[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Qualitative Methods in PER: A Critical Examination.] Identifying student ideas about particular physics topics is one of the earliest and longest-standing foci of physics education research. This paper presents a method for identifying common conceptual resources for understanding physics, using…

We use a validated conceptual multiple-choice survey instrument focusing on thermodynamic processes and the first and second laws of thermodynamics at the level of introductory physics to investigate the problem-property dependence of introductory and advanced student responses to introductory thermodynamics problems after traditional…

The rapid development of technology in the Industrial Revolution 4.0 has made it necessary for students to master technology and have data literacy and technology literacy skills. However, initial studies show that the data and technology literacy of grade XI high school students is still relatively low. This study aimed to investigate the…

This study focuses on the relationship between students' use of language resources and their conceptualisation of phenomena in producing scientific explanations in physics. The objectives are to find out if there is a general model that describe the meaning-making process, the extent that this model is applicable to various branches in physics.…

Physics experts and students commonly use a variety of representations when working with partial derivatives, including symbols, graphs, and words. One especially powerful representation is the contour graph. In open-ended problem-solving interviews with nine upper-division physics students, we asked students to determine derivatives from contour…

This study investigated evidence of how students' mental models of fundamental kinematic relations evolved (i.e., developed cognitively over time) as observed during an introductory course in calculus-based classical mechanics. The core of the curriculum is based on a claim known as Galileo's principle of relativity. The course material comprised…

This study aimed to determine science teacher candidates' understanding of the wave concept under the headings of the essential characteristics of waves and their place and importance in daily life. The research was carried out with 53 science teacher candidates studying in the first grade in the education faculty of a state university in Turkey…

Students have difficulty bridging the conceptual gap between Newtonian and relativistic physics, and, consequently, the teaching of special relativity has been discussed extensively in the literature. A comprehensive list of such references is too large to include, but a brief list is given. In this paper, the author presents several exercises,…

Einstein's derivation of special relativity theory (SRT), based on hypothetical reasoning and thought experiments, is regarded as a prime example of physics theory development. In secondary education, the introduction of SRT could provide a great opportunity for students to engage in physics theorizing, but this opportunity is largely being missed…

Written as a letter to Galileo, an education graduate student narrates from course experiences that deepened her understandings of Galileo and natural and intellectual properties underlying his works. Having taken the Galileo-themed course with Elizabeth Cavicchi at MIT's Edgerton Center in three prior terms, on taking it a fourth time, this…

We examine students' challenges in determining the number of distinct many-particle stationary states for a system of noninteracting identical particles, focusing on how these insights guided the design, validation, and evaluation of a quantum interactive learning tutorial (QuILT) to aid students' understanding. Specifically, we focus on systems…

This study aimed to determine the effect of the inquiry-discovery learning model on critical thinking skills and mastery of students' physics concepts on the topic of temperature and heat. This quasi-experimental research used posttest only control group design in which there are two groups in this design, each of which was selected randomly. The…

As students learn physics, they are often required to reason about the behavior of macroscopic and microscopic phenomena, and to synthesize prior knowledge from several different areas of physics to construct understanding of new ideas. This can be a tremendously difficult cognitive task for novice students, especially when the unfamiliar…

The purpose of this research is to analyze and describe learning textbooks that include elements of science literacy, particularly in the Integrated Science-Physics Test Book for junior high school grade VIII. This study is part of a quantitative descriptive study analyzing the content of science literacy elements contained in textbooks. The…

This three-day integrated 5E inquiry lesson that includes physics, engineering, and biology concepts, uses physical computing and photoplethysmography to learn about one's pulse. The main learning objective is to have students communicate how wave phenomena, like a pulse, can be analyzed using sensors, which is called physical computing. This…