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Journal of undergraduate research in physics and astronomy (jurpa), share this:.

Journal of Undergraduate Research in Physics and Astronomy (JURPA) 

The Journal of Undergraduate Research in Physics and Astronomy (JURPA) is a peer-reviewed publication of the Society of Physics Students comprised of research, outreach, and scholarly reporting. 

Submissions Open: Continuously

Priority  Submission  Deadline for summer printing: March 15 each year

Manuscripts are accepted on a rolling basis but to guarentee possible inclusing in the print summer edition, manscripts must be submitted to later than  March 15. All accepted and edited manuscripts will be published online with AIP Publishing (AIPP) and on the SPS website, based on the review process timing.

Submit your report here!

About JURPA 

This Journal is devoted to reports authored by undergraduates in physics, astronomy, and their related fields. It is a vehicle for the exchange of ideas and information by undergraduates and their advisors. A primary goal of the Journal is to educate and train students while also providing a means of public dissemination of research and programmatic activities. 

• Papers in the area of pure, applied, computational, or theoretical physics/astronomy, and related fields are all welcome. All research articles are peer-reviewed by professionals.
• Research articles, if accepted, will additionally be published on the  AIP Publishing JURPA website  and given a DOI.
• Articles are asked to be letter length, or approximately 3 printed pages with references, figures, and all text. No article is accepted exceeding 4 pages, excluding any appendices.
• All accepted articles will be available online through AIPP and SPS electronically.
• Authors must STRICTLY ahear to the template. Deviations from the template will result in longer review times and may not be printed.
• Articles over 3 pages may not be physically printed in their entirety. Accepted articles with delayed or long review periods may not be physically printed.

A physical printing of JURPA, containing a highlighted selection of submissions, will be sent to all SPS dues paying members and chapters each summer and is considered a collection of student writing throughout the previous academic year.

Eligibility 

All current SPS members in good standing with the SPS National organization are eligible to submit to JURPA. The author(s) must have performed all the work reported in the paper as an undergraduate student(s). Members must submit their work within 18 months of completing their undergraduate degree.

Submission Process 

All SPS members interested in submitting to JURPA must complete an online application , first. Please note that to submit your paper, your SPS adviser and/or faculty member of the department in which the research was done must review and certify that they have reviewed your paper using the online application system. After your report is submitted, your report will be sent to the editor for review, and then to a reviewer for evaluation. Once reviewed, you will receive communication from the editor and the SPS central office indicating whether your report has been accepted, requires edits, or will not be included in JURPA. Note that the time period for edits is often limited (2 weeks). Failure to submit edits in the time frame outlined by the editor will result in a delay in publication.

Submissions are accepted throughout the academic year, with a priority deadline of March 15.

Submit your report here.

Please direct all questions regarding the submission process to sps-programs [at] aip.org . 

Preparing Research Reports

To successfully prepare a manuscript, please review the following steps: 

• All submitted manuscripts should be no longer than 3 template pages total and use one of the provided templates.
• Manuscripts for submission to JURPA must strictly adhere to AIP Publishing's Proceedings templates in either WORD or LaTeX formatting. Templates for both formats and information about them are available here . Do not change the format of the template. Do not change the spacing or format of the templates.
• During submission, please upload a PDF file. If written in word, upload the .DOCX file. If written in LaTeX, upload the preprint version of the output.
• Accepted articles can be viewed  here  through 2018.
• Utilize the  AIP preparation guidelines  for more information to help prepare the manuscript.

Checklist for Preparing

• Submit only files using the word or LaTeX template available  here . Word is STRONGLY encouraged.
• Consult the  manuscript format guide  for tips.
• Make sure references are complete  look like this .
• Read these author guidelines .
• Look at the permission guide if you are using published material. If so, fill out this form.
• All papers should look like this single column template  upon submission.
• Identify a faculty (such as an SPS adviser) for the review processing.
• Two subject matter experts will will be requested upon submission to help identify referees (Name and email).
• Number individual figures in the order in which they appear in the manuscript as PDFs or JPEGs.
• Submit illustrations in the size and resolution you wish them to appear in print.
• The maximum width for a two-column figure is 6.69 inches (17 cm). The maximum depth of figures should be 8 ¼ in. (21.1 cm). Legends or labels within figures should be a minimum of 8-point type size (2.8 mm high; 1/8 in. high). A minimum of 0.5 point width for lines.
• Ensure that lettering and lines are dark enough and thick enough to reproduce clearly, especially if reduction is necessary. Remember that fine lines tend to disappear upon reduction.
• IMPORTANT: All fonts must be embedded in your figure files.
• Submit a single file for each figure with figure parts; label each part (a), (b), etc.
• Read the copyright license checklist and fill out the license agreement .

Interested in publishing your scholarly works that are not research? Email sps-programs [at] aip.org to find out more information. 

• Review the student reporter writing guide for additional writing guidelines

Focus and Coverage

The Journal of Undergraduate Reports in Physics (JURP) is a peer-reviewed, online journal of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) and Sigma Pi Sigma, the physics honor society. JURP is devoted to archiving scholarly works conducted by undergraduate students in physics, astronomy, and its related fields. JURP is designed to be a vehicle for the exchange of ideas and information by undergraduate students and a way for faculty to share scholarly works conducted by undergraduates. Papers in experimental physics, theoretical physics, or educational research in physics are welcome.

Originally the Journal of Undergraduate Research in Physics, the journal began during the 1979 meeting of the SPS National Council, where Dr. Rexford Adelberger, Chair of the Communications Committee, recommended the "establishment of a new publication devoted to student work." The 1980 Council recognized the need for a potential editor, and in 1981, the AIP Executive Committee approved the founding of the Journal of Undergraduate Research in Physics with Dr. Adelberger as its editor. The first edition of the Journal of Undergraduate Research in Physics was published in 1982. By 1987, the SPS Executive Committee voted to make the journal an on-membership benefit for all SPS members, a step that was implemented in 1988. In 2002, the Journal of Undergraduate Research in Physics became an electronic journal. In 2018, the Journal of Undergraduate Research in Physics changed to become the Journal of Undergraduate Reports in Physics to more broadly represent the work done by physics and astronomy students.

Today, JURP strives to be an educational tool for students and provide undergraduate students and their advisors with a method of sharing undergraduate research and scholarly works with the broader community.

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Undergraduate Research

Looking for Research?

You are in the right place.

Our department provides a variety of channels for students to get involved with real scientific research early in their careers. Through research, you will strengthen your physics background knowledge by applying it to real problems and develop crucial skills needed for careers in science and industry, such as collaboration, independent problem-solving, and communication. Though your role will vary from lab to lab, as an undergraduate, you can typically expect to assist with a variety of tasks, ranging from simulation and data analysis to operating and tuning lab equipment. While the idea of engaging in cutting-edge research as a college student may seem daunting, many research groups will organize projects specifically tailored to undergraduates, and you will often be put under the mentorship of a senior graduate student or a postdoctoral scholar who will be more than willing to assist you. Overall, participating in undergraduate research is an extremely fulfilling experience, and we highly encourage you to participate in it!

Read up on internships stories from Berkeley students on the Internship Stories@Cal website .

Student Testimonial

Read more....

As a freshman coming into UC Berkeley with no previous experience in research or astronomy, I joined ULAB, after learning about it in my physics class, and had my first research experience working on determining cosmic distances from gravitational waves, previously knowing nothing on the topic. The same year, I took the Python for Astronomers DeCal, and did a project on creating Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams for several star clusters. After these two introductory experiences, I felt more confident in my abilities as a researcher, and attended the physics and astronomy research fairs at the start of each semester of my sophomore year. From the fair, I emailed one of the presenters, and subsequently got my position working under Antonella Palmese and Saul Perlmutter on gravitational wave cosmology. Having started this position in the spring, I decided to apply for the Pi2 scholars summer program, and was accepted to the program to work with Antonella as my mentor, continuing the work we started in the spring. I also joined ULAB staff as a lab manager in my sophomore year, and I am now research director for the DeCal, helping other undergraduates get their first research experience like I once did. The various opportunities offered by the Physics and Astronomy departments helped expose me to all these research experiences, and allowed me to improve and grow greatly from when I arrived at Berkeley to now.

-  Rav Kaur, Class of ‘24

Finding Research To-do List

Do background research and decide (approximately) what you want to work on. Explore the Research Opportunities Board (Pre-Semester)

Go to the Undergraduate Research Fair . (first week of classes)

Find a project. (first two weeks of classes)

Find funding if possible, or register for research units (by the end of second week of classes in most cases)

*Note: A good strategy is to be proactive in the first two weeks of each semester. We recommend that you attend the physics research fair in the first week of each semester and to apply to positions from the fair and/or URAP positions of interest by the second week of the semester. It’s a good idea to apply to ULAB by the second week of the semester as well; this educational, student-led research program will help you grow your research skills and is a solid option, especially if you don’t obtain faculty-led research right away. Funding deadlines usually take place by the first two weeks of the semester, too. More information is below.

Preparing to be an Undergraduate Researcher

 read more....

None of what is listed below is necessary to be successful in landing a research position in a faculty lab, but these will help you become a competitive candidate.

Do well in your coursework, especially the lab components of lower division courses such as the 5 or 7 series and Physics 77. 

Apply to join the Physics Directed Reading Program (PDRP) . PDRP is a student-run program that strives to close the knowledge gap in undergraduate research by pairing up graduate and undergraduate students so that they can explore a specialized topic together for a semester. The purpose of PDRP is so that students feel more comfortable making the transition into research. Applications are due the beginning of each semester. Watch for emails to the students listservs about deadlines.

Visit the Physics Innovation Lab (under construction in Fall 2022) and gain research-adjacent experiences like Arduino/Raspberry Pi programming, soldering, CAD, 3D printing, laser cutting and basic optics. 

Attend the Physics Undergraduate Research Fair , held the first Thursday after the start of classes each semester. The fair is held on a virtual collaboration/meeting platform called Gather. 

Use the Berkeley Career Network through the UC Berkeley Career Center to find an alumni mentor

Do some early research on what opportunities are available. Check out our virtual P hysics Research Opportunities Board . It is updated regularly as new opportunities arise.

Landing a Research Position

• Attend the semesterly Physics Undergraduate Research Fair to learn about physics research opportunities available each semester and to meet representatives from the various labs. Apply to positions of interest.
• Visit the Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP) website for positions posted by faculty (for course credit only)
• Know that throughout the semester, you can contact faculty members from your research field of interest to see if they have positions available. See here for tips on how to cold email a professor . Professors don’t always respond, but you’re always welcome to inquire via email, office hours, etc. to see if any informal research opportunities are available.
• Consider positions at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL), Space Sciences Lab (SSL), and Advanced Light Source (operated by LBL), College of Chemistry, Nuclear Engineering, and Astrophysics.
• Links to these opportunities are found on our Research Opportunities Board .

Compensation or Course Credit

During Fall or Spring Semesters

BPURS offers $750 for a year-long research project when you apply jointly with a faculty member for funding The project can also be mentored by postdocs or graduate students, under the supervision of a faculty member. 

Consider asking to be hired through workstudy or through a stipend. Your success will depend on whether the faculty member has funds to support it. 

Consider asking for course credit. Students can pursue getting course credit through Physics/Astro 195 (Senior Honors Research) or Physics/Astro 99/199 (Supervised Independent Study) or by applying to the Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP) . Applications for course credit should be submitted to the student’s department (Physics or Astro). In Physics, major advisors Anna and Kathleen   can help with the process. The major advisor will provide the student with a form that requires them to list the project and the responsibilities that they will have as part of this enrollment and based on the units requested. The student can enroll in a minimum of 1 credit and a maximum of 3 credits. The faculty research sponsor must sign and approve the form. Once that is complete, the student submits the forms to their department major advisor who will then issue the class number for them to enroll in. Physics Department student forms can be found here .

Looking for paid summer research?

The SURF L&S fellowship allows UC Berkeley undergraduates in the College of Letters and Science to spend the summer doing concentrated research in preparation for a senior thesis. Fellows receive $5000.

The Physics Innovators Initiative (Pi2) Scholars Program provides a $5500 summer stipend to work closely with dedicated graduate student and/or postdoc mentors on a project. Final projects will require a written report and a poster presentation open to the whole department at the end of the summer. The applications to be Pi2 scholars are announced in early January of each year.

• Physics REUs provide fully funded research opportunities at other universities. Note that January and February tend to be the application deadlines for most funded summer research.
• See the Research Opportunities Board for a more extensive list of semesterly and summer research positions and funding options.

Watch this 2021 video highlighting physics research persuits by Berkeley physicists and mathmaticians

Basic research lights the way for uc berkeley's math & physical sciences.

Physical Review Physics Education Research

• Collections
• Editorial Team

Volume 19, Issue 1

January - june 2023, highlighted articles, featured in physics editors' suggestion, examining the effect of counternarratives about physics on women’s physics career intentions, geoff potvin, zahra hazari, raina khatri, hemeng cheng, t. blake head, robynne m. lock, anne f. kornahrens, kathryne sparks woodle, rebecca e. vieyra, beth a. cunningham, laird kramer, and theodore hodapp, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010126 (2023) – published 7 april 2023, synopsis: flipping the script to support wider engagement with physics.

Quantitative evidence is presented that counter the normative cultural ones as to who does physics and why one does physics, helps to support women and minoritized groups in envisioning a future for themselves in physics.

Show Abstract

Editors' suggestion, intuition in quantum mechanics: student perspectives and expectations, giaco corsiglia, steven pollock, and gina passante, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010109 (2023) – published 21 february 2023.

The majority of students enter quantum mechanics expecting the subject to be nonintuitive or less intuitive than other courses.

Implementation and goals of quantum optics experiments in undergraduate instructional labs

Victoria borish and h. j. lewandowski, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010117 (2023) – published 3 march 2023.

Single-photon experiments are used to teach quantum phenomena in a wide variety of ways and with a wide variety of learning goals.

Future quantum workforce: Competences, requirements, and forecasts

Franziska greinert, rainer müller, philipp bitzenbauer, malte s. ubben, and kim-alessandro weber, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010137 (2023) – published 5 june 2023.

A survey of experts to map requirements and forecasts for the future quantum workforce.

How women physics teacher candidates utilize their double outsider identities to productively learn physics

Johanna larsson and anna t. danielsson, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010140 (2023) – published 13 june 2023.

It is important for women physics teacher candidates to have the option to participate in physics without needing to adopt physics norms associated with nerdiness.

Ongoing effects of pandemic-imposed learning environment disruption on student attitudes

Teemu hynninen, henna pesonen, olli lintu, and petriina paturi, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010101 (2023) – published 5 january 2023.

In person introductory physics courses provide sufficient support to allow most low-performing students to pass, while remote learning during COVID did not.

Graduate program reform in one department of physics and astronomy: From tragedy to more progressive policies and an evolving culture

Ramón barthelemy, mackenzie lenz, alexis knaub, jordan gerton, and pearl sandick, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010102 (2023) – published 9 january 2023.

Policy changes can make a difference in the lives of graduate students, and help mitigate potential negative experiences, but may not address all challenges and issues within a department’s culture.

Analysis and comparison of students’ conceptual understanding of symmetry arguments in Gauss’s and Ampere’s laws

Esmeralda campos, eder hernandez, pablo barniol, and genaro zavala, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010103 (2023) – published 24 january 2023.

In introductory physics, problem solving with Gauss’s and Ampere’s laws should start with their full integral or differential form rather than with a simplified version.

Students’ difficulties with the Dirac delta function in quantum mechanics

Tao tu, chuan-feng li, jin-shi xu, and guang-can guo, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010104 (2023) – published 1 february 2023.

Undergraduate quantum mechanics students make a variety of errors when attempting to use delta functions to solve problems.

How instructors can view knowledge to implement culturally relevant pedagogy

Clausell mathis, abigail r. daane, brandon rodriguez, jessica hernandez, and tra huynh, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010105 (2023) – published 7 february 2023.

Physics instructors’ conceptions of knowledge can be entangled with their enactment of culturally relevant pedagogy; improving instructor conceptions might be one route to increase the use of culturally relevant instruction.

Correlations between student connectivity and academic performance: A pandemic follow-up

Nathan crossette, lincoln d. carr, and bethany r. wilcox, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010106 (2023) – published 8 february 2023.

The context and environment in which a course is situated play more important roles in fostering a correlation between student collaboration and course performance than whether the course format is virtual, hybrid, or in-person.

Taking on a manager role can support women’s physics lab identity development

Emily m. stump, matthew dew, sophia jeon, and n. g. holmes, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010107 (2023) – published 9 february 2023.

Undergraduate physics instructors should structure group work in such a way as to support women in taking on leadership roles.

Investigating the efficacy of attending to reflexive cognitive processes in the context of Newton’s second law

J. caleb speirs, robyn leuteritz, thanh k. lê, rose deng, and shawn w. ell, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010108 (2023) – published 14 february 2023.

Instructional approaches should seek to improve explicit reflective reasoning processes as well as implicit reflexive processes.

Examining reasons undergraduate women join physics

Maxwell franklin, eric brewe, and annette r. ponnock, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010110 (2023) – published 21 february 2023.

Women who join physics because of the community are less likely to remain in physics after finishing their undergraduate studies.

Evidence for a normal distribution of normalized gains

Vincent p. coletta, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010111 (2023) – published 21 february 2023.

Class normalized gains over the population of courses is consistent with a normal distribution.

Inhibitory control involvement in overcoming the position-velocity indiscrimination misconception among college physics majors

Jiabei lin, yuting xing, yudi hu, jian zhang, lei bao, kaiqing luo, keke yu, and yang xiao, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010112 (2023) – published 23 february 2023.

Experimental evidence in support of models of conceptual change advocating the coexistence of alternative conceptions, where initial misconceptions are surpassed by rather than entirely supplanted by scientific conceptions.

Investigating learning assistants’ use of questioning in online courses about introductory physics

Jianlan wang, yuanhua wang, kyle wipfli, beth thacker, and stephanie hart, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010113 (2023) – published 23 february 2023.

Two new instruments to assess learning assistants’ pedagogical content knowledge related to questioning in the context of introductory physics.

Development and validation of a conceptual survey instrument to evaluate senior high school students’ understanding of electrostatics

Shuaishuai mi, jianqiang ye, yan li, and hualin bi, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010114 (2023) – published 28 february 2023.

The development and validation of a conceptual survey to assess introductory physics students’ understanding of electrostatics.

Race-evasive frames in physics and physics education: Results from an interview study

Amy d. robertson, verónica vélez, w. tali hairston, and eduardo bonilla-silva, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010115 (2023) – published 1 march 2023.

Race consciousness encourages physicists to become aware of the ways in which white supremacy shapes physics culture and imagine how to make physics a more equitable discipline.

Students’ views about experimental physics in a large-enrollment introductory lab focused on experimental scientific practices

Nidhal sulaiman, alexandra werth, and h. j. lewandowski, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010116 (2023) – published 2 march 2023.

Students can have different lab experiences depending on their identity; this should be accounted for when designing instruction.

Sensemaking and scientific modeling: Intertwined processes analyzed in the context of physics problem solving

Amogh sirnoorkar, paul d. o. bergeron, and james t. laverty, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010118 (2023) – published 8 march 2023.

An examination of the interplay between modeling and sensemaking in the solving of physics problems.

Predicting community college astronomy performance through logistic regression

Zachary richards and angela m. kelly, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010119 (2023) – published 22 march 2023.

Enrolling in a community college astronomy course has the potential to make STEM fields accessible to students who might not otherwise have this aspiration or opportunity.

Endorsement of gender stereotypes affects high school students’ science identity

Silvia galano, antonella liccardo, anna lisa amodeo, marianna crispino, oreste tarallo, and italo testa, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010120 (2023) – published 22 march 2023.

It is important to focus on girls’ own perception of competency and responsibility in addition to focusing on sense of belonging and recognition.

Physicality, modeling, and agency in a computational physics class

A. m. phillips, e. j. gouvea, b. e. gravel, p.-h. beachemin, and t. j. atherton, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010121 (2023) – published 30 march 2023.

Introduction and use of an expanded model of computational physics practices to design and evaluate a computational physics course.

Fields in middle school energy instruction to support continued learning of energy

Kristin fiedler, marcus kubsch, knut neumann, and jeffrey nordine, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010122 (2023) – published 30 march 2023.

Use of fields in middle school physics instruction can support students’ understanding of energy.

Reducing procrastination on introductory physics online homework for college students using a planning prompt intervention

Zachary felker and zhongzhou chen, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010123 (2023) – published 30 march 2023.

A planning prompt can improve student studying behavior on specific upcoming assignments, but does not change their studying habits for future assignments.

Student experiences with authentic research in a remote, introductory course-based undergraduate research experience in physics

Kristin a. oliver, alexandra werth, and h. j. lewandowski, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010124 (2023) – published 30 march 2023.

Students felt engaged in authentic research within a large enrollment, online laboratory course environment.

Limiting case analysis in an electricity and magnetism course

Gary white, tiffany-rose sikorski, justin landay, and maryam ahmed, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010125 (2023) – published 7 april 2023.

Limiting case analysis likely plays a pivotal role in the development of adaptive physics expertise.

Assessment of student knowledge integration in learning work and mechanical energy

Dazhen tong, jia liu, yechao sun, qiaoyi liu, xiangqun zhang, sudong pan, and lei bao, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010127 (2023) – published 13 april 2023.

Introductory physics instruction related to mechanical energy should place more emphasis on teaching the central idea and connect it to different contexts, problems, and other concepts.

Investigating student ability to follow reasoning chains: The role of conceptual understanding

Beth a. lindsey, mackenzie r. stetzer, j. caleb speirs, william n. ferm, jr., and alexander van hulten, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010128 (2023) – published 20 april 2023.

Introductory physics students are capable of following the solution to a qualitative problem using step-by-step reasoning, even for tasks for which they are not likely to generate the correct reasoning on their own.

Evolution of grades and social comparison concern within an introductory physics course

Srividya suresh and andrew f. heckler, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010129 (2023) – published 25 april 2023.

It may be possible to leverage student concern about ability or performance compared to others in order to improve success in introductory physics courses.

Impact of more realistic and earlier practice exams on student metacognition, study behaviors, and exam performance

Muxin zhang, jason morphew, and tim stelzer, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010130 (2023) – published 27 april 2023.

A mock exam before the actual exam impacts students’ intentions for studying but not their actual study behaviors, nor does it facilitate metacognition.

Assessing thinking skills in free-response exam problems: Pandemic online and in-person

Fatema al-salmani, jordan johnson, and beth thacker, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010131 (2023) – published 4 may 2023.

It may be possible to create online introductory physics courses that develop student thinking skills as well as in person courses.

Could an artificial-intelligence agent pass an introductory physics course?

Gerd kortemeyer, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010132 (2023) – published 11 may 2023.

ChatGPT could narrowly pass a standard lecture-based introductory physics course series.

Does the dog in the car have kinetic energy? A multiage case study in the challenges of conceptual change

R. g. tobin, sara j. lacy, and sally crissman, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010133 (2023) – published 15 may 2023.

Students who appear to have learned some concepts may revert to preinstruction, common sense understanding of these concepts when presented with them in certain situations.

Rubric-based holistic review represents a change from traditional graduate admissions approaches in physics

Nicholas t. young, n. verboncoeur, dao chi lam, and marcos d. caballero, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010134 (2023) – published 15 may 2023.

Rubric-based holistic review is a method that could make the graduate admissions process in physics more equitable.

Challenges and outcomes in remote undergraduate research programs during the COVID-19 pandemic

Dina zohrabi alaee and benjamin m. zwickl, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010135 (2023) – published 15 may 2023.

Online undergraduate research programs may be a way to expand access to undergraduate research experiences.

Teacher learning about the integration of energy and equity: A case study

Amy d. robertson, trà huỳnh, clausell mathis, lauren c. bauman, and rachel e. scherr, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010136 (2023) – published 2 june 2023.

This paper explores how professional development using a multicultural education framework can help physics teachers to better integrate physics concepts and equity.

Development and validation of an instrument to assess students’ science, technology, engineering, and mathematics identity

Sijia liu, shaorui xu, qiuye li, hua xiao, and shaona zhou, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010138 (2023) – published 5 june 2023.

The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics identity instrument is a valid and reliable tool to assess four aspects of the identity in middle and high school students.

Quantifying grade benefits of study: Practice makes better

W. k. black, rebecca l. matz, mark mills, and a. e. evrard, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010139 (2023) – published 7 june 2023.

Encouraging students to do at least one practice problem a day puts them above the median study habit and can benefit students by up to three quarters of a letter grade.

Speech analysis under a Bakhtinian approach: Contributions to research on physics education

Fernanda ostermann, cláudio j. de h. cavalcanti, matheus m. nascimento, and nathan w. lima, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010141 (2023) – published 20 june 2023.

A Bakhtinian approach is used to demonstrate another way to analyze discourse studies in physics education research.

How do physics students evaluate artificial intelligence responses on comprehension questions? A study on the perceived scientific accuracy and linguistic quality of ChatGPT

Merten nikolay dahlkemper, simon zacharias lahme, and pascal klein, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 010142 (2023) – published 23 june 2023.

When their prior knowledge is sufficient, students can evaluate the scientific quality of ChatGPT responses and sample solutions to qualitative physics problems.

SHORT PAPERS

Online test administration results in students selecting more responses to multiple-choice-multiple-response items, alexis olsho, trevor i. smith, philip eaton, charlotte zimmerman, andrew boudreaux, and suzanne white brahmia, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 013101 (2023) – published 2 february 2023.

Online and paper administration methods of multiple-choice-multiple-response test items provide different pictures of student reasoning.

Students’ conceptual understanding of electric flux and magnetic circulation

Eder hernandez, esmeralda campos, pablo barniol, and genaro zavala, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 013102 (2023) – published 25 april 2023.

The concept of magnetic circulation is more challenging for students than that of electric flux.

Comparing introductory undergraduate physics learning and behavior before and after the COVID-19 pandemic

Amanda nemeth, christopher wheatley, and john stewart, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 013103 (2023) – published 24 may 2023.

Student achievement, attendance rates, and assignment completion rates were similar before and after the pandemic.

Comment on “How perception of learning environment predicts male and female students’ grades and motivational outcomes in algebra-based introductory physics courses”

M. b. weissman, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 018001 (2023) – published 23 june 2023, reply to “comment on ‘how perception of learning environment predicts male and female students’ grades and motivational outcomes in algebra-based introductory physics courses’ ”, sonja cwik and chandralekha singh, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 19 , 018002 (2023) – published 23 june 2023.

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