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Physical Review Physics Education Research

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Volume 20, Issue 2 (partial)

July - december 2024, video clubs in physics teaching assistant training: teaching assistants’ experiences, lehtinen antti, lehesvuori sami, maunuksela jussi, hämäläinen raija, and koskinen pekka, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 20 , 020101 (2024) – published 12 july 2024.

Video clubs, where teaching assistants watch and discuss videos for pedagogic development, promoted undertaking teaching practices.

Show Abstract

Network analysis of students’ conceptual understanding of mathematical expressions for probability in upper-division quantum mechanics, william d. riihiluoma, zeynep topdemir, and john r. thompson, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 20 , 020102 (2024) – published 15 july 2024.

Students in a spin-first quantum mechanics course make stronger connections between Dirac notation and vectorlike concepts than with wavelike concepts.

Characterizing decision-making opportunities in undergraduate physics coursework

Barron j. montgomery, argenta m. price, and carl e. wieman, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 20 , 020103 (2024) – published 29 july 2024.

In undergraduate physics courses many decisions that are important for problem solving in the real world either are not encountered or are reduced by being explicitly made for the students.

Evaluation of a new teaching-learning sequence on the particulate nature of matter using crystal structures

Florian budimaier and martin hopf, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 20 , 020104 (2024) – published 29 july 2024.

The development and testing of a teaching-learning sequence focused on the particulate nature of matter.

Using a research-based assessment instrument to explore undergraduate students’ proficiencies around measurement uncertainty in physics lab contexts

Gayle geschwind, michael vignal, marcos d. caballero, and h. j. lewandowski, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 20 , 020105 (2024) – published 31 july 2024.

Since students in undergraduate physics labs do not understand why it is important to collect more than one data point, instructors should emphasize why rather than just making minimum requirements without justification.

Network analysis of graduate program support structures through experiences of various demographic groups

Robert p. dalka and justyna p. zwolak, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 20 , 020106 (2024) – published 5 august 2024.

A network approach analysis of responses to the aspects of student experience scale identifies important groups of experiences for different demographic groups.

Assessment of conceptual understanding in student learning of evaporation

Yi zou, xinyu xue, lizhen jin, xiao huang, and yanbing li, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 20 , 020107 (2024) – published 6 august 2024.

A large study among Chinese junior-high students revealed conceptual difficulties with macroscopic and microscopic models for evaporation.

Investigating and improving student understanding of the basics of quantum computing

Peter hu, yangqiuting li, and chandralekha singh, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 20 , 020108 (2024) – published 6 august 2024.

A tutorial with inquiry-based learning sequences supports students to develop a functional understanding of quantum computing.

Development, evaluation, and gender differences in a novel workshop intervention to narrow the physics gender gap at postcompulsory level

Agata lynch, michael cauchi, and gráinne walshe, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 20 , 020109 (2024) – published 15 august 2024.

A short single-session workshop for lower secondary students can significantly increase girls self-reported intention to study physics.

Investigating introductory and advanced students’ difficulties with entropy and the second law of thermodynamics using a validated instrument

Mary jane brundage, david e. meltzer, and chandralekha singh, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 20 , 020110 (2024) – published 19 august 2024.

Student confusion about certain aspects of the entropy concept often increase as instruction progresses.

Dynamics of productive confirmation framing in an introductory lab

Ian descamps, sophia jeon, n. g. holmes, rachel e. scherr, and david hammer, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 20 , 020111 (2024) – published 23 august 2024.

Successfully implementing curricula where students engage in doing science requires instructors attend to students and make sense of their behavior.

Exploratory analysis of students’ open-ended responses describing their perception of course inclusivity in an introductory physics course

Vanessa p. bustamante, hannah e. blomgren, dasha k. walker, joshua d. edwards, and regina f. frey, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 20 , 020112 (2024) – published 26 august 2024.

Regardless of class size, introductory physics instructors can make instructional choices so that students perceive their their classes to be interactive and collaborative.

Effectiveness of conceptual-framework-based instruction on promoting knowledge integration in learning simple electric circuit

Zengze liu, sudong pan, and lei bao, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 20 , 020113 (2024) – published 6 september 2024.

Instruction based on the conceptual model is effective in promoting knowledge integration and deep learning.

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• Published: 14 March 2024

Unlock the potential of a physics education

Nature Physics volume  20 ,  page 335 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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This month in Nature Physics , we publish a Focus issue that highlights the importance of physics education research.

Physics curricula and education systems have remained largely unchanged for decades, and much can be done to improve them. For example, the well-documented lack of diversity in physics starts at undergraduate level. As a result, much potential talent is missed and the under-representation of minoritized groups is amplified at each career stage. Additionally, the aim of many physics courses is still to train students to work in academia, thus making graduates less prepared for careers in industry.

A Focus in this month’s issue of Nature Physics provides an overview of the current state of physics education research and offers recommendations on how to make learning environments more equitable and inclusive, diversify graduates’ skillsets and enable them to tackle important societal issues and challenges.

With teaching sometimes perceived as being forced on researchers as one of the many additional tasks they must accomplish and with little departmental support, tackling inequity and updating curricula can feel overwhelming. However, a Review about equity and inclusion in physics learning environments by Chandralekha Singh and Alexandru Maries stresses that a physics instructor’s mindset and intentions can have a significant impact on the diversity in physics courses.

Unthinking comments about the ‘triviality’ of an assignment or preconceptions about who can and cannot do physics will have hugely damaging effects on people from minoritized groups. Informing oneself of the effects of one’s attitude during teaching can be the first step to prevent setting up courses that widen existing gaps in achievement. These actions at the individual level must be supported by departments. Singh and Maries provide structural advice for physics departments as a whole and emphasize that simple interventions can empower all students.

In a similar vein, a Comment by Geraldine Cochran and coauthors analyses the specific example of racial equity in physics education research. They highlight that much research up until now has focused on elite universities with predominantly white student populations and advocate for an emphasis (both in focus and in funding) on intersectional research aimed at decolonizing physics research.

On a more practical level, the Focus issue includes two pieces about how to structure physics courses and how best to engage with the Gen-Zers — often defined as those born between 1997 and 2012 — who make up the majority of today’s undergraduate classes. In a Comment that discusses how to put together a physics curriculum for these so-called digital natives, Jenaro Guisasola and Kristina Zuza discuss the benefits of a student-centred active learning approach in physics courses. They argue that traditional, lecture-based methods are insufficient to prepare students for the increasingly wide range of potential careers outside of academia. Such active teaching should be done in conjunction with diversity, equity and inclusion discussions, and students should be encouraged to consider their identity as physicists and their role in society.

The benefits of active learning are further elaborated in a Perspective that places them in the context of the current generation of learners. Nam-Hwa Kang emphasizes the importance of considering the defining characteristics of the students currently going through the education system in order to set up an effective curriculum. Today’s students are unlikely to be satisfied with traditional teaching styles and need an education structure that lets them take responsibility for their own learning with the help of digital technology. This approach will not only benefit students’ understanding of physics but will also help them effect change in the world around them.

On the topic of digital technology, a Comment by Marcos D. Caballero and Tor Ole Odden describes how to effectively integrate scientific computing into undergraduate physics courses. As the reach and importance of computing grows, it is crucial that students understand its power and pitfalls. This is valuable transferrable knowledge that will help regardless of whether the students continue into academia or take jobs elsewhere.

We at Nature Physics publish this Focus issue to highlight both the importance of physics education research and our interest in publishing primary research in this field. We would like to invite the physics education research community to consider submitting their work to our journal.

If physics research is to become more useful and physics groups more diverse, innovating in physics education systems is a good place to start. Physics departments should give more attention and resources to teaching to help all students feel like valued members of the physics community. Make teaching more equitable and relevant so that everyone can thrive.

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Unlock the potential of a physics education. Nat. Phys. 20 , 335 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-024-02458-4

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Published : 14 March 2024

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-024-02458-4

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The set of journals have been ranked according to their SJR and divided into four equal groups, four quartiles. Q1 (green) comprises the quarter of the journals with the highest values, Q2 (yellow) the second highest values, Q3 (orange) the third highest values and Q4 (red) the lowest values.

The SJR is a size-independent prestige indicator that ranks journals by their 'average prestige per article'. It is based on the idea that 'all citations are not created equal'. SJR is a measure of scientific influence of journals that accounts for both the number of citations received by a journal and the importance or prestige of the journals where such citations come from It measures the scientific influence of the average article in a journal, it expresses how central to the global scientific discussion an average article of the journal is.

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Physical Review Physics Education Research

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Editorial: Call for Papers for Focused Collection of Physical Review Physics Education Research : Investigating and Improving Quantum Education through Research

Charles henderson, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 020002 – published 4 december 2023.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.19.020002

Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.

© 2023 American Physical Society

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Charles Henderson (Chief Editor)

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Vol. 19, Iss. 2 — July - December 2023

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American Journal of Physics ®

A publication of the american association of physics teachers ®.

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The Physics Education Research Section (PERS) publishes articles describing important results from the field of physics education research.  Manuscripts should be submitted using the web-based system that can be accessed via the American Journal of Physics home page, ajp.dickinson.edu, and will be forwarded to the PERS editor for consideration.

Section Editor: Michael Wittmann, University of Maine

Section Editorial Advisory Board:

• Leon Hsu, University of Minnesota
• Valerie Otero, University of Colorado at Boulder
• Michael Wittmann, University of Maine

The purpose of the Physics Education Research Section (PERS) is to provide a forum for the presentation of research results on the scientific investigation of the learning and teaching of physics. The main focus of the work should be on post-secondary physics education, although manuscripts on upper-secondary physics education will be considered if the findings are also relevant to college teaching.

A primary goal of PERS is the documentation of what is known about physics teaching and learning for the physics instructor interested in providing his or her students with a more successful learning experience. A second goal is to increase the exchange of information and views among researchers in physics education. In addition to articles describing a research study, PERS encourages submission of other types of articles that could be of value to both the community of physics instructors and the community of physics education researchers. These might include, for example, review articles or theoretical papers.  Important criteria for the suitability of a manuscript for PERS are its accessibility and interest to the general readership of AJP.

Topics from neighboring disciplines are entirely appropriate when they relate to student understanding of physics. For example, articles from chemistry education researchers on student difficulties with the atomic model or geology articles about student understanding of heat flow in the earth would be welcome.

Experimental papers should focus on the student as a learner, not on the physics alone nor on what material has been covered without reference to the student's responses. However, papers on the impact of the role of the instructor, instructor's methods, and instructor's attitudes on student learning are welcome and encouraged.

Articles that are not appropriate for PERS include:

• Descriptions of curriculum development or curriculum content without an evaluation of student learning.
• Papers describing novel approaches to laboratory and classroom instruction without an evaluation of student learning.
• The solution of a physics problem.
• Papers of historical, philosophical, and cultural value to physicists.
• Papers that show new ways of understanding, demonstrating, or deriving familiar results.

Physics Education Research

Physics Education Research (PER) is the study of how people learn physics and how to improve the quality of physics education. Researchers use the tools and methods of science to answer questions about physics learning that require knowledge of physics. Researchers focus on developing objective means of measuring the outcomes of educational interventions. How do we know whether our courses and interventions are successful?

One such approach is the design of diagnostic assessments and surveys. While many instructors develop questions to assess student learning, diagnostic research assessments undergo rigorous design, testing, and validation processes to facilitate objective comparisons between students and methods of instruction. These assessments are like detectors that must be carefully crafted and calibrated to ensure we understand what they are measuring.

The Cornell Physics Education Research Lab has a large focus on studying and developing learning in lab courses. Researchers are collecting data to evaluate the efficacy of lab courses in achieving various goals, from reinforcing physics concepts to fostering student attitudes and motivation to developing critical thinking and experimentation skills. They are designing innovative teaching methods to harness the affordances of lab courses, namely, working with messy data, getting hands on materials, troubleshooting equipment, and connecting physical models to the real world and data. There are many open research questions related to understanding how students learn these ideas.

This work will be facilitated by a research Active Learning Initiative grant from the Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences led by Natasha Holmes (PI). This grant will facilitate the renewal of the physics lab elements of the two calculus-based introductory physics course sequences. In addition to redesigning the instructional materials, this project will involve significant attention on understanding how instructional materials get passed down between instructors and sustained over time, how teaching assistants are trained to support the innovative designs, and many open research questions to evaluate students’ experience and learning in these courses.

The recent Cornell University Physics Initiative in Deliberate practice (CUPID) was a 5-year project to renew the introductory, calculus-based physics course sequence for Engineering and Physics majors. This project, led by Jeevak Parpia and Tomás Arias and involving more than 8 other faculty and lecturers in the department, applied results of PER to improve the teaching and learning in Cornell University courses, and to test the generalizability of results observed elsewhere. By collecting assessment, survey, and exam data across the duration of the course implementation, the group demonstrated significant improvements in student learning and attitudes. They are now in the process of monitoring how the course materials get passed on to new faculty. There are many opportunities to study differences in various forms of active learning.

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