Extant literature has emphasized the importance of education research being theory-based. To this end, many research articles have a distinct "theoretical framework" section describing the theoretical underpinnings that inform the research. Nevertheless, there is large variation in how explicit articles are regarding their use of…

This study examines teachers' experiences of transition at different points in time over a two-year period to encapsulate their journey to becoming a qualified teacher. Six novice teachers participated in a study in their final year of university through to their first year as a newly qualified teacher. Reflective journals, one-to-one interviews…

Achieving knowledge integration for deep learning requires students to develop well-connected knowledge structures through the central idea of a concept. However, a number of studies on student learning in momentum have revealed persistent difficulties in understanding its fundamental concept, particularly in relating net force, time, and change…

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…

The preparation gap [Salehi et al., Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 15, 020114 (2019)] refers to gaps in students' prior knowledge that can negatively affect their learning as they engage in introductory physics courses. To better characterize the gap, the current study distinguished the impact of various prior knowledge components on learning gains.…

The Sun is a central feature to the human experience. It is found in many familiar idioms like "nothing new under the Sun." It defines our days, makes our planet habitable, and is the ultimate origin of your last meal. Yet how do we understand how it works?

Observing the bouncing of a marble on a table is a rather common experience. The tic-tac sound of the rigid ball, nevertheless, carries quite a pleasant surprise. In fact, by measuring the total time of bouncing [delta]t, the coefficient of restitution can be estimated. As is well known, in an inelastic collision the kinetic energy is not…

If a ball rolls at constant speed on a horizontal surface about a horizontal axis then the angular velocity is easily measured. If the ball is projected with additional spin about the vertical axis, then the rotation axis is tilted and it is more difficult to measure the rotation speed. A few examples are presented to show how the separate topspin…

Using the analogy between thermodynamics and electricity, two new concepts of thermal charge and quantity of thermal charge are introduced. A simple yet explicit definition of entropy is then derived-entropy is the quantity of thermal charge. As a result, quantity of thermal charge (entropy) and quantity of heat (energy) are now clearly…

The Cartesian diver is an old and useful demonstration of fluid-related phenomena, including Archimedes' and Pascal's principles. While the diver gets its name from the scientist and philosopher René Descartes, the first written description of the device was given by Raffaello Magiotti. The modified diver presented here is related to Feynman's…

The problem of a disc or cylinder initially rolling with slipping on a surface and subsequently transitioning to rolling without slipping is often cited in textbooks. Students struggle to qualitatively understand the difference between kinetic and static frictional forces--i.e., whereas the magnitude of the former is known, that of the latter can…

The role of work and mechanical energy in classical relativity has been a subject of renewed interest in this publication. Here we present a problem that illustrates the relationship between impulse and kinetic energy for a rocket-powered object that can also change its gravitational potential energy. The same introductory physics principles lead…

Stellar aberration is the phenomenon whereby the observed angular position of a star depends on the relative motion between the star and Earth. Specifically, a telescope must be tilted slightly into the direction of motion of Earth relative to the star. There are in fact three different angular positions of interest: the observed position of the…

The Roberval balance mentioned by E. Scott Barr presents a phenomenon against intuition that appears to violate the principle of torque equilibrium. Roberval called his balance a "static enigma." This apparent paradox went unexplained for well over a century until L. Poinsot in 1804 explained that the thrusts created in the parallelogram…

5E instructional model is commonly utilized in science teaching to promote conceptual learning. However, the benefit of 5E instructional model cannot be fully attained if the knowledge and skills essential to learning were not properly established from past. Similarly, the development of new concepts cannot be fully attained if the important…