The use of toys as teaching aids in physics classrooms has a rich history, and the role of play in science education is a well-established line of research. Much of what has been written on the topic has included discussions of specific toys and the implications of using those toys to teach physics. One of the toys from my childhood that seems to…

Discovering concepts through observation, exploration, and constructing scientific explanations of phenomena is best practice in science education. Instead of following lab procedures to verify a known answer or solution, involve students in the work of science. Begin by presenting a phenomenon to engage students in scientific inquiry and uncover…

The post-pandemic classroom dealt with not only the mental health struggles of educators and students, but also the technological and virtual learning dependence in a time ridden with misinformation. At this time, it was important to not only consider the purpose and intent of science education as a learning experience, but also pedagogical…

Recently, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) applications have become more demanding, promoting students' interest in science from an early age. Science class in primary school needs more attention to attract students' interest. This study aims to develop an inquiry- based module with scientific equipment for the primary…

Although Ohm's law contains various possibilities in teaching and learning scientific inquiry, it is rare for students to experience an authentic inquiry. Thus, we designed an open-ended in-depth inquiry about Ohm's law and made students conduct it. To do this, we developed a laboratory activity for students following a standard method of Ohm's…

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Instructional labs: Improving traditions and new directions.] This manuscript presents a case study of an introductory physics student who, during the remote learning conditions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, found inspiration within a new, open-inquiry, project-based, laboratory curriculum…

This study sought to develop and evaluate an online module based on inquiry learning with digital laboratories, which was intended to address students' misconceptions in a science domain. In a quasi-experimental design, 171 first-year students in a higher education introductory physics course on circular motion were as their existing groups…

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…

This study was conducted with a student who is visually impaired and questioned the force of gravity. The different stages encountered in the process were specified as steps in the study and it was shared what kind of inquiry form was needed at each step. There are different activities such as waiting for a week and thought experiment in the…

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 a boy I spent many hours skipping stones across the surface of the water on the shore of Lake Michigan. The challenge was to get as many skips or as much distance as possible. Zero skips was a bust. One or two skips was disappointing, three or four skips was mediocre, and six or more skips was exhilarating. The angle of the stone with respect…

The difference between students' ideas and scientific conceptions, is called misconceptions. Physics learning needs to be designed by teachers to eradicate misconceptions. This paper provides a review of 72 international journal articles on diagnosis methods, causes, and ways of remediating misconceptions that have been published between…

Involving students in laboratory and inquiry-based activities can help them understand the concepts of physics. However the learning process should not only focus on the concepts. Moreover, the advantages of using virtual or physical labs are still under examination. The purpose of this study is to analyse which of the two modes (virtual or…

The motion of a cylindrically or spherically symmetric body on an accelerated treadmill, inclined of an angle [theta] with respect to the horizontal, is described by means of Newtonian mechanics. By assuming that the conveyor belt has an acceleration "a[subscript O][superscript ']", not necessarily constant, and that the body rolls on…

Interactive simulations allow students to independently explore scientific phenomena and ideally infer the underlying principles through their exploration. Effectively using such environments is challenging for many students and therefore, adaptive guidance has the potential to improve student learning. Providing effective support is, however,…