The phenomenon of electric polarization is crucial to student understanding of forces exerted between charged objects and insulators or conductors, the process of charging by induction, and the behavior of electroscopes near charged objects. In addition, polarization allows for microscopic-level models of everyday-life macroscopic-level phenomena.…

This commentary promotes discussion on the imaginary provided by Sanaz Farhangi in her article entitled, "Contribution to activity: a lens for understanding students' potential and agency in physics education" (see EJ1191322). The commentary is concerned with aligning ontological assumptions in research accounts of learning and…

The PhD Plus 10 Study was the first follow-up survey of mid-career physics PhD recipients. In 2011, individuals who graduated with a physics PhD from the classes of 1996, 1997, 2000, and 2001 in the United States were contacted. Of those who responded to the survey, 225 were employed in the US government sector. Of government respondents, 67%…

Comprehensive monitoring in virtual laboratory learning needs a task model. This model was design based on inquiry skills, social and scientific communication of prospective physics teachers. The development of these three skills is still a problem in recent research on virtual laboratory learning. This research was research and development (RD)…

In this study that aims to motivate struggling students and helping them to improve their learning achievement, we designed and tested an E7-based approach in a virtual laboratory environment. We rely on cognitive load theory and self-determination theory to enable our approach to meet the cognitive and noncognitive needs of struggling students.…

Understanding social interactions among students comprises a rich area of physics education research. Here we focus on the social interactions in introductory physics laboratories (labs). Most existing research in such contexts focuses on within-group social dynamics, however, we argue that interactions between different lab groups are just as…

The proliferation of remote laboratory instruction increased substantially during the recent global pandemic. Many physics departments implemented this rapid transition without the previous experience, time, and deliberation to optimize learning experiences for students. The present quasi-experimental, nonequivalent group design study examined…

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of using Web 2.0 tools in accordance with the 5E learning model on the academic success and views of students in teaching the Pressure unit to eighth-grade students in distance education. A total of 41 students, 21 of whom are in the experiment group and 20 of them are in the control group,…

The design and facilitation of asynchronous online courses can have notable impacts on students related to persistence, performance, and perspectives. This case study presents current conditions for cognitive load and Community of Inquiry (CoI) presences in an asynchronous online introductory undergraduate STEM course. Researchers present the…

This research aims to determine the opinions of high school students about the Physics and Chemistry courses during the distance education due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 88 students who study in two public schools in Bursa were included in the research by determining through purposive sampling. In the research, we used a special case research…

An essential goal for physics and optical science instructors is to encourage students to find excitement and beauty in physical and optical phenomena while helping them learn the theoretical concepts and conducting experiments that can test the validity of the concepts. Such motivation largely relies on realistic hands-on lab opportunities where…

Purpose: The research aims to explore prospective physics teachers' pedagogical knowledge (PK) through an online microteaching lesson study (OMLS). Design/methodology/approach: The study used a case study with eight prospective physics teachers. Various data sources are triangulated involving audiovisual meeting recording, documents from OMLS…

HOTS is one part of the skills that need to be developed in the 21st Century . This study aims to determine the characteristics of the Fundamental Physics Higher-order Thinking Skill (FundPhysHOTS) test for prospective physics teachers using Item Response Theory (IRT) analysis. This study uses a quantitative approach. 254 prospective physics…

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to study the use of FIS Response Analysis for Critical Thinking Assessment (FRACTA) method to assess critical thinking in STEM problem solving. The use of FIS (facts, ideas and solutions) chart as a tool to elicit student critical thinking responses and the method of scoring the responses are investigated. Method:…

Collaboration among students is fundamental for knowledge building and competency development. Nonetheless, the effectiveness of student collaboration depends on the extent that these interactions take place under conditions that favor commitment, trust, and decision making among those who interact. The worldwide pandemic due to COVID-19 and the…