Federal legislation specifies equitable access to education for all students at all levels of education, including postsecondary. To explore how well the physics education research (PER) community is currently serving students who inherently vary in needs, abilities, and interests, four research-based curricula (Tutorials in Introductory Physics,…

This study is focused on the concept and formalism of work done and potential energy on the very fundamental level. A detailed analysis of the incomplete presentations of the topics found a major misconception that precluded acknowledgement of existence of certain nonradial effects caused by classical radial/center-bound gravitational force fields…

William Stephenson specifically developed Q methodology, or Q, as a means of measuring subjectivity. Q has been used to determine perspectives/views in a wide variety of fields from marketing research to political science but less frequently in education. In higher education, the author has used Q methodology to determine views about a variety of…

Much effort over many years has been devoted to the reform of the teaching of physics. This has led to many new and imaginative approaches in the content and delivery of material. Great strides have been made in the delivery, and the content has been continually supplemented. However, attempts to modernize the basic structure of the presentation…

As part of its National Science and Engineering Week activities in 2009 and 2010, the University of Reading organised two open days for 60 local key stage 4 pupils. The theme of both open days was "How do we predict weather and climate?" Making use of the students' familiarity with weather and climate, several concepts of relevance to secondary…

Since society and science need interdisciplinary works, the interesting topic of chaos is chosen for interdisciplinary education in physics. The educational programme contains various university-level activities such as computer simulations, chaos experiment and team projects besides ordinary teaching. According to the participants, the programme…

These proceedings contain the papers of the 18th International Conference on Cognition and Exploratory Learning in the Digital Age (CELDA 2021), held virtually, due to an exceptional situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, from October 13-15, 2021, and organized by the International Association for Development of the Information Society…

Describes the features of and assessment instruments for a new conceptual physics course for non-science majors called 'Wonders of Technology', developed at the Virginia Commonwealth University. (Author/KHR)

Reflects on the implications of the changes that the Dearing review proposed for 16-19 education. Attempts to stimulate further discussion on the structure and content of the 16-19 physics curriculum for the next century. (JRH)

This is a guide to the chemical physics major. The scope of chemical physics is presented, along with the general features of course contents and possible course structures. This information was derived from a survey of British universities and colleges offering undergraduate degree courses in chemical physics. (BB)

Investigates student reasoning about models of conduction. Reports that students often are unable to account for the existence of free electrons in a conductor and create models that lead to incorrect predictions and responses contradictory to expert descriptions of the physics involved. (Contains 36 references.) (Author/YDS)

Examines structural characteristics of university engineering students' conceptions of energy elicited through paragraph writing and their relations with categories of their conceptions specific to energy in solution processes identified through interviews. Reports that structures of students' conceptions are characterized primarily by…

Believes that a student's understanding of energy concepts can be enhanced by introducing and using the concept of internal energy by articulating the first law of thermodynamics in a simple, phenomenological form without mathematical encumbrances. (Author/CCM)

THIS REPORT PRESENTS A PROGRAM FOR THE UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICAL PREPARATION OF ENGINEERS AND PHYSICISTS. THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS SERVE AS UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS FOR ANYONE EXPECTING TO MAKE USE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS--(1) THE PROGRAM IS ONE FOR THE PRESENT AND THE PROPOSALS ARE SUCH THAT THEY CAN BE CONTINUALLY MODIFIED TO KEEP UP WITH FUTURE…

Describes the new physics courses, and course combinations with physics, that were introduced after 1973, and are being offered in addition to the existing four-year sandwich course in applied physics. (GA)