energy (such as work, kinetic, elastic, gravitational and internal energy) as well as their ability to apply the law of energy conservation. The sequence is designed for ten teaching periods and will...
This study examines BuddyCheck's use for peer-evaluation in two project-based BSc electrical engineering courses at TU Delft from 2022 to 2025. We analyse students' academic performance and peer-evaluation results to identify factors critical to their success. Our analysis includes high school and university grades, along with demographic information. BuddyCheck also enables students to...
This study investigates the effectiveness of an acoustics course in improving first-year audiology students' conceptual understanding of mechanical waves. A pre-test/post-test design with 57 participants was employed, utilizing modified Mechanical Waves Conceptual Survey to assess understanding before and after the course. Results showed a significant improvement in students' conceptual...
Dual processing theories (DPT) are increasingly considered in physics education research. However, whilst DPT is an important aspect of thinking and reasoning, there is an impressive body of research suggesting that the primary mechanism of reasoning is via the formation of mental models. Though traditionally viewed as separate topics within cognitive psychology, it might be expected that a...
Remote laboratories enhance science and engineering education by providing flexible, online experimentation. As part of the OnLabEdu project, a learning arrangement within the Characteristic Curve Remote Lab was developed to explore temperature-dependent resistance using a design-based research approach. An initial evaluation with 18 pre-service teachers assessed autonomy, interest, flow, and...
Electricity and Magnetism is a first-year course for about 250 Applied Physics students at TU Delft. To support learning, we developed an open, interactive textbook featuring short videos, descriptive texts, and Python-based illustrations. This article explores the creation process, content, and current use of the textbook in our teaching.
Many students in introductory physics courses struggle to form a conceptual understanding of physics, with additional challenges in short courses with no calculus. Tutorials by the University of Washington PEG are well-established tools to improve understanding and physics reasoning. To face these additional challenges, we introduced tutorials containing context-rich problems to a first-year...
This study investigates the cognitive demand of standard versus non-traditional Physics problems developed in the ISLE (Investigative Science Learning Environment) approach. Referencing Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy, we analyze tasks identified by action verbs in problem statements from Italian high school textbooks, comparing them to a reference sample of non-traditional problems. Our comparison...
Physics problems both found in classroom settings and encountered in real world scenarios can often include extraneous or unnecessary information. If the information is salient, it can capture attention potentially driving the problem solver towards an incorrect solution. To understand the role of such features in physics questions, we have tasked undergraduate students with solving one of...
