Even though physical experiments are mandatory in science education, there has been an increasing demand for virtual experiments. This research aimed to investigate the impact of virtual experiments compared to physical experiments on students' conceptual understanding of chemical kinetics concepts. To achieve this, a two-phase explanatory…

This research aims to develop a professional development model for science teachers using a school-based approach to enhance STEM literacy. The model leverages outdoor STEM education resources in southern Thailand. The study focuses on primary-level science and project-based teachers in Phuket Province, selected through purposive sampling from…

Despite the challenges posed by expository instruction materials, including unfamiliar text structure and abstracted and isolated representation of the contents, they constitute a primary means of studying scientific concepts in higher education. Conversely, utilizing narratives to present the to-be-learned content was conjectured to mitigate some…

The cosine theorem is used in solving triangulation problems and in physics when solving problems of addition of unidirectional oscillations. However, this theorem is used only for the analytical calculation of triangles or when solving problems of adding two oscillations. Here we propose a generalization of the cosine theorem for the case of…

Despite the fact that the free-body diagram is the most common method of representing forces in physics education, alternative means have been proposed over the years. Here we present a summary of the proposals found in the literature on physics education. We aim to discuss the pros and cons of these proposals, examine their degree of iconicity,…

There are many phenomena, interesting, simple experiments and effects, that await their in-depth explanation from the point of view of physics. Some of them have been well known for a long time but their numbers are increasing, especially with the introduction of new technology in everyday life. In this paper we consider a simple experiment that…

Teaching through discrepant event activities increases student interest in science. In this article, I will introduce a well-known 19th century demonstration, the Tissandier experiment, to stimulate curiosity among students learning the concept of inertia. In this demonstration, a hard object (e.g. a wooden rod) placed on fragile supports is…

We have demonstrated both interference and diffraction of a pseudo-double slit using two glass plates with a width and a length of about 5 cm and a thickness of about 5 mm. The plates are attached at the upper and lower ends with Scotch tape of about 0.1 to 0.3 mm between the plates. By adjusting the angle between the two plates, we are able to…

Nowadays more than two billion people own smartphones, without necessarily realizing they have a mobile physics lab that can be used to study acoustics, mechanics, astronomy, optics, fluids mechanics, or even serves as an oscilloscope. All smartphones have at least one camera, which is probably the most well-known and used sensor of this device.…

The fundamental principles and applications of thermodynamics and single-component phase equilibrium are used to explain and quantitatively analyze the operation and performance of the vapor-compression refrigerator (VCR). Carbon dioxide is used as the refrigerant. The four processes (or steps) that comprise the VCR refrigeration cycle are…

The point particle is an idealized object where rotational and vibrational motion is ignored. Nevertheless, in many cases such degrees of freedom play a significant role. For example, the rotation and vibration of a molecule is an important "reservoir" of its internal energy. The excitation of these types of motion can occur during the…

Resonance is an important, and rather dramatic, phenomenon in physics. The mechanical case of a mass-spring oscillator is generally the first example that students encounter in introductory courses. In electromagnetism, the resonance in driven RLC circuits is presented in analogy with mechanics, since the mathematical equations describing them are…

This chapter provides an example of how we can analyze a questionable explanation using the categories presented in the previous two chapters, namely alert signals and risk factors. These categories are first summarized in two tables which then serve as an analysis grid for different texts. Next, we take two examples (osmosis and capillary rise),…

After reviewing the main discussions on scientific explanation in the literature, this paper outlines a particular approach to explanations based on sociocultural analysis. The aim is to provide a base for discussing explanations as cultural tools in science education. Drawing on studies of collective remembering, this paper focuses on parallels…

Nanoscience and nanotechnology (NST) focus on the creation and the exploration of materials' properties at the nanoscale. The estimations about the impact of the field on our daily life, the industrial demands for ensuring skilled workforce, and the need to form a nano-literate citizenry have triggered the incorporation of aspects of this…