The ability to express scientific concepts in mathematical terms and integrate scientific and mathematical reasoning about a phenomenon is a foundational cognitive process involved in scientific thinking. This process called "blended math-science sensemaking" (MSS) is a desired skill for all science, technology, engineering, and math…

Inquiring about students' learning and their difficulties understanding the concepts and models of physics is a familiar challenge in physics education research. Researchers have developed various methodologies, such as phenomenography, to address it. Phenomenography is an empirical approach to determining how people experience and understand…

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Qualitative Methods in PER: A Critical Examination.] Qualitative research methods have provided key insights in physics education research (PER) by drawing on non-numerical data such as text or video data. While different methods towards qualitative research exist, they share two essential steps:…

We conducted a study with introductory and upper-division physics students in a Mexican university to learn how students independently recognize the electric field's main characteristics in the electric field lines diagram and as a source or target representation in conversion processes. We used the theory of registers of semiotic representations…

We aim to graphically analyze the depth of conceptual understanding behind the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) responses of students, focusing on three questions (questions 1, 15, and 28). In our study, we created and implemented subquestions to clarify and quantify the students' reasoning steps in reaching their responses to the original FCI…

The area near the electrode surface is called the diffusion layer, and to understand electrochemistry, it is crucial that students have a knowledge of the phenomena occurring at the diffusion layer. Here, we present a demonstration and activity to visualize and analyze the expansion of a micrometer-sized diffusion layer. The electrode process…

The recent progress of intelligent electronic devices makes computer science, electronic and information technology, highly related to teaching and learning physics. The main question is how education can integrate this knowledge. Methods and components of new technology are applicable for education also; teachers and learners used the parts and…

The human brain is a byproduct of the natural process of evolution, as is the knowledge it contains. Like other natural resources fit for human consumption, knowledge can be modeled as a physical entity that can be sought after and acquired. In ancient times, knowledge was geographically constrained as a consequence of being a physical entity…

This research study investigated conceptions about buoyancy held by 55 elementary preservice teachers enrolled in a science methods course who participated in an instructional intervention designed to increase their knowledge about buoyancy. Pre- and post-concept maps were analyzed using a paired sample t test and thematic analysis was used to…

Instructional videos are commonly used in both remote and in-campus curriculum. In order to investigate students' experience when learning with online instructional videos, we adapted a method called "UX curve" from the user experience studies in industrial design. In this paper, we introduce the procedure and data processing method of…

This paper describes two examples of teaching situations in which the idea of infinity arises, and supports the conclusion that infinity is not a physical reality but a very powerful and useful mathematical device which facilitates modelling and the solution of problems in physics.

Integrity and quality of assessments on the online platform should be upheld to ensure that it supports student learning as well as the efficacy of teaching because in the end it measures the reputation of an institution. How institutions have traversed such domains remains a grey area. This paper provides anecdotal insights into how staff from a…

Brazilian journals play an important role in the local scientific scene. Despite its importance, Brazilian scientific production in Physics and Science education needs further articulation regarding the profile and impact of manuscripts. Therefore, our main goal in this paper is to monitor the trends in the Brazilian journals from 2013 to 2019…

A single-slit diffraction experiment in an introductory physics laboratory is generally comprised of a rectangular slit and a laser source. The laser beam is sent to the slit producing the well-known diffraction pattern on the screen. This paper proposes a simple modification of the single-slit diffraction experiment to increase student attention…

There is a large variety of goals instructors have for laboratory courses, with different courses focusing on different subsets of goals. An often implicit, but crucial, goal is to develop students' attitudes, views, and expectations about experimental physics to align with practicing experimental physicists. The assessment of laboratory courses…