Identifying a student's mental model is important for understanding scientific concepts. Dispersion and polarization are the sub concept of physics that studied in high school on light waves concept. This study aimed to develop dispersion and polarization conceptual inventory (DIPOLCI) to identify students' model mental using Rasch analysis. The…

The field of geometrical optics features a broad knowledge base concerning conceptual learning difficulties and student conceptions. However, in contrast to other areas of physics, no widely used standard test instrument exists to assess middle school students' conceptual knowledge of geometrical optics. This is even more true for other areas of…

We discuss the development and validation of the long version of a conceptual multiple-choice survey instrument called the Survey of Thermodynamic Processes and First and Second Laws-Long suitable for introductory physics courses. This version of the survey instrument is a longer version of the original shorter version developed and validated…

Though several conceptual inventories have been developed for thermal physics, none target upper-division material and all focus specifically on thermodynamics without including statistical mechanics content. In this paper, we outline the development process of an upper-division thermal physics assessment that captures both thermodynamics and…

Validated conceptual multiple-choice surveys administered before and after instruction in relevant concepts can be useful tools to gauge the effectiveness of curricula and pedagogical strategies. Here we discuss the use of four different validated surveys to investigate student understanding: The Energy and Momentum Conceptual Survey (EMCS), the…

The aim of this research was to conduct a review of studies using four-tier tests to detect misconceptions in physics education. Fifty-eight studies whose main purpose was to develop a four-tier misconception test and eleven studies whose purpose was to determine learners' misconceptions using a four-tier diagnostic test without test development…

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Instructional labs: Improving traditions and new directions.] Measurement uncertainty is a critical feature of experimental research in the physical sciences, and the concepts and practices surrounding measurement uncertainty are important components of physics lab courses. However, there has not…

This study aims to develop an online test that can be used to characterize students' conception of objects in static fluid. The test developed by carried out several stages, namely: modified previous essay test and formed the Tier-1 of multiple-choice questions with options taken from the findings previous studies; combined the reasons for…

The study covers the development and testing of the alternative mechanics survey (AMS), a modified force concept inventory (FCI), which used automatically marked free-response questions. Data were collected over a period of three academic years from 611 participants who were taking physics classes at high school and university level. A total of…

In this study, we administered and evaluated circular motion concept question items with a view to developing an inventory suitable for the Ugandan context. Before administering the circular concept items, six physics experts and ten undergraduate physics students carried out the face and content validation. One hundred eighteen undergraduate…

In this paper, we described the development of the High School Wave Optics Test (HSWOT). Firstly, 56 conceptual, multiple-choice items with a single correct answer and three distractors were created. Next, we conducted an initial review of the items which resulted in reducing the item pool to 44 highest quality items. Validity evidence and…

Research-based multiple-choice questions implemented in class with peer instruction have been shown to be an effective tool for improving students' engagement and learning outcomes. Moreover, multiple-choice questions that are carefully sequenced to build on each other can be particularly helpful for students to develop a systematic understanding…

Though extensively documented, the exact mechanism responsible for pattern formation on insect bristles and scales is not completely understood. Using both scanning and transmission electron microscopy, we assemble a rough time series of pattern formation on butterfly wing scales. We also perform a numerical simulation of the Swift-Hohenberg…

This article reports the development of a two-tier simple electric circuits test (2T-SEC Test). Simple electric circuits are introduced to students early in their school years and are an important part of the physics curriculum all the way to the university level. However, many students do not develop an adequate conceptual understanding of simple…

We discuss the development and validation of a conceptual multiple-choice survey instrument called the survey of thermodynamic processes and first and second laws (STPFaSL) suitable for introductory physics courses. The survey instrument uses common student difficulties with these concepts as resources in that the incorrect answers to the…