The subject of physics can sometimes seem esoteric and challenging to engineering students. It would be beneficial to create a more conducive learning environment for them by combining words, mathematical equations, graphs, and diagrams to increase their problem-solving abilities. It has been demonstrated in mechanics that employing multiple…

This study employed a case study methodology to investigate students' misconceptions about solid, liquid, and atmospheric pressure. The research included 36 8th-grade students from various middle schools in Giresun, comprising 19 girls and 17 boys. Data collection involved a test consisting of 14 concept cartoon questions, and the concept cartoons…

Background: Understanding students' preconceptions is an important initial step towards a successful and meaningful learning in physics. This is more relevant and important especially for concepts that are introduced formally as early as preschool including friction. Visual representation maybe often used as an aid to teaching, however,…

Studying students' problem-solving abilities in physics education research has consistently shown that novices focus on a problem's surface features rather than its physical principles. Previous research has observed that some electricity and magnetism students confuse electricity and magnetism concepts, often presented in parallel problems (or…

This study presents the views of stakeholders in Sub-Saharan Africa SSA on the present status of practical physics teaching in the secondary schools of the region and the obstacles to improvement. Their views have been analysed to establish critical factors that govern practice and have guided the formulation of a system description of the…

The research on students' perceptions after implementing a teaching style is recommended due to its potential to inform reformed education. The present study surveyed 319 students and revealed their perceptions of multimedia usage in teaching and learning quantum physics. Among these students, 156 were surveyed after learning quantum physics with…

The coordination of multiple external representations is important for learning, but yet a difficult task for students, requiring instructional support. The subject in this study covers a typical relation in physics between abstract mathematical equations (definitions of divergence and curl) and a visual representation (vector field plot). To…

The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (HRD) is a fundamental representation in stellar physics. It contains information about key properties of stars and allows inferences about stellar evolution. The use of the HRD is an important disciplinary activity in astrophysics. For example, it is particularly important to have a graphical understanding of the…

The vast extent to which quantitative prerequisites vary among post-secondary geoscience programs often presents a challenge for educators and students alike in courses for which math and physics are foundational. This study discusses the design of GEOAppS, a suite of educational numerical models, and its application toward lowering the…

Special relativity theory (SRT) has recently gained popularity as a first introduction to "modern" physics thinking in upper level secondary physics education. A central idea in SRT is the absolute speed of light, with light propagating with uniform speed relative to the reference frame of the observer. Previous research suggests that…

Representational competence is essential for the acquisition of conceptual understanding in physics. It enables the interpretation of diagrams, graphs, and mathematical equations, and relating these to one another as well as to observations and experimental outcomes. In this study, we present the initial validation of a newly developed…

This study analyzes the impact of signaling principles upon the effective use of interactive learning media. Normally, designers just design and develop learning media for use in schools without considering the way it eases users' tasks. Bearing in mind that signaling users while they are learning through interactive learning media is important,…

One aim of school science instruction is to help students become adaptive problem solvers. Though successful at structuring novice problem solving, step-by-step problem-solving frameworks may also constrain students' thinking. This study utilises a paradigm established by Heckler [(2010). Some consequences of prompting novice physics students to…

This study aimed at developing a module in physics based on the assessment of the learning progression of students in physics and science teachers' formative assessment practices. The participants in this study were the Grade 11 students and Junior High School science teachers for the data gathering, science teachers for the design and development…

To succeed within scientific disciplines, using representations, including those based on words, graphs, equations, and diagrams, is important. Research indicates that the use of discipline specific representations (sometimes referred to as expert generated representations), as well as multi-representational use, is critical for problem solving…