Humanizing engineering education is a research-based way to help students understand the origin of concepts and the people who contributed to the field's development. This case study explores an experimental intervention to improve engineering undergraduate student knowledge and interest in fluid mechanics. The intervention incorporates the…

Twenty nine students who had previously taken an undergraduate thermal physics course were interviewed about their basic knowledge about statistical mechanics at the undergraduate level. Of these 29, fourteen were undergraduate students, and fifteen were graduate students at varying stages of their career. This project aimed to identify and…

The study of the motion of a projectile, thrown at an angle to the horizon, is a wonderful classical problem. This issue has been the subject of great interest to investigators for centuries. Currently, the study of parabolic motion, in the absence of any drag force, is a common example in introductory physics courses. The theory of parabolic…

The tidal forces generated by a black hole can be so powerful that they cause unlimited stretching, known as spaghettification. A detailed analysis of this phenomenon requires the use of Einstein's theory of general relativity. The aim of this paper is to offer an up-to-date and accessible analysis of spaghettification, in which the complex…

When thinking about measurement uncertainty in a laboratory experiment that features quantum mechanical effects, it is important to consider both the physical principles of underlying quantum theory (e.g., the uncertainty due to quantum mechanical superposition states) as well as the limitations of the measurement (e.g., the spread in outcomes due…

Our multifaceted society calls for engineers that are not only experts in their domain, but possess the flexibility to understand adjacent disciplines. The inclusion of the performing arts in engineering curricula has shown potential for cultivating creativity and equipping STEM students with problem-solving abilities. However, the literature…

Argumentation is central to science learning. Students in every domain of science should have the opportunity to develop the ability to think and act in ways associated with argumentation. When engaged in argumentation, students learn how to puzzle through problems, to see multiple ways of finding solutions, to gather and evaluate evidence on…

Self-explanation, a learning strategy where students explain to themselves the steps taken in a worked example, is an effective learning strategy in early cognitive skill acquisition. However, many physics students produce self-explanations of low quality. There is also a lack of guidelines for what students should seek to explain when studying…

The purpose of this study was to help undergraduate STEM students at a Hispanic-serving institution make connections between calculus and physics content and their lives using a utility-value intervention. As part of either a Calculus II or a calculus-based Newtonian Physics course, 471 undergraduate students were randomly assigned to either read…

This study proposes methods of reporting results of physics conceptual evaluations that more fully characterize the range of outcomes experienced by students with differing levels of prior preparation, allowing for more meaningful comparison of the outcomes of educational interventions within and across institutions. Factors leading to variation…

It is beneficial for quantum mechanics students to have a unified understanding of eigentheory concepts, so they can recognize the shared structure of mathematized phenomena from the different quantum mechanical systems of spin, energy, or position and recognize those as instantiations of the same overarching concept. Quantum mechanics instructors…

This paper presents the assessment of a continuous assessment in a project for the Dynamics subject using an analytic rubric. Dynamics subject should improve the ability of students to evaluate and solve problems using well-understood basic concepts implemented in a simple logical manner. It focuses on the proper interpretation and application of…

According to Newtonian mechanics, the gravitational fields created by bodies with spherical symmetry (such as planets) are non-uniform. This may create the impression to undergraduate physics students that uniform gravitational fields are just an approximation. This is not the case as uniform gravitational fields are created in hollows of…

The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) is a popular multiple-choice instrument used to measure a student's conceptual understanding of Newtonian mechanics. Recently, a network analytic technique called module analysis has been used to identify responses to the FCI and other conceptual instruments that are preferentially selected together by students;…

Learning assistants (LAs) play a pivotal role in transforming traditional physics instruction toward a more inquiry-oriented approach. While empirical evidence supports the effectiveness of LA-involved physics instruction, there is a research gap regarding the specific competencies of LAs that contribute to improved conceptual understanding. One…