Physics Education
At the start of the COVID 19 pandemic, the majority of secondary instruction in the United States transitioned to an online environment. In many parts of the country, online schooling continued for upwards of two years. Many experts have…
One of the objectives of the undergraduate physics curriculum is for students to become aware of the connections between formal physical principles and personal experience. However, research has shown that awareness of connections between…
Physics Education Research has shown that the active methodologies are better than traditional methodologies, the most popular are PODS and PI. However, there are three problems that blur their effectiveness: first, the pre and post-test do…
Optics is a core field in the curricula of secondary physics education. In this study, we present the development and validation of a test instrument in the field of optics, the Converging Lenses Concept Inventory (CLCI). It can be used as…
We describe a set-up for measurement of the absolute zero by Johnson-Nyquist thermal noise which can be performed within a week in every high-school or university. Necessary electronic components and technical guidelines for the…
Problems involving boundary conditions on corrugated surfaces are relevant to understand nature, since, at some scale, surfaces manifest corrugations that have to be taken into account. In introductory level electromagnetism courses, a very…
In this paper, we calculate the gravitational acceleration by using simple pendulums within the designated World Pendulum Alliance: a network constituted by fourteen institutions in eight countries, each provided by a pendulum that can be…
In 2018, in response to the proposed elimination of physics at a predominately Hispanic and socioeconomically disadvantaged (SED) high school, the Northern California/Nevada chapter of the AAPT investigated school demographics and their…
Computational thinking is a key skill for space science graduates, who must apply advanced problem-solving skills to model complex systems, analyse big data sets, and develop control software for mission-critical space systems. We describe…
Educational research highlights that improved careers education is needed to increase participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Current UK careers resources concerning the space sector, however, are found to…
This paper presents a new astronomy self efficacy instrument, composed of two factors, one relating to learning astronomy content, which we call astronomy personal self efficacy, and the other relating to the use of astronomical…
Mathematical and numerical modeling is an increasingly important, yet often neglected, topic for biology students. We have found Glowscript to facilitate teaching and introducing computer simulations to students. In particular, the built-in…
The quantum eraser is a variation of the celebrated Young's interference experiment that can be used to demonstrate the elusive complementarity principle in quantum physics. Here we show the construction of its classical analogue for…
In Japan, research activities by junior and senior high school students show an upward trend. However, there are limited examples of research activities in the field of elementary particles and atoms. This is due to the difficulty…
We report results from a study designed to identify links between undergraduate students' views about experimental physics and their engagement in multiweek projects in lab courses. Using surveys and interviews, we explored whether students…
Covariational reasoning -- reasoning about how changes in one quantity relate to changes in another quantity -- has been examined extensively in mathematics education research. Little research has been done, however, on covariational…
We are developing a new research based assessment (RBA) focused on quantitative reasoning -- rather than conceptual understanding -- in physics contexts. We rapidly moved administration of the RBA online in Spring 2020 due to the COVID-19…
We have developed the Physics Inventory of Quantitative Literacy (PIQL) as a tool to measure students' quantitative literacy in the context of introductory physics topics. We present the results from various quantitative analyses used to…
The observed performance difference between women and men on assessments in physics---the "gender gap"---is a significant and persistent inequity which has broad implications for the participation of women in physics. Research also shows…
In this study, we adapt prior identity framework to investigate the effect of learning environment (including perceived recognition, peer interaction and sense of belonging) on students' physics self-efficacy, interest and identity by…