research on physics pdf

• Position paper
• Open access
• Published: 28 November 2019

Physics education research for 21 st century learning

• Lei Bao   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-3348-4198 1 &
• Kathleen Koenig 2  

Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Science Education Research volume  1 , Article number:  2 ( 2019 ) Cite this article

37k Accesses

71 Citations

2 Altmetric

Metrics details

Education goals have evolved to emphasize student acquisition of the knowledge and attributes necessary to successfully contribute to the workforce and global economy of the twenty-first Century. The new education standards emphasize higher end skills including reasoning, creativity, and open problem solving. Although there is substantial research evidence and consensus around identifying essential twenty-first Century skills, there is a lack of research that focuses on how the related subskills interact and develop over time. This paper provides a brief review of physics education research as a means for providing a context towards future work in promoting deep learning and fostering abilities in high-end reasoning. Through a synthesis of the literature around twenty-first Century skills and physics education, a set of concretely defined education and research goals are suggested for future research, along with how these may impact the next generation physics courses and how physics should be taught in the future.

Introduction

Education is the primary service offered by society to prepare its future generation workforce. The goals of education should therefore meet the demands of the changing world. The concept of learner-centered, active learning has broad, growing support in the research literature as an empirically validated teaching practice that best promotes learning for modern day students (Freeman et al., 2014 ). It stems out of the constructivist view of learning, which emphasizes that it is the learner who needs to actively construct knowledge and the teacher should assume the role of a facilitator rather than the source of knowledge. As implied by the constructivist view, learner-centered education usually emphasizes active-engagement and inquiry style teaching-learning methods, in which the learners can effectively construct their understanding under the guidance of instruction. The learner-centered education also requires educators and researchers to focus their efforts on the learners’ needs, not only to deliver effective teaching-learning approaches, but also to continuously align instructional practices to the education goals of the times. The goals of introductory college courses in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines have constantly evolved from some notion of weed-out courses that emphasize content drilling, to the current constructivist active-engagement type of learning that promotes interest in STEM careers and fosters high-end cognitive abilities.

Following the conceptually defined framework of twenty-first Century teaching and learning, this paper aims to provide contextualized operational definitions of the goals for twenty-first Century learning in physics (and STEM in general) as well as the rationale for the importance of these outcomes for current students. Aligning to the twenty-first Century learning goals, research in physics education is briefly reviewed to provide a context towards future work in promoting deep learning and fostering abilities in high-end reasoning in parallel. Through a synthesis of the literature around twenty-first Century skills and physics education, a set of concretely defined education and research goals are suggested for future research. These goals include: domain-specific research in physics learning; fostering scientific reasoning abilities that are transferable across the STEM disciplines; and dissemination of research-validated curriculum and approaches to teaching and learning. Although this review has a focus on physics education research (PER), it is beneficial to expand the perspective to view physics education in the broader context of STEM learning. Therefore, much of the discussion will blend PER with STEM education as a continuum body of work on teaching and learning.

Education goals for twenty-first century learning

Education goals have evolved to emphasize student acquisition of essential “21 st Century skills”, which define the knowledge and attributes necessary to successfully contribute to the workforce and global economy of the 21st Century (National Research Council, 2011 , 2012a ). In general, these standards seek to transition from emphasizing content-based drilling and memorization towards fostering higher-end skills including reasoning, creativity, and open problem solving (United States Chamber of Commerce, 2017 ). Initiatives on advancing twenty-first Century education focus on skills that converge on three broad clusters: cognitive, interpersonal, and intrapersonal, all of which include a rich set of sub-dimensions.

Within the cognitive domain, multiple competencies have been proposed, including deep learning, non-routine problem solving, systems thinking, critical thinking, computational and information literacy, reasoning and argumentation, and innovation (National Research Council, 2012b ; National Science and Technology Council, 2018 ). Interpersonal skills are those necessary for relating to others, including the ability to work creatively and collaboratively as well as communicate clearly. Intrapersonal skills, on the other hand, reside within the individual and include metacognitive thinking, adaptability, and self-management. These involve the ability to adjust one’s strategy or approach along with the ability to work towards important goals without significant distraction, both essential for sustained success in long-term problem solving and career development.

Although many descriptions exist for what qualifies as twenty-first Century skills, student abilities in scientific reasoning and critical thinking are the most commonly noted and widely studied. They are highly connected with the other cognitive skills of problem solving, decision making, and creative thinking (Bailin, 1996 ; Facione, 1990 ; Fisher, 2001 ; Lipman, 2003 ; Marzano et al., 1988 ), and have been important educational goals since the 1980s (Binkley et al., 2010 ; NCET, 1987 ). As a result, they play a foundational role in defining, assessing, and developing twenty-first Century skills.

The literature for critical thinking is extensive (Bangert-Drowns & Bankert, 1990 ; Facione, 1990 ; Glaser, 1941 ). Various definitions exist with common underlying principles. Broadly defined, critical thinking is the application of the cognitive skills and strategies that aim for and support evidence-based decision making. It is the thinking involved in solving problems, formulating inferences, calculating likelihoods, and making decisions (Halpern, 1999 ). It is the “reasonable reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or do” (Ennis, 1993 ). Critical thinking is recognized as a way to understand and evaluate subject matter; producing reliable knowledge and improving thinking itself (Paul, 1990 ; Siegel, 1988 ).

The notion of scientific reasoning is often used to label the set of skills that support critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity in STEM. Broadly defined, scientific reasoning includes the thinking and reasoning skills involved in inquiry, experimentation, evidence evaluation, inference and argument that support the formation and modification of concepts and theories about the natural world; such as the ability to systematically explore a problem, formulate and test hypotheses, manipulate and isolate variables, and observe and evaluate consequences (Bao et al., 2009 ; Zimmerman, 2000 ). Critical thinking and scientific reasoning share many features, where both emphasize evidence-based decision making in multivariable causal conditions. Critical thinking can be promoted through the development of scientific reasoning, which includes student ability to reach a reliable conclusion after identifying a question, formulating hypotheses, gathering relevant data, and logically testing and evaluating the hypothesis. In this way, scientific reasoning can be viewed as a scientific domain instantiation of critical thinking in the context of STEM learning.

In STEM learning, cognitive aspects of the twenty-first Century skills aim to develop reasoning skills, critical thinking skills, and deep understanding, all of which allow students to develop well connected expert-like knowledge structures and engage in meaningful scientific inquiry and problem solving. Within physics education, a core component of STEM education, the learning of conceptual understanding and problem solving remains a current emphasis. However, the fast-changing work environment and technology-driven world require a new set of core knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to solve complex interdisciplinary problems, gather and evaluate evidence, and make sense of information from a variety of sources (Tanenbaum, 2016 ). The education goals in physics are transitioning towards ability fostering as well as extension and integration with other STEM disciplines. Although curriculum that supports these goals is limited, there are a number of attempts, particularly in developing active learning classrooms and inquiry-based laboratory activities, which have demonstrated success. Some of these are described later in this paper as they provide a foundation for future work in physics education.

Interpersonal skills, such as communication and collaboration, are also essential for twenty-first Century problem-solving tasks, which are often open-ended, complex, and team-based. As the world becomes more connected in a multitude of dimensions, tackling significant problems involving complex systems often goes beyond the individual and requires working with others who are increasingly from culturally diverse backgrounds. Due to the rise of communication technologies, being able to articulate thoughts and ideas in a variety of formats and contexts is crucial, as well as the ability to effectively listen or observe to decipher meaning. Interpersonal skills can be promoted by integrating group-learning experiences into the classroom setting, while providing students with the opportunity to engage in open-ended tasks with a team of peer learners who may propose more than one plausible solution. These experiences should be designed such that students must work collaboratively and responsibly in teams to develop creative solutions, which are later disseminated through informative presentations and clearly written scientific reports. Although educational settings in general have moved to providing students with more and more opportunities for collaborative learning, a lack of effective assessments for these important skills has been a limiting factor for producing informative research and widespread implementation. See Liu ( 2010 ) for an overview of measurement instruments reported in the research literature.

Intrapersonal skills are based on the individual and include the ability to manage one’s behavior and emotions to achieve goals. These are especially important for adapting in the fast-evolving collaborative modern work environment and for learning new tasks to solve increasingly challenging interdisciplinary problems, both of which require intellectual openness, work ethic, initiative, and metacognition, to name a few. These skills can be promoted using instruction which, for example, includes metacognitive learning strategies, provides opportunities to make choices and set goals for learning, and explicitly connects to everyday life events. However, like interpersonal skills, the availability of relevant assessments challenges advancement in this area. In this review, the vast amount of studies on interpersonal and intrapersonal skills will not be discussed in order to keep the main focus on the cognitive side of skills and reasoning.

The purpose behind discussing twenty-first Century skills is that this set of skills provides important guidance for establishing essential education goals for modern society and learners. However, although there is substantial research evidence and consensus around identifying necessary twenty-first Century skills, there is a lack of research that focuses on how the related subskills interact and develop over time (Reimers & Chung, 2016 ), with much of the existing research residing in academic literature that is focused on psychology rather than education systems (National Research Council, 2012a ). Therefore, a major and challenging task for discipline-based education researchers and educators is to operationally define discipline-specific goals that align with the twenty-first Century skills for each of the STEM fields. In the following sections, this paper will provide a limited vision of the research endeavors in physics education that can translate the past and current success into sustained impact for twenty-first Century teaching and learning.

Proposed education and research goals

Physics education research (PER) is often considered an early pioneer in discipline-based education research (National Research Council, 2012c ), with well-established, broad, and influential outcomes (e.g., Hake, 1998 ; Hsu, Brewe, Foster, & Harper, 2004 ; McDermott & Redish, 1999 ; Meltzer & Thornton, 2012 ). Through the integration of twenty-first Century skills with the PER literature, a set of broadly defined education and research goals is proposed for future PER work:

Discipline-specific deep learning: Cognitive and education research involving physics learning has established a rich literature on student learning behaviors along with a number of frameworks. Some of the popular frameworks include conceptual understanding and concept change, problem solving, knowledge structure, deep learning, and knowledge integration. Aligned with twenty-first Century skills, future research in physics learning should aim to integrate the multiple areas of existing work, such that they help students develop well integrated knowledge structures in order to achieve deep leaning in physics.

Fostering scientific reasoning for transfer across STEM disciplines: The broad literature in physics learning and scientific reasoning can provide a solid foundation to further develop effective physics education approaches, such as active engagement instruction and inquiry labs, specifically targeting scientific inquiry abilities and reasoning skills. Since scientific reasoning is a more domain-general cognitive ability, success in physics can also more readily inform research and education practices in other STEM fields.

Research, development, assessment, and dissemination of effective education approaches: Developing and maintaining a supportive infrastructure of education research and implementation has always been a challenge, not only in physics but in all STEM areas. The twenty-first Century education requires researchers and instructors across STEM to work together as an extended community in order to construct a sustainable integrated STEM education environment. Through this new infrastructure, effective team-based inquiry learning and meaningful assessment can be delivered to help students develop a comprehensive skills set including deep understanding and scientific reasoning, as well as communication and other non-cognitive abilities.

The suggested research will generate understanding and resources to support education practices that meet the requirements of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which explicitly emphasize three areas of learning including disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and practices (National Research Council, 2012b ). The first goal for promoting deep learning of disciplinary knowledge corresponds well to the NGSS emphasis on disciplinary core ideas, which play a central role in helping students develop well integrated knowledge structures to achieve deep understanding. The second goal on fostering transferable scientific reasoning skills supports the NGSS emphasis on crosscutting concepts and practices. Scientific reasoning skills are crosscutting cognitive abilities that are essential to the development of domain-general concepts and modeling strategies. In addition, the development of scientific reasoning requires inquiry-based learning and practices. Therefore, research on scientific reasoning can produce a valuable knowledge base on education means that are effective for developing crosscutting concepts and promoting meaningful practices in STEM. The third research goal addresses the challenge in the assessment of high-end skills and the dissemination of effective educational approaches, which supports all NGSS initiatives to ensure sustainable development and lasting impact. The following sections will discuss the research literature that provides the foundation for these three research goals and identify the specific challenges that will need to be addressed in future work.

Promoting deep learning in physics education

Physics education for the twenty-first Century aims to foster high-end reasoning skills and promote deep conceptual understanding. However, many traditional education systems place strong emphasis on only problem solving with the expectation that students obtain deep conceptual understanding through repetitive problem-solving practices, which often doesn’t occur (Alonso, 1992 ). This focus on problem solving has been shown to have limitations as a number of studies have revealed disconnections between learning conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills (Chiu, 2001 ; Chiu, Guo, & Treagust, 2007 ; Hoellwarth, Moelter, & Knight, 2005 ; Kim & Pak, 2002 ; Nakhleh, 1993 ; Nakhleh & Mitchell, 1993 ; Nurrenbern & Pickering, 1987 ; Stamovlasis, Tsaparlis, Kamilatos, Papaoikonomou, & Zarotiadou, 2005 ). In fact, drilling in problem solving may actually promote memorization of context-specific solutions with minimal generalization rather than transitioning students from novices to experts.

Towards conceptual understanding and learning, many models and definitions have been established to study and describe student conceptual knowledge states and development. For example, students coming into a physics classroom often hold deeply rooted, stable understandings that differ from expert conceptions. These are commonly referred to as misconceptions or alternative conceptions (Clement, 1982 ; Duit & Treagust, 2003 ; Dykstra Jr, Boyle, & Monarch, 1992 ; Halloun & Hestenes, 1985a , 1985b ). Such students’ conceptions are context dependent and exist as disconnected knowledge fragments, which are strongly situated within specific contexts (Bao & Redish, 2001 , 2006 ; Minstrell, 1992 ).

In modeling students’ knowledge structures, DiSessa’s proposed phenomenological primitives (p-prim) describe a learner’s implicit thinking, cued from specific contexts, as an underpinning cognitive construct for a learner’s expressed conception (DiSessa, 1993 ; Smith III, DiSessa, & Roschelle, 1994 ). Facets, on the other hand, map between the implicit p-prim and concrete statements of beliefs and are developed as discrete and independent units of thought, knowledge, or strategies used by individuals to address specific situations (Minstrell, 1992 ). Ontological categories, defined by Chi, describe student reasoning in the most general sense. Chi believed that these are distinct, stable, and constraining, and that a core reason behind novices’ difficulties in physics is that they think of physics within the category of matter instead of processes (Chi, 1992 ; Chi & Slotta, 1993 ; Chi, Slotta, & De Leeuw, 1994 ; Slotta, Chi, & Joram, 1995 ). More details on conceptual learning and problem solving are well summarized in the literature (Hsu et al., 2004 ; McDermott & Redish, 1999 ), from which a common theme emerges from the models and definitions. That is, learning is context dependent and students with poor conceptual understanding typically have locally connected knowledge structures with isolated conceptual constructs that are unable to establish similarities and contrasts between contexts.

Additionally, this idea of fragmentation is demonstrated through many studies on student problem solving in physics and other fields. It has been shown that a student’s knowledge organization is a key aspect for distinguishing experts from novices (Bagno, Eylon, & Ganiel, 2000 ; Chi, Feltovich, & Glaser, 1981 ; De Jong & Ferguson-Hesler, 1986 ; Eylon & Reif, 1984 ; Ferguson-Hesler & De Jong, 1990 ; Heller & Reif, 1984 ; Larkin, McDermott, Simon, & Simon, 1980 ; Smith, 1992 ; Veldhuis, 1990 ; Wexler, 1982 ). Expert’s knowledge is organized around core principles of physics, which are applied to guide problem solving and develop connections between different domains as well as new, unfamiliar situations (Brown, 1989 ; Perkins & Salomon, 1989 ; Salomon & Perkins, 1989 ). Novices, on the other hand, lack a well-organized knowledge structure and often solve problems by relying on surface features that are directly mapped to certain problem-solving outcomes through memorization (Chi, Bassok, Lewis, Reimann, & Glaser, 1989 ; Hardiman, Dufresne, & Mestre, 1989 ; Schoenfeld & Herrmann, 1982 ).

This lack of organization creates many difficulties in the comprehension of basic concepts and in solving complex problems. This leads to the common complaint that students’ knowledge of physics is reduced to formulas and vague labels of the concepts, which are unable to substantively contribute to meaningful reasoning processes. A novice’s fragmented knowledge structure severely limits the learner’s conceptual understanding. In essence, these students are able to memorize how to approach a problem given specific information but lack the understanding of the underlying concept of the approach, limiting their ability to apply this approach to a novel situation. In order to achieve expert-like understanding, a student’s knowledge structure must integrate all of the fragmented ideas around the core principle to form a coherent and fully connected conceptual framework.

Towards a more general theoretical consideration, students’ alternative conceptions and fragmentation in knowledge structures can be viewed through both the “naïve theory” framework (e.g., Posner, Strike, Hewson, & Gertzog, 1982 ; Vosniadou, Vamvakoussi, & Skopeliti, 2008 ) and the “knowledge in pieces” (DiSessa, 1993 ) perspective. The “naïve theory” framework considers students entering the classroom with stable and coherent ideas (naïve theories) about the natural world that differ from those presented by experts. In the “knowledge in pieces” perspective, student knowledge is constructed in real-time and incorporates context features with the p-prims to form the observed conceptual expressions. Although there exists an ongoing debate between these two views (Kalman & Lattery, 2018 ), it is more productive to focus on their instructional implications for promoting meaningful conceptual change in students’ knowledge structures.

In the process of learning, students may enter the classroom with a range of initial states depending on the population and content. For topics with well-established empirical experiences, students often have developed their own ideas and understanding, while on topics without prior exposure, students may create their initial understanding in real-time based on related prior knowledge and given contextual features (Bao & Redish, 2006 ). These initial states of understanding, regardless of their origin, are usually different from those of experts. Therefore, the main function of teaching and learning is to guide students to modify their initial understanding towards the experts’ views. Although students’ initial understanding may exist as a body of coherent ideas within limited contexts, as students start to change their knowledge structures throughout the learning process, they may evolve into a wide range of transitional states with varying levels of knowledge integration and coherence. The discussion in this brief review on students’ knowledge structures regarding fragmentation and integration are primarily focused on the transitional stages emerged through learning.

The corresponding instructional goal is then to help students more effectively develop an integrated knowledge structure so as to achieve a deep conceptual understanding. From an educator’s perspective, Bloom’s taxonomy of education objectives establishes a hierarchy of six levels of cognitive skills based on their specificity and complexity: Remember (lowest and most specific), Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create (highest and most general and complex) (Anderson et al., 2001 ; Bloom, Engelhart, Furst, Hill, & Krathwohl, 1956 ). This hierarchy of skills exemplifies the transition of a learner’s cognitive development from a fragmented and contextually situated knowledge structure (novice with low level cognitive skills) to a well-integrated and globally networked expert-like structure (with high level cognitive skills).

As a student’s learning progresses from lower to higher cognitive levels, the student’s knowledge structure becomes more integrated and is easier to transfer across contexts (less context specific). For example, beginning stage students may only be able to memorize and perform limited applications of the features of certain contexts and their conditional variations, with which the students were specifically taught. This leads to the establishment of a locally connected knowledge construct. When a student’s learning progresses from the level of Remember to Understand, the student begins to develop connections among some of the fragmented pieces to form a more fully connected network linking a larger set of contexts, thus advancing into a higher level of understanding. These connections and the ability to transfer between different situations form the basis of deep conceptual understanding. This growth of connections leads to a more complete and integrated cognitive structure, which can be mapped to a higher level on Bloom’s taxonomy. This occurs when students are able to relate a larger number of different contextual and conditional aspects of a concept for analyzing and evaluating to a wider variety of problem situations.

Promoting the growth of connections would appear to aid in student learning. Exactly which teaching methods best facilitate this are dependent on the concepts and skills being learned and should be determined through research. However, it has been well recognized that traditional instruction often fails to help students obtain expert-like conceptual understanding, with many misconceptions still existing after instruction, indicating weak integration within a student’s knowledge structure (McKeachie, 1986 ).

Recognizing the failures of traditional teaching, various research-informed teaching methods have been developed to enhance student conceptual learning along with diagnostic tests, which aim to measure the existence of misconceptions. Most advances in teaching methods focus on the inclusion of inquiry-based interactive-engagement elements in lecture, recitations, and labs. In physics education, these methods were popularized after Hake’s landmark study demonstrated the effectiveness of interactive-engagement over traditional lectures (Hake, 1998 ). Some of these methods include the use of peer instruction (Mazur, 1997 ), personal response systems (e.g., Reay, Bao, Li, Warnakulasooriya, & Baugh, 2005 ), studio-style instruction (Beichner et al., 2007 ), and inquiry-based learning (Etkina & Van Heuvelen, 2001 ; Laws, 2004 ; McDermott, 1996 ; Thornton & Sokoloff, 1998 ). The key approach of these methods aims to improve student learning by carefully targeting deficits in student knowledge and actively encouraging students to explore and discuss. Rather than rote memorization, these approaches help promote generalization and deeper conceptual understanding by building connections between knowledge elements.

Based on the literature, including Bloom’s taxonomy and the new education standards that emphasize twenty-first Century skills, a common focus on teaching and learning can be identified. This focus emphasizes helping students develop connections among fragmented segments of their knowledge pieces and is aligned with the knowledge integration perspective, which focuses on helping students develop and refine their knowledge structure toward a more coherently organized and extensively connected network of ideas (Lee, Liu, & Linn, 2011 ; Linn, 2005 ; Nordine, Krajcik, & Fortus, 2011 ; Shen, Liu, & Chang, 2017 ). For meaningful learning to occur, new concepts must be integrated into a learner’s existing knowledge structure by linking the new knowledge to already understood concepts.

Forming an integrated knowledge structure is therefore essential to achieving deep learning, not only in physics but also in all STEM fields. However, defining what connections must occur at different stages of learning, as well as understanding the instructional methods necessary for effectively developing such connections within each STEM disciplinary context, are necessary for current and future research. Together these will provide the much needed foundational knowledge base to guide the development of the next generation of curriculum and classroom environment designed around twenty-first Century learning.

Developing scientific reasoning with inquiry labs

Scientific reasoning is part of the widely emphasized cognitive strand of twenty-first Century skills. Through development of scientific reasoning skills, students’ critical thinking, open-ended problem-solving abilities, and decision-making skills can be improved. In this way, targeting scientific reasoning as a curricular objective is aligned with the goals emphasized in twenty-first Century education. Also, there is a growing body of research on the importance of student development of scientific reasoning, which have been found to positively correlate with course achievement (Cavallo, Rozman, Blickenstaff, & Walker, 2003 ; Johnson & Lawson, 1998 ), improvement on concept tests (Coletta & Phillips, 2005 ; She & Liao, 2010 ), engagement in higher levels of problem solving (Cracolice, Deming, & Ehlert, 2008 ; Fabby & Koenig, 2013 ); and success on transfer (Ates & Cataloglu, 2007 ; Jensen & Lawson, 2011 ).

Unfortunately, research has shown that college students are lacking in scientific reasoning. Lawson ( 1992 ) found that ~ 50% of intro biology students are not capable of applying scientific reasoning in learning, including the ability to develop hypotheses, control variables, and design experiments; all necessary for meaningful scientific inquiry. Research has also found that traditional courses do not significantly develop these abilities, with pre-to-post-test gains of 1%–2%, while inquiry-based courses have gains around 7% (Koenig, Schen, & Bao, 2012 ; Koenig, Schen, Edwards, & Bao, 2012 ). Others found that undergraduates have difficulty developing evidence-based decisions and differentiating between and linking evidence with claims (Kuhn, 1992 ; Shaw, 1996 ; Zeineddin & Abd-El-Khalick, 2010 ). A large scale international study suggested that learning of physics content knowledge with traditional teaching practices does not improve students’ scientific reasoning skills (Bao et al., 2009 ).

Aligned to twenty-first Century learning, it is important to implement curriculum that is specifically designed for developing scientific reasoning abilities within current education settings. Although traditional lectures may continue for decades due to infrastructure constraints, a unique opportunity can be found in the lab curriculum, which may be more readily transformed to include hands-on minds-on group learning activities that are ideal for developing students’ abilities in scientific inquiry and reasoning.

For well over a century, the laboratory has held a distinctive role in student learning (Meltzer & Otero, 2015 ). However, many existing labs, which haven’t changed much since the late 1980s, have received criticism for their outdated cookbook style that lacks effectiveness in developing high-end skills. In addition, labs have been primarily used as a means for verifying the physical principles presented in lecture, and unfortunately, Hofstein and Lunetta ( 1982 ) found in an early review of the literature that research was unable to demonstrate the impact of the lab on student content learning.

About this same time, a shift towards a constructivist view of learning gained popularity and influenced lab curriculum development towards engaging students in the process of constructing knowledge through science inquiry. Curricula, such as Physics by Inquiry (McDermott, 1996 ), Real-Time Physics (Sokoloff, Thornton, & Laws, 2011 ), and Workshop Physics (Laws, 2004 ), were developed with a primary focus on engaging students in cognitive conflict to address misconceptions. Although these approaches have been shown to be highly successful in improving deep learning of physics concepts (McDermott & Redish, 1999 ), the emphasis on conceptual learning does not sufficiently impact the domain general scientific reasoning skills necessitated in the goals of twenty-first Century learning.

Reform in science education, both in terms of targeted content and skills, along with the emergence of knowledge regarding human cognition and learning (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2000 ), have generated renewed interest in the potential of inquiry-based lab settings for skill development. In these types of hands-on minds-on learning, students apply the methods and procedures of science inquiry to investigate phenomena and construct scientific claims, solve problems, and communicate outcomes, which holds promise for developing both conceptual understanding and scientific reasoning skills in parallel (Trowbridge, Bybee, & Powell, 2000 ). In addition, the availability of technology to enhance inquiry-based learning has seen exponential growth, along with the emergence of more appropriate research methodologies to support research on student learning.

Although inquiry-based labs hold promise for developing students’ high-end reasoning, analytic, and scientific inquiry abilities, these educational endeavors have not become widespread, with many existing physics laboratory courses still viewed merely as a place to illustrate the physical principles from the lecture course (Meltzer & Otero, 2015 ). Developing scientific ideas from practical experiences, however, is a complex process. Students need sufficient time and opportunity for interaction and reflection on complex, investigative tasks. Blended learning, which merges lecture and lab (such as studio style courses), addresses this issue to some extent, but has experienced limited adoption, likely due to the demanding infrastructure resources, including dedicated technology-intensive classroom space, equipment and maintenance costs, and fully committed trained staff.

Therefore, there is an immediate need to transform the existing standalone lab courses, within the constraints of the existing education infrastructure, into more inquiry-based designs, with one of its primary goals dedicated to developing scientific reasoning skills. These labs should center on constructing knowledge, along with hands-on minds-on practical skills and scientific reasoning, to support modeling a problem, designing and implementing experiments, analyzing and interpreting data, drawing and evaluating conclusions, and effective communication. In particular, training on scientific reasoning needs to be explicitly addressed in the lab curriculum, which should contain components specifically targeting a set of operationally-defined scientific reasoning skills, such as ability to control variables or engage in multivariate causal reasoning. Although effective inquiry may also implicitly develop some aspects of scientific reasoning skills, such development is far less efficient and varies with context when the primary focus is on conceptual learning.

Several recent efforts to enhance the standalone lab course have shown promise in supporting education goals that better align with twenty-first Century learning. For example, the Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) labs involve a series of tasks designed to help students develop the “habits of mind” of scientists and engineers (Etkina et al., 2006 ). The curriculum targets reasoning as well as the lab learning outcomes published by the American Association of Physics Teachers (Kozminski et al., 2014 ). Operationally, ISLE methods focus on scaffolding students’ developing conceptual understanding using inquiry learning without a heavy emphasis on cognitive conflict, making it more appropriate and effective for entry level students and K-12 teachers.

Likewise, Koenig, Wood, Bortner, and Bao ( 2019 ) have developed a lab curriculum that is intentionally designed around the twenty-first Century learning goals for developing cognitive, interpersonal, and intrapersonal abilities. In terms of the cognitive domain, the lab learning outcomes center on critical thinking and scientific reasoning but do so through operationally defined sub-skills, all of which are transferrable across STEM. These selected sub-skills are found in the research literature, and include the ability to control variables and engage in data analytics and causal reasoning. For each targeted sub-skill, a series of pre-lab and in-class activities provide students with repeated, deliberate practice within multiple hypothetical science-based scenarios followed by real inquiry-based lab contexts. This explicit instructional strategy has been shown to be essential for the development of scientific reasoning (Chen & Klahr, 1999 ). In addition, the Karplus Learning Cycle (Karplus, 1964 ) provides the foundation for the structure of the lab activities and involves cycles of exploration, concept introduction, and concept application. The curricular framework is such that as the course progresses, the students engage in increasingly complex tasks, which allow students the opportunity to learn gradually through a progression from simple to complex skills.

As part of this same curriculum, students’ interpersonal skills are developed, in part, through teamwork, as students work in groups of 3 or 4 to address open-ended research questions, such as, What impacts the period of a pendulum? In addition, due to time constraints, students learn early on about the importance of working together in an efficient manor towards a common goal, with one set of written lab records per team submitted after each lab. Checkpoints built into all in-class activities involve Socratic dialogue between the instructor and students and promote oral communication. This use of directed questioning guides students in articulating their reasoning behind decisions and claims made, while supporting the development of scientific reasoning and conceptual understanding in parallel (Hake, 1992 ). Students’ intrapersonal skills, as well as communication skills, are promoted through the submission of individual lab reports. These reports require students to reflect upon their learning over each of four multi-week experiments and synthesize their ideas into evidence-based arguments, which support a claim. Due to the length of several weeks over which students collect data for each of these reports, the ability to organize the data and manage their time becomes essential.

Despite the growing emphasis on research and development of curriculum that targets twenty-first Century learning, converting a traditionally taught lab course into a meaningful inquiry-based learning environment is challenging in current reform efforts. Typically, the biggest challenge is a lack of resources; including faculty time to create or adapt inquiry-based materials for the local setting, training faculty and graduate student instructors who are likely unfamiliar with this approach, and the potential cost of new equipment. Koenig et al. ( 2019 ) addressed these potential implementation barriers by designing curriculum with these challenges in mind. That is, the curriculum was designed as a flexible set of modules that target specific sub-skills, with each module consisting of pre-lab (hypothetical) and in-lab (real) activities. Each module was designed around a curricular framework such that an adopting institution can use the materials as written, or can incorporate their existing equipment and experiments into the framework with minimal effort. Other non-traditional approaches have also been experimented with, such as the work by Sobhanzadeh, Kalman, and Thompson ( 2017 ), which targets typical misconceptions by using conceptual questions to engage students in making a prediction, designing and conducting a related experiment, and determining whether or not the results support the hypothesis.

Another challenge for inquiry labs is the assessment of skills-based learning outcomes. For assessment of scientific reasoning, a new instrument on inquiry in scientific thinking analytics and reasoning (iSTAR) has been developed, which can be easily implemented across large numbers of students as both a pre- and post-test to assess gains. iSTAR assesses reasoning skills necessary in the systematical conduct of scientific inquiry, which includes the ability to explore a problem, formulate and test hypotheses, manipulate and isolate variables, and observe and evaluate the consequences (see www.istarassessment.org ). The new instrument expands upon the commonly used classroom test of scientific reasoning (Lawson, 1978 , 2000 ), which has been identified with a number of validity weaknesses and a ceiling effect for college students (Bao, Xiao, Koenig, & Han, 2018 ).

Many education innovations need supporting infrastructures that can ensure adoption and lasting impact. However, making large-scale changes to current education settings can be risky, if not impossible. New education approaches, therefore, need to be designed to adapt to current environmental constraints. Since higher-end skills are a primary focus of twenty-first Century learning, which are most effectively developed in inquiry-based group settings, transforming current lecture and lab courses into this new format is critical. Although this transformation presents great challenges, promising solutions have already emerged from various research efforts. Perhaps the biggest challenge is for STEM educators and researchers to form an alliance to work together to re-engineer many details of the current education infrastructure in order to overcome the multitude of implementation obstacles.

This paper attempts to identify a few central ideas to provide a broad picture for future research and development in physics education, or STEM education in general, to promote twenty-first Century learning. Through a synthesis of the existing literature within the authors’ limited scope, a number of views surface.

Education is a service to prepare (not to select) the future workforce and should be designed as learner-centered, with the education goals and teaching-learning methods tailored to the needs and characteristics of the learners themselves. Given space constraints, the reader is referred to the meta-analysis conducted by Freeman et al. ( 2014 ), which provides strong support for learner-centered instruction. The changing world of the twenty-first Century informs the establishment of new education goals, which should be used to guide research and development of teaching and learning for present day students. Aligned to twenty-first Century learning, the new science standards have set the goals for STEM education to transition towards promoting deep learning of disciplinary knowledge, thereby building upon decades of research in PER, while fostering a wide range of general high-end cognitive and non-cognitive abilities that are transferable across all disciplines.

Following these education goals, more research is needed to operationally define and assess the desired high-end reasoning abilities. Building on a clear definition with effective assessments, a large number of empirical studies are needed to investigate how high-end abilities can be developed in parallel with deep learning of concepts, such that what is learned can be generalized to impact the development of curriculum and teaching methods which promote skills-based learning across all STEM fields. Specifically for PER, future research should emphasize knowledge integration to promote deep conceptual understanding in physics along with inquiry learning to foster scientific reasoning. Integration of physics learning in contexts that connect to other STEM disciplines is also an area for more research. Cross-cutting, interdisciplinary connections are becoming important features of the future generation physics curriculum and defines how physics should be taught collaboratively with other STEM courses.

This paper proposed meaningful areas for future research that are aligned with clearly defined education goals for twenty-first Century learning. Based on the existing literature, a number of challenges are noted for future directions of research, including the need for:

clear and operational definitions of goals to guide research and practice

concrete operational definitions of high-end abilities for which students are expected to develop

effective assessment methods and instruments to measure high-end abilities and other components of twenty-first Century learning

a knowledge base of the curriculum and teaching and learning environments that effectively support the development of advanced skills

integration of knowledge and ability development regarding within-discipline and cross-discipline learning in STEM

effective means to disseminate successful education practices

The list is by no means exhaustive, but these themes emerge above others. In addition, the high-end abilities discussed in this paper focus primarily on scientific reasoning, which is highly connected to other skills, such as critical thinking, systems thinking, multivariable modeling, computational thinking, design thinking, etc. These abilities are expected to develop in STEM learning, although some may be emphasized more within certain disciplines than others. Due to the limited scope of this paper, not all of these abilities were discussed in detail but should be considered an integral part of STEM learning.

Finally, a metacognitive position on education research is worth reflection. One important understanding is that the fundamental learning mechanism hasn’t changed, although the context in which learning occurs has evolved rapidly as a manifestation of the fast-forwarding technology world. Since learning is a process at the interface between a learner’s mind and the environment, the main focus of educators should always be on the learner’s interaction with the environment, not just the environment. In recent education developments, many new learning platforms have emerged at an exponential rate, such as the massive open online courses (MOOCs), STEM creative labs, and other online learning resources, to name a few. As attractive as these may be, it is risky to indiscriminately follow trends in education technology and commercially-incentivized initiatives before such interventions are shown to be effective by research. Trends come and go but educators foster students who have only a limited time to experience education. Therefore, delivering effective education is a high-stakes task and needs to be carefully and ethically planned and implemented. When game-changing opportunities emerge, one needs to not only consider the winners (and what they can win), but also the impact on all that is involved.

Based on a century of education research, consensus has settled on a fundamental mechanism of teaching and learning, which suggests that knowledge is developed within a learner through constructive processes and that team-based guided scientific inquiry is an effective method for promoting deep learning of content knowledge as well as developing high-end cognitive abilities, such as scientific reasoning. Emerging technology and methods should serve to facilitate (not to replace) such learning by providing more effective education settings and conveniently accessible resources. This is an important relationship that should survive many generations of technological and societal changes in the future to come. From a physicist’s point of view, a fundamental relation like this can be considered the “mechanics” of teaching and learning. Therefore, educators and researchers should hold on to these few fundamental principles without being distracted by the surfacing ripples of the world’s motion forward.

Availability of data and materials

Not applicable.

Abbreviations

American Association of Physics Teachers

Investigative Science Learning Environment

Inquiry in Scientific Thinking Analytics and Reasoning

Massive open online course

New Generation Science Standards

• Physics education research

Science Technology Engineering and Math

Alonso, M. (1992). Problem solving vs. conceptual understanding. American Journal of Physics , 60 (9), 777–778. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.17056 .

Article   Google Scholar  

Anderson, L. W., Krathwohl, D. R., Airasian, P. W., Cruikshank, K. A., Mayer, R. E., Pintrich, P. R., … Wittrock, M. C. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives, abridged edition . White Plains: Longman.

Ates, S., & Cataloglu, E. (2007). The effects of students’ reasoning abilities on conceptual understandings and problem-solving abilities in introductory mechanics. European Journal of Physics , 28 , 1161–1171.

Bagno, E., Eylon, B.-S., & Ganiel, U. (2000). From fragmented knowledge to a knowledge structure: Linking the domains of mechanics and electromagnetism. American Journal of Physics , 68 (S1), S16–S26.

Bailin, S. (1996). Critical thinking. In J. J. Chambliss (Ed.), Philosophy of education: An encyclopedia , (vol. 1671, pp. 119–123). Routledge.

Bangert-Drowns, R. L., & Bankert, E. (1990). Meta-analysis of effects of explicit instruction for critical thinking. Research report. ERIC Number: ED328614.

Google Scholar  

Bao, L., Cai, T., Koenig, K., Fang, K., Han, J., Wang, J., … Wu, N. (2009). Learning and scientific reasoning. Science , 323 , 586–587. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1167740 .

Bao, L., & Redish, E. F. (2001). Concentration analysis: A quantitative assessment of student states. American Journal of Physics , 69 (S1), S45–S53.

Bao, L., & Redish, E. F. (2006). Model analysis: Representing and assessing the dynamics of student learning. Physical Review Special Topics-Physics Education Research , 2 (1), 010103.

Bao, L., Xiao, Y., Koenig, K., & Han, J. (2018). Validity evaluation of the Lawson classroom test of scientific reasoning. Physical Review Physics Education Research , 14 (2), 020106.

Beichner, R. J., Saul, J. M., Abbott, D. S., Morse, J. J., Deardorff, D., Allain, R. J., … Risley, J. S. (2007). The student-centered activities for large enrollment undergraduate programs (SCALE-UP) project. Research-Based Reform of University Physics , 1 (1), 2–39.

Binkley, M., Erstad, O., Herman, J., Raizen, S., Ripley, M., & Rumble, M. (2010). Draft White paper defining 21st century skills . Melbourne: ACTS.

Bloom, B. S., Engelhart, M. D., Furst, E. J., Hill, W. H., & Krathwohl, D. R. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: Handbook 1: Cognitive domain . New York: Longman.

Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How people learn , (vol. 11). Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Brown, A. (1989). Analogical learning and transfer: What develops? In S. Vosniadu, & A. Ortony (Eds.), Similarity and analogical reasoning , (pp. 369–412). New York: Cambridge U.P.

Chapter   Google Scholar  

Cavallo, A. M. L., Rozman, M., Blickenstaff, J., & Walker, N. (2003). Learning, reasoning, motivation, and epistemological beliefs: Differing approaches in college science courses. Journal of College Science Teaching , 33 (3), 18–22.

Chen, Z., & Klahr, D. (1999). All other things being equal: Acquisition and transfer of the control of variables strategy. Child Development , 70 , 1098–1120.

Chi, M. T., Bassok, M., Lewis, M. W., Reimann, P., & Glaser, R. (1989). Self-explanations: How students study and use examples in learning to solve problems. Cognitive Science , 13 (2), 145–182.

Chi, M. T., Feltovich, P. J., & Glaser, R. (1981). Categorization and representation of physics problems by experts and novices. Cognitive Science , 5 (2), 121–152.

Chi, M. T., & Slotta, J. D. (1993). The ontological coherence of intuitive physics. Cognition and Instruction , 10 (2–3), 249–260.

Chi, M. T., Slotta, J. D., & De Leeuw, N. (1994). From things to processes: A theory of conceptual change for learning science concepts. Learning and Instruction , 4 (1), 27–43.

Chi, M. T. H. (1992). Conceptual change within and across ontological categories: Examples from learning and discovery in science. In R. N. Giere (Ed.), Cognitive models of science . Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

Chiu, M. H. (2001). Algorithmic problem solving and conceptual understanding of chemistry by students at a local high school in Taiwan. Proceedings-National Science Council Republic of China Part D Mathematics Science and Technology Education , 11 (1), 20–38.

Chiu, M.-H., Guo, C. J., & Treagust, D. F. (2007). Assessing students’ conceptual understanding in science: An introduction about a national project in Taiwan. International Journal of Science Education , 29 (4), 379–390.

Clement, J. (1982). Students’ preconceptions in introductory mechanics. American Journal of Physics , 50 (1), 66–71.

Coletta, V. P., & Phillips, J. A. (2005). Interpreting FCI scores: Normalized gain, preinstruction scores, and scientific reasoning ability. American Journal of Physics , 73 (12), 1172–1182.

Cracolice, M. S., Deming, J. C., & Ehlert, B. (2008). Concept learning versus problem solving: A cognitive difference. Journal of Chemical Education , 85 (6), 873.

De Jong, T., & Ferguson-Hesler, M. G. M. (1986). Cognitive structure of good and poor problem solvers in physics. Journal of Educational Psychology , 78 , 279–288.

DiSessa, A. A. (1993). Toward an epistemology of physics. Cognition and Instruction , 10 (2–3), 105–225.

Duit, R., & Treagust, D. F. (2003). Conceptual change: A powerful framework for improving science teaching and learning. International Journal of Science Education , 25 (6), 671–688.

Dykstra Jr., D. I., Boyle, C. F., & Monarch, I. A. (1992). Studying conceptual change in learning physics. Science Education , 76 (6), 615–652.

Ennis, R. (1993). Critical thinking assessment. Theory Into Practice , 32 (3), 179–186.

Etkina, E., & Van Heuvelen, A. (2001). Investigative science learning environment: Using the processes of science and cognitive strategies to learn physics. In Proceedings of the 2001 physics education research conference , (pp. 17–21). Rochester.

Etkina, E., Van Heuvelen, A., White-Brahmia, S., Brookes, D. T., Gentile, M., Murthy, S., … Warren, A. (2006). Scientific abilities and their assessment. Physical Review Special Topics-Physics Education Research , 2 (2), 020103.

Eylon, B.-S., & Reif, F. (1984). Effects of knowledge organization on task performance. Cognition and Instruction , 1 (1), 5–44.

Fabby, C., & Koenig, K. (2013). Relationship of scientific reasoning to solving different physics problem types. In Proceedings of the 2013 Physics Education Research Conference, Portland, OR .

Facione, P. A. (1990). Critical thinking: A statement of expert consensus for purposes of educational assessment and instruction – The Delphi report . Millbrae: California Academic Press.

Ferguson-Hesler, M. G. M., & De Jong, T. (1990). Studying physics texts: Differences in study processes between good and poor solvers. Cognition and Instruction , 7 (1), 41–54.

Fisher, A. (2001). Critical thinking: An introduction . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , 111 (23), 8410–8415.

Glaser, E. M. (1941). An experiment in the development of critical thinking . New York: Teachers College, Columbia University.

Hake, R. R. (1992). Socratic pedagogy in the introductory physics laboratory. The Physics Teacher , 30 , 546.

Hake, R. R. (1998). Interactive-engagement versus traditional methods: A six-thousand-student survey of mechanics test data for introductory physics courses. American Journal of Physics , 66 (1), 64–74.

Halloun, I. A., & Hestenes, D. (1985a). The initial knowledge state of college physics students. American Journal of Physics , 53 (11), 1043–1055.

Halloun, I. A., & Hestenes, D. (1985b). Common sense concepts about motion. American Journal of Physics , 53 (11), 1056–1065.

Halpern, D. F. (1999). Teaching for critical thinking: Helping college students develop the skills and dispositions of a critical thinker. New Directions for Teaching and Learning , 80 , 69–74. https://doi.org/10.1002/tl.8005 .

Hardiman, P. T., Dufresne, R., & Mestre, J. P. (1989). The relation between problem categorization and problem solving among experts and novices. Memory & Cognition , 17 (5), 627–638.

Heller, J. I., & Reif, F. (1984). Prescribing effective human problem-solving processes: Problem description in physics. Cognition and Instruction , 1 (2), 177–216.

Hoellwarth, C., Moelter, M. J., & Knight, R. D. (2005). A direct comparison of conceptual learning and problem solving ability in traditional and studio style classrooms. American Journal of Physics , 73 (5), 459–462.

Hofstein, A., & Lunetta, V. N. (1982). The role of the laboratory in science teaching: Neglected aspects of research. Review of Educational Research , 52 (2), 201–217.

Hsu, L., Brewe, E., Foster, T. M., & Harper, K. A. (2004). Resource letter RPS-1: Research in problem solving. American Journal of Physics , 72 (9), 1147–1156.

Jensen, J. L., & Lawson, A. (2011). Effects of collaborative group composition and inquiry instruction on reasoning gains and achievement in undergraduate biology. CBE - Life Sciences Education , 10 , 64–73.

Johnson, M. A., & Lawson, A. E. (1998). What are the relative effects of reasoning ability and prior knowledge on biology achievement in expository and inquiry classes? Journal of Research in Science Teaching , 35 (1), 89–103.

Kalman, C., & Lattery, M. (2018). Three active learning strategies to address mixed student epistemologies and promote conceptual change. Frontiers in ICT , 5 (19), 1–9.

Karplus, R. (1964). The science curriculum improvement study. Journal of College Science Teaching , 2 (4), 293–303.

Kim, E., & Pak, S.-J. (2002). Students do not overcome conceptual difficulties after solving 1000 traditional problems. American Journal of Physics , 70 (7), 759–765.

Koenig, K., Schen, M., & Bao, L. (2012). Explicitly targeting pre-service teacher scientific reasoning abilities and understanding of nature of science through an introductory science course. Science Educator , 21 (2), 1–9.

Koenig, K., Schen, M., Edwards, M., & Bao, L. (2012). Addressing STEM retention through a scientific thought and methods course. Journal of College Science Teaching , 41 , 23–29.

Koenig, K., Wood, K., Bortner, L., & Bao, L. (2019). Modifying traditional labs to target scientific reasoning. Journal of College Science Teaching , 48 (5), 28-35.

Kozminski, J., Beverly, N., Deardorff, D., Dietz, R., Eblen-Zayas, M., Hobbs, R., … Zwickl, B. (2014). AAPT recommendations for the undergraduate physics laboratory curriculum , (pp. 1–29). American Association of Physics Teachers Retrieved from https://www.aapt.org/Resources/upload/LabGuidlinesDocument_EBendorsed_nov10.pdf .

Kuhn, D. (1992). Thinking as argument. Harvard Educational Review , 62 (2), 155–178.

Larkin, J., McDermott, J., Simon, D. P., & Simon, H. A. (1980). Expert and novice performance in solving physics problems. Science , 208 (4450), 1335–1342.

Laws, P. W. (2004). Workshop physics activity guide, module 4: Electricity and magnetism. In Workshop physics activity guide . Wiley-VCH.

Lawson, A. E. (1978), The development and validation of a classroom test of formal reasoning, Journal of Research in Science Teaching , 15 (1), 11–24.

Lawson, A. E. (1992). The development of reasoning among college biology students - a review of research. Journal of College Science Teaching , 21 , 338–344.

Lawson, A. E. (2000). Classroom test of scientific reasoning: Multiple choice version, based on Lawson, A. E. 1978. Development and validation of the classroom test of formal reasoning. Journal of Research in Science Teaching , 15 (1), 11–24.

Lee, H. S., Liu, O. L., & Linn, M. C. (2011). Validating measurement of knowledge integration in science using multiple-choice and explanation items. Applied Measurement in Education , 24 (2), 115–136.

Linn, M. C. (2005). The knowledge integration perspective on learning and instruction. In R. K. Sawyer (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of the learning sciences , (pp. 243–264). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511816833.016 .

Lipman, M. (2003). Thinking in education , (2nd ed., ). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Liu, X. (2010). Science and engineering education sources. Using and developing measurement instruments in science education: A Rasch modeling approach . Charlotte: IAP Information Age Publishing.

Marzano, R. J., Brandt, R. S., Hughes, C. S., Jones, B. F., Presseisen, B. Z., Rankin, S. C., et al. (1988). Dimensions of thinking, a framework for curriculum and instruction . Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Mazur, E. (1997). Peer instruction: A user’s manual . Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

McDermott, L. C. (1996). Physics by Inquiry: An Introduction to the Physical Sciences . John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY.

McDermott, L. C., & Redish, E. F. (1999). Resource letter: PER-1: Physics education research. American Journal of Physics , 67 (9), 755–767.

McKeachie, W. J. (1986). Teaching and learning in the college classroom: A review of the research literature . Ann Arbor: National Center for Research to Improve Postsecondary Teaching and Learning.

Meltzer, D. E., & Otero, V. K. (2015). A brief history of physics education in the United States. American Journal of Physics , 83 (5), 447–458.

Meltzer, D. E., & Thornton, R. K. (2012). Resource letter ALIP-1: Active-learning instruction in physics. American Journal of Physics , 80 (6), 478–496.

Minstrell, J. (1992). Facets of students’ knowledge and relevant instruction. In R. Duit, F. Goldberg, & H. Niedderer (Eds.), Proceedings of the international workshop: Research in physics learning- theoretical issues and empirical studies , (pp. 110–128). The Institute for Science Education.

Nakhleh, M. B. (1993). Are our students conceptual thinkers or algorithmic problem solvers? Identifying conceptual students in general chemistry. Journal of Chemical Education , 70 (1), 52. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed070p52 .

Nakhleh, M. B., & Mitchell, R. C. (1993). Concept learning versus problem solving: There is a difference. Journal of Chemical Education , 70 (3), 190. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed070p190 .

National Research Council (2011). Assessing 21st century skills: Summary of a workshop . Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/13215 .

Book   Google Scholar  

National Research Council (2012a). Education for life and work: Developing transferable knowledge and skills in the 21st century . Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

National Research Council (2012b). A framework for K-12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas . Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

National Research Council (2012c). Discipline-based education research: Understanding and improving learning in undergraduate science and engineering . Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

National Science & Technology Council (2018). Charting a course for success: America’s strategy for STEM education . Washington, DC: Office of Science and Technology Policy.

NCET. (1987). Critical thinking as defined by the National Council for excellence in critical thinking, statement by Michael Scriven & Richard Paul, presented at the 8th annual conference on critical thinking and education reform. Retrieved December 4, 2018, from http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766 .

Nordine, J., Krajcik, J., & Fortus, D. (2011). Transforming energy instruction in middle school to support integrated understanding and future learning. Science Education , 95 (4), 670–699.

Nurrenbern, S. C., & Pickering, M. (1987). Concept learning versus problem solving: Is there a difference? Journal of Chemical Education , 64 (6), 508.

Paul, R. (1990). Critical thinking: What every person needs to survive in a rapidly changing world . Rohnert Park: Center for Critical Thinking and Moral Critique.

Perkins, D. N., & Salomon, G. (1989). Are cognitive skills context-bound? Educational Researcher , 18 (1), 16–25.

Posner, G., Strike, K., Hewson, P., & Gertzog, W. (1982). Accommodation of a scientific conception: Toward a theory of conceptual change. Science Education , 66 (2), 211–227.

Reay, N. W., Bao, L., Li, P., Warnakulasooriya, R., & Baugh, G. (2005). Toward the effective use of voting machines in physics lectures. American Journal of Physics , 73 (6), 554–558.

Reimers, F. M., & Chung, C. K. (Eds.) (2016). Teaching and learning for the twenty-first century: Educational goals, policies and curricula from six nations . Cambridge: Harvard Education Press.

Salomon, G., & Perkins, D. N. (1989). Rocky roads to transfer: Rethinking mechanism of a neglected phenomenon. Educational Psychologist , 24 (2), 113–142.

Schoenfeld, A. H., & Herrmann, D. J. (1982). Problem perception and knowledge structure in expert and novice mathematical problem solvers. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition , 8 (5), 484.

Shaw, V. F. (1996). The cognitive processes in informal reasoning. Thinking and Reasoning , 2 (1), 51–80.

She, H., & Liao, Y. (2010). Bridging scientific reasoning and conceptual change through adaptive web-based learning. Journal of Research in Science Teaching , 47 (1), 91–119.

Shen, J., Liu, O. L., & Chang, H.-Y. (2017). Assessing students’ deep conceptual understanding in physical sciences: An example on sinking and floating. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education , 15 (1), 57–70. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-015-9680-z .

Siegel, H. (1988). Educating reason: Rationality, critical thinking and education , (vol. 1). New York: Routledge.

Slotta, J. D., Chi, M. T., & Joram, E. (1995). Assessing students’ misclassifications of physics concepts: An ontological basis for conceptual change. Cognition and Instruction , 13 (3), 373–400.

Smith III, J. P., DiSessa, A. A., & Roschelle, J. (1994). Misconceptions reconceived: A constructivist analysis of knowledge in transition. The Journal of the Learning Sciences , 3 (2), 115–163.

Smith, M. U. (1992). Expertise and organization of knowledge: Unexpected differences among genetic counselors, faculty members and students on problem categorization tasks. Journal of Research in Science Teaching , 29 (2), 179–205.

Sobhanzadeh, M., Kalman, C. S., & Thompson, R. I. (2017). Labatorials in introductory physics courses. European Journal of Physics , 38 , 1–18.

Sokoloff, D. R., Thornton, R. K., & Laws, P. W. (2011). RealTime physics: Active learning laboratories . New York: Wiley.

Stamovlasis, D., Tsaparlis, G., Kamilatos, C., Papaoikonomou, D., & Zarotiadou, E. (2005). Conceptual understanding versus algorithmic problem solving: Further evidence from a national chemistry examination. Chemistry Education Research and Practice , 6 (2), 104–118.

Tanenbaum, C. (2016). STEM 2026: A vision for innovation in STEM education . Washington, DC: US Department of Education.

Thornton, R. K., & Sokoloff, D. R. (1998). Assessing student learning of Newton’s laws: The force and motion conceptual evaluation and the evaluation of active learning laboratory and lecture curricula. American Journal of Physics , 66 (4), 338–352.

Trowbridge, L. W., Bybee, R. W., & Powell, J. C. (2000). Teaching secondary school science: Strategies for developing scientific literacy . Upper Saddle River: Merrill-Prentice Hall.

United States Chamber of Commerce (2017). Bridging the soft skills gap: How the business and education sectors are partnering to prepare students for the 21 st century workforce . Washington DC: Center for Education and Workforce, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Veldhuis, G. H. (1990). The use of cluster analysis in categorization of physics problems. Science Education , 74 (1), 105–118.

Vosniadou, S., Vamvakoussi, X., & Skopeliti, I. (2008). The framework theory approach to the problem of conceptual change. In S. Vosniadou (Ed.), International handbook of research on conceptual change . New York: Routledge.

Wexler, P. (1982). Structure, text, and subject: A critical sociology of school knowledge. In M. W. Apple (Ed.), Cultural and economic reproduction in education: Essays on class, ideology and the state . London: Routledge & Regan Paul.

Zeineddin, A., & Abd-El-Khalick, F. (2010). Scientific reasoning and epistemological commitments: Coordination of theory and evidence among college science students. Journal of Research in Science Teaching , 47 (9), 1064–1093.

Zimmerman, C. (2000). The development of scientific reasoning skills. Developmental Review , 20 (1), 99–149.

Download references

Acknowledgements

The research is supported in part by NSF Awards DUE-1431908 and DUE-1712238. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

The research is supported in part by NSF Awards DUE-1431908 and DUE-1712238.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA

Kathleen Koenig

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Contributions

LB developed the concept, wrote a significant portion of the review and position, and synthesized the paper. KK wrote and edited a significant portion of the paper. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lei Bao .

Ethics declarations

Competing interests.

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Bao, L., Koenig, K. Physics education research for 21 st century learning. Discip Interdscip Sci Educ Res 1 , 2 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43031-019-0007-8

Download citation

Received : 17 April 2019

Accepted : 13 June 2019

Published : 28 November 2019

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s43031-019-0007-8

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Twenty-first century learning
• STEM education
• Scientific reasoning
• Deep learning

The International Handbook of Physics Education Research: Special Topics

Mehmet Fatih Taşar, Ph.D. , of Georgia State University is a physics education researcher who has contributed to the field in various lead capacities. He taught physics and conducted research at many prestigious institutions including Penn State University, RMIT University, Gazi University, and Georgia State University. He has supervised graduate students to successful completion of their degrees and organized many international conferences such as WCPE, ESERA , and iSER . Dr. Taşar has served as an editor for scholarly journals including EJMSTE, IJPCE, Hellenic Journal of STEM , and ARISE .

Paula R. L. Heron, Ph.D. , is Professor of Physics at the University of Washington where she has been teaching since 1995. She is co-founder and co-chair of the biannual “Foundations and Frontiers in Physics Education Research” conference series, and she has been a committee executive for groups within the American Physical Society (APS), American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), and National Research Council. She serves as an associate editor of Physical Review (APS). She was elected a Fellow of APS in 2007 and 2008.

• Book Chapters
• Figures & tables
• Supplementary Data
• Peer Review
• Search Site
• Cite Icon Cite

The International Handbook of Physics Education Research: Special Topics Edited by: Mehmet Fatih Taşar, Paula R. L. Heron https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514 ISBN (print): 978-0-7354-2548-4 ISBN (electronic): 978-0-7354-2551-4 Publisher: AIP Publishing LLC

Download citation file:

• Ris (Zotero)
• Reference Manager

Table of Contents

• Front Matter By Mehmet Fatih Taşar ; Mehmet Fatih Taşar Georgia State University , Atlanta, GA, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Paula R. L. Heron Paula R. L. Heron University of Washington , Seattle, WA, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_frontmatter Abstract View Chapter Open the PDF Link PDF for Front Matter in another window
• Introduction By Mehmet Fatih Taşar ; Mehmet Fatih Taşar Georgia State University , Atlanta, GA, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Paula R. L. Heron Paula R. L. Heron University of Washington , Seattle, WA, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_introduction Abstract View Chapter Open the PDF Link PDF for Introduction in another window
• Chapter 1: Teaching Physics with Disabled Learners: A Review of the Literature By Jacquelyn J. Chini ; Jacquelyn J. Chini Department of Physics, College of Sciences, University of Central Florida , Orlando, Florida 32816, USA 1 Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Erin M. Scanlon Erin M. Scanlon Department of Physics, University of Connecticut–Avery Point , Groton, Connecticut 06340, USA 2 Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_001 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 1: Teaching Physics with Disabled Learners: A Review of the Literature in another window
• Chapter 2: Framework for and Review of Research on Assessing and Improving Equity and Inclusion in Undergraduate Physics Learning Environments By Sonja Cwik ; Sonja Cwik Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Chandralekha Singh Chandralekha Singh Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_002 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 2: Framework for and Review of Research on Assessing and Improving Equity and Inclusion in Undergraduate Physics Learning Environments in another window
• Chapter 3: Research on Gender, Intersectionality, and LGBTQ+ Persons in Physics Education Research By Ramón S. Barthelemy ; Ramón S. Barthelemy Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah , Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Adrienne L. Traxler ; Adrienne L. Traxler Department of Science Education, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen, Denmark Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Jennifer Blue ; Jennifer Blue Department of Physics, Miami University , Oxford, Ohio 45056, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Madison Swirtz Madison Swirtz University of Utah , Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_003 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 3: Research on Gender, Intersectionality, and LGBTQ+ Persons in Physics Education Research in another window
• Chapter 4: Research on Equity in Physics Graduate Education By Diana Sachmpazidi Diana Sachmpazidi Department of Physics, College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland 20742, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_004 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 4: Research on Equity in Physics Graduate Education in another window
• Chapter 5: Research Design Concerning Equity in Physics Education Research (PER) By Alexis V. Knaub ; Alexis V. Knaub American Association of Physics Teachers , USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Lin Ding Lin Ding Department of Teaching and Learning, The Ohio State University , Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_005 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 5: Research Design Concerning Equity in Physics Education Research (PER) in another window
• Chapter 6: Physics as a Human Endeavor By Richard Staley Richard Staley Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge , Cambridge, CB2 3RH, United Kingdom Department of Science Education, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen, Denmark Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_006 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 6: Physics as a Human Endeavor in another window
• Chapter 7: The Role of Physics in Achieving Scientific Literacy in the Present and the Future By Hunkoog Jho Hunkoog Jho Graduate School of Education, Dankook University , Gyeonggi-do 16890, South Korea Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_007 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 7: The Role of Physics in Achieving Scientific Literacy in the Present and the Future in another window
• Chapter 8: History of Physics and Socio-Scientific Issues: Approaching Gender and Social Justice By Thaís Cyrino de Mello Forato ; Thaís Cyrino de Mello Forato Federal University of Sao Paolo—Universidade Federal de São Paulo , Brazil Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Isabelle Priscila Carneiro de Lima ; Isabelle Priscila Carneiro de Lima Federal Institute of Bahia , Bahia, Brazil Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Gabriela Kaiana Ferreira Gabriela Kaiana Ferreira Physics Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina , Brazil Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_008 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 8: History of Physics and Socio-Scientific Issues: Approaching Gender and Social Justice in another window
• Chapter 9: The Aims and Values of Physics By Andreia Guerra ; Andreia Guerra Graduate and Research Department, CEFET/RJ , Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Ivã Gurgel Ivã Gurgel Physics Institute, University of São Paulo , São Paulo, Brazil Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_009 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 9: The Aims and Values of Physics in another window
• Chapter 10: Methods and Practices in Physics By Oliver Passon ; Oliver Passon School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Bergische Universität Wuppertal , 42119 Wuppertal, Germany Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Johannes Grebe-Ellis Johannes Grebe-Ellis School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Bergische Universität Wuppertal , 42119 Wuppertal, Germany Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_010 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 10: Methods and Practices in Physics in another window
• Chapter 11: Epistemic Beliefs and Physics Teacher Education 1 By Gábor Á. Zemplén Gábor Á. Zemplén Institute of Business Economics, Eötvös Loránd University , Budapest, Hungary Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_011 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 11: Epistemic Beliefs and Physics Teacher Education^{<a href="javascript:;" reveal-id="chapter11-fn1" data-open="chapter11-fn1" class="link link-ref link-reveal xref-fn js-xref-fn split-view-modal">¹</a>} in another window
• Chapter 12: Philosophy of Physics: Its Significance for Teaching and Learning By Roland M. Schulz ; Roland M. Schulz CIRCE SFU , 1558 Roxbury Rd, North Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia, V7G 1X7, Canada Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Calvin S. Kalman Calvin S. Kalman Department of Physics, Concordia University , Montreal, Quebec, Canada Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_012 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 12: Philosophy of Physics: Its Significance for Teaching and Learning in another window
• Chapter 13: New Methodological Approaches Toward Implementing HPS in Physics Education: The Landscape of Physics Education By Elizabeth Mary Cavicchi ; Elizabeth Mary Cavicchi MIT Edgerton Center , Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Hillary Diane Andales ; Hillary Diane Andales MIT Edgerton Center , Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Riley S. Moeykens Riley S. Moeykens MIT Edgerton Center , Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_013 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 13: New Methodological Approaches Toward Implementing HPS in Physics Education: The Landscape of Physics Education in another window
• Chapter 14: Expectations on Physics Textbooks By Sascha Grusche ; Sascha Grusche University Library, Technical University of Munich , D-80333 München, Germany Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Alexander Strahl ; Alexander Strahl University of Salzburg , A-5020 Salzburg, Austria Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Katrin Bölsterli Bardy Katrin Bölsterli Bardy University of Teacher Education Lucerne , CH-6003 Lucerne, Switzerland Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_014 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 14: Expectations on Physics Textbooks in another window
• Chapter 15: Textbook and Curriculum Alignment By Josip Slisko Josip Slisko Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla , Puebla, Mexico Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_015 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 15: Textbook and Curriculum Alignment in another window
• Chapter 16: Analysis of Physics Textbook Content By Xiaomei Yan ; Xiaomei Yan Shanghai Jiao Tong University , Shanghai, China Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Yuze He ; Yuze He Beijing Normal University , Beijing, China Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Jingying Wang ; Jingying Wang Beijing Normal University , Beijing, China Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Xiying Li ; Xiying Li Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology , Ministry of Education, 710062, People's Republic of China Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Xiaomei Ping ; Xiaomei Ping Beijing Normal University , Beijing, China Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Danhua Zhou Danhua Zhou Beijing Normal University , Beijing, China Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_016 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 16: Analysis of Physics Textbook Content in another window
• Chapter 17: Evaluation of Physics Textbooks By Marika Kapanadze ; Marika Kapanadze Ilia State University , Tbilisi, Georgia Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Gabriela Jonas-Ahrend ; Gabriela Jonas-Ahrend Department of Technology Didactics, Paderborn University , Paderborn, Germany Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Alexander Mazzolini ; Alexander Mazzolini Department of Physics and Astronomy, Swinburne University of Technology , Melbourne, Australia Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Fadeel Joubran Fadeel Joubran Department of Physics, The Academic Arab College for Education , Haifa 3442600, Israel Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_017 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 17: Evaluation of Physics Textbooks in another window
• Chapter 18: Role of Mathematics in Physics from Multiple Perspectives By Gesche Pospiech ; Gesche Pospiech Faculty of Physics, TU Dresden , 01062 Dresden, Germany Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Ricardo Avelar Sotomaior Karam Ricardo Avelar Sotomaior Karam Department of Science Education, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen, Denmark Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_018 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 18: Role of Mathematics in Physics from Multiple Perspectives in another window
• Chapter 19: The Meanings of Physics Equations in the Context of the Interplay between Physics and Mathematics By Minchul Kim ; Minchul Kim Department of Physics Education, Kongju National University , Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Yongwook Cheong ; Yongwook Cheong Department of Physics Education, Gyeongsang National University , Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Jinwoong Song Jinwoong Song Department of Physics Education, Seoul National University , Seoul, South Korea Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_019 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 19: The Meanings of Physics Equations in the Context of the Interplay between Physics and Mathematics in another window
• Chapter 20: Graphs By Lana Ivanjek ; Lana Ivanjek TU Dresden, Haeckelstraße 3, 01069 Dresden, Germany Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Maja Planinic ; Maja Planinic Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb , Bijenicka c. 32, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Ana Susac Ana Susac Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb , Unska 3, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_020 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 20: Graphs in another window
• Chapter 21: Visualization and Mathematization: How Digital Tools Provide Access to Formal Physics Ideas By Elias Euler ; Elias Euler Colorado School of Mines , Golden, Colorado 80401, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Lorena Solvang ; Lorena Solvang Department of Engineering and Physics, Karlstad University , 651 88 Karlstad, Sweden Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Bor Gregorcic ; Bor Gregorcic Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University , 751 20 Uppsala, Sweden Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Jesper Haglund Jesper Haglund Department of Engineering and Physics, Karlstad University , 651 88 Karlstad, Sweden Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_021 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 21: Visualization and Mathematization: How Digital Tools Provide Access to Formal Physics Ideas in another window
• Chapter 22: The Necessarily, Wonderfully Unsettled State of Methodology in PER: A Reflection By David Hammer David Hammer Department of Education and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Tufts University , Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_022 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 22: The Necessarily, Wonderfully Unsettled State of Methodology in PER: A Reflection in another window
• Chapter 23: Toward More Rapid Accumulation of Knowledge about What Works in Physics Education: The Role of Replication, Reporting Practices, and Meta-Analysis By Joseph A. Taylor ; Joseph A. Taylor Department of Leadership, Research, and Foundations, University of Colorado , Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Larry V. Hedges Larry V. Hedges Department of Statistics and Data Science, Northwestern University , Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_023 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 23: Toward More Rapid Accumulation of Knowledge about What Works in Physics Education: The Role of Replication, Reporting Practices, and Meta-Analysis in another window
• Chapter 24: Quantitative Methods in PER By John Stewart ; John Stewart Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar John Hansen ; John Hansen Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Lin Ding Lin Ding Department of Teaching and Learning, The Ohio State University , Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_024 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 24: Quantitative Methods in PER in another window
• Chapter 25: Qualitative Methods in Physics Education Research By Valerie K. Otero ; Valerie K. Otero School of Education, University of Colorado at Boulder , Boulder, Colorado 80309-0249, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Danielle Boyd Harlow ; Danielle Boyd Harlow Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, University of California , Santa Barbara, California 93106-9490, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar David E. Meltzer David E. Meltzer College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, Arizona State University , Mesa, Arizona 85212, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_025 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 25: Qualitative Methods in Physics Education Research in another window
• Chapter 26: Research-Based Teaching-Learning Sequences in Physics Education: A Rising Line of Research By Jenaro Guisasola ; Jenaro Guisasola Department of Applied Physics, School of Engineering Gipuzkoa, University of the Basque, Country (UPV/EHU) , Donostia, Spain Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Kristina Zuza ; Kristina Zuza Department of Applied Physics, School of Engineering Gipuzkoa, University of the Basque, Country (UPV/EHU) , Donostia, Spain Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Paulo Sarriugarte ; Paulo Sarriugarte Department of Applied Physics, School of Engineering Bilbao, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) , Bilbao, Spain Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Jaume Ametller Jaume Ametller Department of Specific Didactics, University of Girona , Spain Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_026 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 26: Research-Based Teaching-Learning Sequences in Physics Education: A Rising Line of Research in another window
• Chapter 27: Epilogue By Dean A. Zollman Dean A. Zollman Department of Physics, Kansas State University , Manhattan, Kansas 66506, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_027 Open the PDF Link PDF for Chapter 27: Epilogue in another window
• Index By Mehmet Fatih Taşar ; Mehmet Fatih Taşar Georgia State University , Atlanta, GA, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Paula R. L. Heron Paula R. L. Heron University of Washington , Seattle, WA, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_index Abstract View Chapter Open the PDF Link PDF for Index in another window
• For Researchers
• For Librarians
• For Advertisers
• Our Publishing Partners  
• Physics Today
• Conference Proceedings
• Special Topics

pubs.aip.org

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use

Connect with AIP Publishing

This feature is available to subscribers only.

Sign In or Create an Account

Experiments in Physics Teaching

• First Online: 12 January 2022

Cite this chapter

• Raimund Girwidz 4 ,
• Heike Theyßen 5 &
• Ralf Widenhorn 6  

Part of the book series: Challenges in Physics Education ((CPE))

1113 Accesses

Experiments are an integral part of physics research and physics instruction. In physics research, an experiment is a reproducible empirical procedure for acquiring knowledge. Experimental physicists use experiments to gather empirical evidence by developing research questions, and designing and conducting appropriate experiments to answer these questions (see Chap. 1 ). They control and systematically alter parameters during data collection. An experiment requires comprehensive planning, precise data acquisition, analysis of the experimental data and their interpretation in the context of a theoretical framework. In research, the experiment primarily serves as a method to test assumptions about the outcomes of the experiment (hypotheses) in order to generate new insight and evidence (more differentiated considerations on the procedure and significance of experimentation in physics research are discussed in Chap. 5 ). In physics education, the experiment has many additional and different functions and serves a variety of goals. Teachers can use experiments as tools to convey new content knowledge, for example, by demonstrating a physics phenomenon or by investigating laws of physics quantitatively. In addition, experiments can be used to support students in learning experimentation as a fundamental method to establish and verify knowledge and to offer insights into processes of scientific inquiry. Furthermore, experimentation as a method has to be discussed in the context of nature of science knowledge and nature of scientific inquiry , which is discussed in detail in Chap. 5 . Physics teachers should know and be able to use the various functions of experimental activities in physics learning. In this chapter, we highlight the diversity of experimental approaches in physics instruction, their different goals (see Sect.  10.1 ) and their designs (see Sect.  10.2 ). Finally, we present recommendations for teaching from multiple instructional perspectives, including related psychological and pedagogical aspects (see Sect.  10.3 ).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

• Available as PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Compact, lightweight edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info
• Durable hardcover edition

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Alfieri L, Brooks PJ, Aldrich NJ, Tenenbaum HR (2011) Does discovery-based instruction enhance learning? J Educ Psychol 103(1):1–18

Article   Google Scholar  

Ausubel DP (1968) Educational psychology: a cognitive view. Holt, Rinehart & Winston, New York

Google Scholar  

Bandura A (2004) Observational learning. In: Byrne JH (ed) Learning and memory: Macmillan psychology reference series (Psychology reference series, 2), pp 482–484. https://b-ok.org/book/737686/6ac635

Dale Z, DeStefano PR, Shaaban L, Siebert C, Widenhorn R (2020) A step forward in kinesthetic activities for teaching kinematics in introductory physics. Am J Phys 88:825 (2020). http://doi.org/10.1119/10.0001617

de la Torre L, Sánchez J, Dormido S, Sánchez JP, Yuste M, Carreras C (2011) Two web-based laboratories of the FisL@bs network. Hooke’s and Snell’s laws. Eur J Phys 32(2):571–584

de la Torre L, Sánchez JP, Dormido S (2016) What remote labs can do for you. Phys Today 69(4):48–53

Emden M, Sumfleth E (2016) Assessing students’ experimentation processes in guided inquiry. Int J Sci Math Educ 14(1):29–54 (Online-first: 08/2014). http://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-014-9564-7

Furtak EM, Penuel WR (2019) Coming to terms: addressing the persistence of “hands-on” and other reform terminology in the era of science as practice. Sci Educ 103(1):167–186. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21488

Girwidz R, Ireson G (2007) The clamp-on ammeter: a tool for understanding electricity. Phys Educ 42:93–97

Article   ADS   Google Scholar  

Heckhausen J, Heckhausen H (2008) Motivation and development. In: Heckhausen J, Heckhausen H (eds) Motivation and action. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 384–444. http://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511499821

Heinicke S, Riess F (2012) Missing links in the experimental work: student’s actions and reasoning on measurement and uncertainty. In: Maurines L, Redfors A (eds) ESERA 2011 proceedings. Nature of science, history, philosophy, sociology of science

Heradio R, de la Torre L, Galan D, Cabrerizo FJ, Herrera-Viedma E, Dormido S (2016) Virtual and remotelabs in education: a biblio-metric analysis. Comput Educ 98:14–38

Jona K, Vondracek M (2013) A remote radioactivity experiment. Phys Teach 51(1):25–27

Kinchin J (2018) Using an Arduino in physics teaching for beginners. Phys Educ 53:063007

Kirschner PA, Sweller J, Clark RE (2006) Why minimal guidance during instruction does not work: an analysis of the failure of constructivist, discovery, problem-based, experiential, and inquiry-based teaching. Educ Psychol 42(2):75–86

Kirstein J, Nordmeier V (2007) Multimedia representation of experiments in physics. Eur J Phys 28:115–126

Klahr D, Dunbar K (1988) Dual space search during scientific reasoning. Cogn Sci 12(1):1–48

Klahr D, Nigam M (2004) The equivalence of learning paths in early science instruction: effects of direct instruction and discovery learning. Psychol Sci 15(10):661–667

Kultusministerkonferenz [KMK, The Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs] (2005) Bildungsstandards im Fach Physik für den Mittleren Schulabschluss. Beschluss vom 16.12.2004 [Educational standards in physics for the middle school]. Luchterhand, München

Labudde P (1993) Erlebniswelt Physik [World of physics experience]. Dümmler, Bonn

Lederman NG, Abd-el-Khalick F, Bell RL, Schwartz RS (2002) Views of nature of science questionnaire: toward valid and meaningful assessment of learners’ conceptions of nature of science. J Res Sci Teach 39(6):497–521

Liengme BV (2014) Modelling physics with Microsoft excel (R). https://iopscience.iop.org/book/978-1-627-05419-5

Long M, Wood C, Littleton K, Passenger T, Sheehy K (2010) The psychology of education: the evidence base for teaching and learning. Taylor & Francis Group. ProQuest Ebook Central

Lowe D, Newcombe P, Stumpers B (2013) Evaluation of the use of remote laboratories for secondary school science education. Res Sci Educ 43(3):1197–1219

Ma J, Nickerson JV (2006) Hands-on, simulated, and remote laboratories: a comparative literature review. ACM Comput Surv 38(3):Article 7

Mayer RE (2004) Should there be a three-strikes rule against pure discovery learning? Am Psychol 59(1):14

Muckenfuß H, Walz A (1992) Neue Wege im Elektrikunterricht: vom Tun über die Vorstellung zum Begriff [New ways of teaching electricity: from action through imagination to the concept]. Aulis-Verlag Deubner, Köln

National Research Council (2013) Next generation science standards: for states, by states. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/18290

Nawrath D, Maiseyenka V, Schecker H (2011) Experimentelle Kompetenz - Ein Modell für die Unterrichtspraxis [Experimental competence: A model for teaching practice]. Praxis der Naturwissenschaften - Physik in der Schule 60:42–48

Nehring A, Busch S (2018) Chemistry demonstrations and visual attention: does the setup matter? Evidence from a double-blinded eye-tracking study. J Chem Educ 95(10):1724–1735

Osborne JF (2019) Not “hands on” but “minds on”: a response to Furtak and Penuel. Sci Educ 103(5):1280–1283

Potkonjak V, Gardner M, Callaghan V, Mattila P, Guetl C, Petrović VM, Jovanović K (2016) Virtual laboratories for education in science, technology, and engineering. A review. Comput Educ 95:309–327

Reiser BJ, Tabak I (2014) Scaffolding. In: Sayer RK (ed) The Cambridge handbook of the learning sciences. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 44–62

Chapter   Google Scholar  

Rheinberg R, Vollmeyer R, Rollett W (2000) Motivation and action in self-regulated learning. In: Boekaerts M, Zeidner M, Pintrich PR (eds) Handbook of self-regulation. Elsevier, San Diego, pp 503–529

Schmidkunz H (1992) Zur Wirkung gestaltpsychologischer Faktoren beim Aufbau und bei der Durchführung chemischer Demonstrationsexperimente [On the effect of Gestalt psychological factors in the construction and performance of chemical demonstrations]. In: Wiebel KH (ed) Zur Didaktik der Physik und Chemie: Probleme und Perspektiven. Vorträge auf der Tagung für Didaktik der Physik/Chemie in Hamburg, 1991 [On physics and chemistry education: problems and perspectives. Lectures at the conference for physics/chemistry education in Hamburg, 1991]. Leuchtturm, Alsbach, pp 287–295

Segre M (1980) The role of experiment in Galileo’s physics. Arch Hist Exact Sci 23:227–252

Article   MathSciNet   Google Scholar  

Staacks S, Hütz S, Heinke H, Stampfer C (2018). Advanced tools for smartphone-based experiments: phyphox. Phys Educ 53(4):045009. http://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6552/aac05e

Stiller C, Stockey A, Wilde M (2018) Hands-off, minds-on? The pros and cons of practical experimentation? In: Finlayson OE, McLoughlin E, Erduran S, Childs P (eds), Electronic proceedings of the ESERA 2017 conference. Research, practice and collaboration in science education, Part 2 . Dublin City University, Dublin, pp 332–342. ISBN 978-1-873769-84-3

Vorholzer A, von Aufschnaiter C, Boone WJ (2020) Fostering upper secondary students’ ability to engage in practices of scientific investigation: a comparative analysis of an explicit and an implicit instructional approach. Res Sci Educ 50:333–359. http://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-018-9691-1

Welzel M, Haller K, Bandiera M, Hammelev D, Koumaras P, Niedderer H et al (1998) Teachers’ objectives for labwork: research tool and cross country results. Working paper 6 from the European project labwork in science education (Targeted Socio-Economic Research Programme, Project PL 95-2005). http://www.idn.uni-bremen.de/pubs/Niedderer/1998-LSE-WP6.pdf

Winn W (1993) Perception principles. In: Fleming M, Levie WH (eds) Instructional message design: principles from the behavioral and cognitive sciences. Educational Technology Publications Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, pp 55–126

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Lori Shabaan (Liberty High School, Hillsboro, USA) and Claudia von Aufschnaiter (University of Gießen, Germany), for carefully and critically reviewing this chapter.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Germany

Raimund Girwidz

Universität Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany

Heike Theyßen

Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA

Ralf Widenhorn

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Heike Theyßen .

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

Hans Ernst Fischer

Ludwig-Maximilian-Universität, München, Germany

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Girwidz, R., Theyßen, H., Widenhorn, R. (2021). Experiments in Physics Teaching. In: Fischer, H.E., Girwidz, R. (eds) Physics Education. Challenges in Physics Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87391-2_10

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87391-2_10

Published : 12 January 2022

Publisher Name : Springer, Cham

Print ISBN : 978-3-030-87390-5

Online ISBN : 978-3-030-87391-2

eBook Packages : Education Education (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals
• Explore content
• About the journal
• Publish with us
• Sign up for alerts

March issue

This month we focus on physics education research, discover how dynamics can be classified by symmetry and topology, and learn that seesaw oscillations aid directional decision making for cells.

Current issue

Unlock the potential of a physics education, racial equity in physics education research.

• Geraldine L. Cochran
• Simone Hyater-Adams
• Ramón S. Barthelemy

Computing in physics education

• Marcos D. Caballero
• Tor Ole B. Odden

Epistemic agency as a critical mediator of physics learning

• Nam-Hwa Kang

Towards meaningful diversity, equity and inclusion in physics learning environments

• Alexandru Maries
• Chandralekha Singh

Gauge non-invariance due to material truncation in ultrastrong-coupling quantum electrodynamics

• Adam Stokes
• Ahsan Nazir

Announcements

Focus on physics education research

Using evidence-based approaches to improve the teaching of physics can help students achieve more and improve equity. In this Focus Issue, we survey the current state of this research field.

Nature Physics is a Transformative Journal ; authors can publish using the traditional publishing route OR via immediate gold Open Access.

Our Open Access option complies with funder and institutional requirements .

Advertisement

Latest Research articles

Emergence of large-scale mechanical spiral waves in bacterial living matter

The occurrence of propagating spiral waves in multicellular organisms is associated with key biological functions. Now this type of wave has also been observed in dense bacterial populations, probably resulting from non-reciprocal cell–cell interactions.

Leggett modes in a Dirac semimetal

Leggett modes can occur when superconductivity arises in more than one band in a material and represent oscillation of the relative phases of the two superconducting condensates. Now, this mode is observed in Cd 3 As 2 , a Dirac semimetal.

• Joseph J. Cuozzo
• Enrico Rossi

Topological Kerr effects in two-dimensional magnets with broken inversion symmetry

The ferromagnet CrVI 6 serves as a material platform to demonstrate the topological Kerr effect in two-dimensional magnets. This can be used to identify skyrmions by magneto-optical means.

• Caixing Liu
• Zhenyu Zhang

Multistep topological transitions among meron and skyrmion crystals in a centrosymmetric magnet

Topological magnetic spin structures such as skyrmions and merons have the potential to be used in magnetic information devices. Now multistep transformations between such structures are demonstrated in a centrosymmetric material.

• H. Yoshimochi

Magnetically tunable supercurrent in dilute magnetic topological insulator-based Josephson junctions

Despite their potential device applications, experimental realizations of proximity-induced Fulde–Ferrell–Larkin–Ovchinnikov states are rare. Now Josephson junctions based on a dilute magnetic topological insulator provide evidence of such a state.

• Pankaj Mandal
• Soumi Mondal
• Laurens W. Molenkamp

Connecting shear flow and vortex array instabilities in annular atomic superfluids

Two adjacent layers flowing at different velocities in the same fluid are subject to flow instabilities. This phenomenon is now studied in atomic superfluids, revealing that quantized vortices act as both sources and probes of the unstable flow.

• D. Hernández-Rajkov

Latest Reviews & Analysis

At the breaking point

The shape and trajectory of a crack plays a crucial role in material fracture. High-precision experiments now directly capture this phenomenon, unveiling the intricate 3D nature of cracks.

• Michael D. Bartlett

Multiphoton quantum statistics from scattered classical light

Even by shining classical light on a single opening, one can perform a double-slit experiment and discover a surprising variety of quantum mechanical multi-photon correlations — thanks to surface plasmon polaritons and photon-number-resolving detectors.

• Martijn Wubs

Protons on the line

Stable regions in four-dimensional phase space have been observed by following the motion of accelerated proton beams subject to nonlinear forces. This provides insights into the physics of dynamical systems and may lead to improved accelerator designs.

• Giulio Stancari

Fruity blues

• Bart Verberck

Batter quality

• Karen Mudryk

Topological lasing demonstrated in the mode-locked regime

Terahertz magnon algebra.

• Brijesh Singh Mehra
• Dhanvir Singh Rana

News & Comment

The air temperature conundrum

Measuring air temperature is far from a trivial task, as Andrea Merlone, Graziano Coppa and Chiara Musacchio explain.

• Andrea Merlone
• Graziano Coppa
• Chiara Musacchio

Honesty is being put through the mill

• Mark Buchanan

Computing is central to the enterprise of physics but few undergraduate physics courses include it in their curricula. Here we discuss why and how to integrate computing into physics education.

Injustices and oppression are pervasive in society, including education. An intersectional, equity-oriented approach can help remove systemic obstacles and improve the experience of marginalized people in physics education through decolonial and critical race lenses.

This month in Nature Physics , we publish a Focus issue that highlights the importance of physics education research.

A physics curriculum for the modern world

Increasingly, physics graduates take jobs outside academia. Active teaching approaches lead to deeper conceptual understanding and a more varied skill set and are therefore more likely to prepare students for successful careers.

• Jenaro Guisasola
• Kristina Zuza

Collections

Complex optics

Trending - Altmetric

Search for decoherence from quantum gravity with atmospheric neutrinos

Observation of fixed lines induced by a nonlinear resonance in the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron

Science jobs

Faculty positions & postdocs at institute of physics (iop), chinese academy of sciences.

IOP is the leading research institute in China in condensed matter physics and related fields. Through the steadfast efforts of generations of scie...

Beijing, China

Institute of Physics (IOP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)

Expression of Interest – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions – Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 (MSCA-PF)

Academic institutions in Brittany are looking for excellent postdoctoral researchers willing to apply for a Marie S. Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship.

France (FR)

Plateforme projets européens (2PE) -Bretagne

Faculty Positions in Westlake University

Founded in 2018, Westlake University is a new type of non-profit research-oriented university in Hangzhou, China, supported by public a...

Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

Westlake University

Faculty Positions at Great Bay University, China

We are now seeking outstanding candidates in Physics, Chemistry and Physical Sciences.

Dongguan, Guangdong, China

Great Bay University, China (GBU)

Faculty Positions& Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Optical and Electronic Information, HUST

Job Opportunities: Leading talents, young talents, overseas outstanding young scholars, postdoctoral researchers.

Wuhan, Hubei, China

School of Optical and Electronic Information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Quick links

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies

A Solar Eclipse Means Big Science

By Katrina Miller April 1, 2024

• Share full article

On April 8, cameras all over North America will make a “megamovie” of the sun’s corona, like this one from the 2017 eclipse. The time lapse will help scientists track the behavior of jets and plumes on the sun’s surface.

There’s more science happening along the path of totality →

An app named SunSketcher will help the public take pictures of the eclipse with their phones.

Scientists will use these images to study deviations in the shape of the solar surface , which will help them understand the sun’s churning behavior below.

The sun right now is approaching peak activity. More than 40 telescope stations along the eclipse’s path will record totality.

By comparing these videos to what was captured in 2017 — when the sun was at a lull — researchers can learn how the sun’s magnetism drives the solar wind, or particles that stream through the solar system.

Students will launch giant balloons equipped with cameras and sensors along the eclipse’s path.

Their measurements may improve weather forecasting , and also produce a bird’s eye view of the moon’s shadow moving across the Earth.

Ham radio operators will send signals to each other across the path of totality to study how the density of electrons in Earth’s upper atmosphere changes .

This can help quantify how space weather produced by the sun disrupts radar communication systems.

(Animation by Dr. Joseph Huba, Syntek Technologies; HamSCI Project, Dr. Nathaniel Frissell, the University of Scranton, NSF and NASA.)

NASA is also studying Earth’s atmosphere, but far from the path of totality.

In Virginia, the agency will launch rockets during the eclipse to measure how local drops in sunlight cause ripple effects hundreds of miles away . The data will clarify how eclipses and other solar events affect satellite communications, including GPS.

Biologists in San Antonio plan to stash recording devices in beehives to study how bees orient themselves using sunlight , and how the insects respond to the sudden atmospheric changes during a total eclipse.

Two researchers in southern Illinois will analyze social media posts to understand tourism patterns in remote towns , including when visitors arrive, where they come from and what they do during their visits.

Results can help bolster infrastructure to support large events in rural areas.

Read more about the eclipse:

Our Coverage of the Total Solar Eclipse

Dress for the Occasion:  What should you wear for the eclipse? Our fashion critic weighs the options , including an unexpected suggestion from scientists.

Free to View:  Six inmates in upstate New York prisons who sued the state won their lawsuit to view the eclipse , arguing it “is a religious event.” But a statewide prison lockdown during the eclipse will remain in place.

Hearing the Eclipse:  A device called LightSound is being distributed to help the blind and visually impaired experience what they can’t see .

Sky-High Hotel Prices: One Super 8 hotel in the eclipse’s path is charging $949 a night . Its normal rate is $95.

Animal Reactions : Researchers will watch if animals at zoos, homes and farms act strangely  when day quickly turns to night.

A Rare Return:  A total solar eclipse happens twice in the same place every 366 years on average. But people in certain areas will encounter April 8’s eclipse  about seven years after they were near the middle of the path of the “Great American Eclipse.”

 No Power Outages:  When the sky darkens during the eclipse, electricity production in some parts of the country will drop so sharply that it could theoretically leave tens of millions of homes in the dark. In practice, hardly anyone will notice  a sudden loss of energy.

Advertisement

Physical Review Physics Education Research

• Collections
• Editorial Team

Volume 18, Issue 1

January - june 2022, editorials and announcements, editorial: research on advancing equity is critical for physics, charles henderson and michael thoennessen, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010001 (2022) – published 11 april 2022, highlighted articles, featured in physics editors' suggestion, lgbt + physicists: harassment, persistence, and uneven support, ramón s. barthelemy, madison swirtz, savannah garmon, elizabeth h. simmons, kyle reeves, michael l. falk, wouter deconinck, elena a. long, and timothy j. atherton, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010124 (2022) – published 28 march 2022, viewpoint: making physics inclusive to lgbtq+ folks.

LGBT+ members of the physics community who have negative perceptions of workplace climate and who observe exclusionary behavior are more likely to consider leaving the discipline.

Show Abstract

Featured in physics, not feeling recognized as a physics person by instructors and teaching assistants is correlated with female students’ lower grades, sonja cwik and chandralekha singh, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010138 (2022) – published 31 may 2022, : keeping women in physics is more than a numbers game.

Women in introductory physics are less likely than men to think that others perceive them as being a physics person.

Students’ sense of belonging in introductory physics course for bioscience majors predicts their grade

Phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010139 (2022) – published 31 may 2022.

In introductory physics courses where men outnumber women, mens’ sense of belonging increases while womens’ does not.

Editors' Suggestion

Impact of virtual research experience for undergraduates experiences on students’ psychosocial gains during the covid-19 pandemic, dina zohrabi alaee, micah k. campbell, and benjamin m. zwickl, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010101 (2022) – published 4 january 2022.

Remote research experience for undergraduates programs should be considered as a means to expand access to research experiences for students.

Evaluating the role of student preference in physics lab group equity

N. g. holmes, grace heath, katelynn hubenig, sophia jeon, z. yasemin kalender, emily stump, and eleanor c. sayre, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010106 (2022) – published 20 january 2022.

Inequities in student lab group experiences are due to structural aspects of the learning environment; instructors must institute policies and practices to push against gender norms and stereotypes.

Cross-disciplinary learning index: A quantitative measure of cross-disciplinary learning about energy

Todd haskell, emily borda, and andrew boudreaux, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010108 (2022) – published 24 january 2022.

The development and validation of techniques to measure cross-disciplinary learning: an example in the context of energy.

Increased learning in a college physics course with timely use of short multimedia summaries

Spencer dunleavy, greg kestin, kristina callaghan, logan mccarty, and louis deslauriers, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010110 (2022) – published 28 january 2022.

Carefully designed one-minute videos and short text summaries following a lecture can significantly increase students’ understanding of the material and their ability to organize the material into useful mental frameworks.

Skills-focused lab instruction improves critical thinking skills and experimentation views for all students

Cole walsh, h. j. lewandowski, and n. g. holmes, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010128 (2022) – published 11 april 2022.

Labs focused on skills improve critical thinking skills and experimentation views for all students compared with labs focused on reinforcing lecture concepts.

Identifying students’ mental models of the apparent motion of the Sun and stars

Hans bekaert, hans van winckel, wim van dooren, an steegen, and mieke de cock, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010130 (2022) – published 20 april 2022.

There are five different mental models that students use to reason about the apparent motion of the Sun and stars.

Examining the effects of lab instruction and gender composition on intergroup interaction networks in introductory physics labs

Meagan sundstrom, david g. wu, cole walsh, ashley b. heim, and n. g. holmes, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010102 (2022) – published 4 january 2022.

In introductory physics labs, direct prompts from the lab instructor to interact with other groups leads to more and longer interactions.

Development and validation of the Conceptual Survey on Wave Optics

Karolina matejak cvenic, maja planinic, ana susac, lana ivanjek, katarina jelicic, and martin hopf, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010103 (2022) – published 10 january 2022.

The conceptual survey on wave optics is a valid and reliable 26-item multiple-choice instrument suitable for use as a post-test for high school students.

Investigating unprompted and prompted diagrams generated by physics majors during problem solving

Michael vignal and bethany r. wilcox, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010104 (2022) – published 12 january 2022.

On some types of problems many students can select the correct answer without drawing a diagram; on other types of problems many student who drew diagrams were unable to select the correct answer.

Working together or alone, near, or far: Social connections and communities of practice in in-person and remote physics laboratories

Drew j. rosen and angela m. kelly, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010105 (2022) – published 12 january 2022.

Students in remote undergraduate physics labs form weak communities of practice with one another, and their instructors exist outside of this community structure.

Examining the relationship between informal science experiences and physics identity: Unrealized possibilities

Zahra hazari, remy dou, gerhard sonnert, and philip m. sadler, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010107 (2022) – published 20 january 2022.

Informal learning experiences in physics reinforce stereotypical practices, fail to intersect in positive ways with the biological sciences, and continue to be less accessible to students from historically marginalized groups.

Assessing the impact of metacognitive postreflection exercises on problem-solving skillfulness

Aaron reinhard, alex felleson, paula c. turner, and maxwell green, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010109 (2022) – published 24 january 2022.

The efficacy of metacognitive reflections on recently completed work to improve retention of newly learned problem-solving techniques may be highly context dependent.

Defining and assessing understandings of evidence with the assessment rubric for physics inquiry: Towards integration of argumentation and inquiry

C. f. j. pols, p. j. j. m. dekkers, and m. j. de vries, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010111 (2022) – published 15 february 2022.

An approach to assessing the presence and application of inquiry knowledge required for engaging in physics based on an observation of actions and decisions.

Improving test security and efficiency of computerized adaptive testing for the Force Concept Inventory

Jun-ichiro yasuda, michael m. hull, and naohiro mae, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010112 (2022) – published 17 february 2022.

The accuracy and precision of the full-length Force Concept Inventory can be achieved with fewer items via computerized adaptive testing.

Characterizing active learning environments in physics using latent profile analysis

Kelley commeford, eric brewe, and adrienne traxler, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010113 (2022) – published 23 february 2022.

Characterizing active learning environments at fine grained level allows for an understanding of the distinguishing characteristics of pedagogies in physics.

Participation, performance, and outcomes in an undergraduate physics degree: Perspectives on gender and socioeconomic factors

Rachel e. harrington, job h. j. thijssen, and judy hardy, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010114 (2022) – published 23 february 2022.

Institutional contexts are different and to support equitable practices and outcomes each institution collects and make decisions based on appropriate data about the academic performance and experience of their students.

Theoretical model and quantitative assessment of scientific thinking and reasoning

Lei bao, kathleen koenig, yang xiao, joseph fritchman, shaona zhou, and cheng chen, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010115 (2022) – published 23 february 2022.

A new instrument to assess scientific reasoning built from a modeling framework that integrates research in scientific and causal reasoning.

Framework for unpacking students’ mindsets in physics by gender

Z. yasemin kalender, emily marshman, christian d. schunn, timothy j. nokes-malach, and chandralekha singh, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010116 (2022) – published 28 february 2022.

Female physics students are more likely than male physics students to believe that innate talent is needed to excel in physics, and that they may not have that talent.

Development and validation of an astronomy self-efficacy instrument for understanding and doing

Rachel freed, david mckinnon, michael fitzgerald, and christina m. norris, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010117 (2022) – published 28 february 2022.

It is important to development domain-specific self-efficacy instruments as a way to assess and improve instruction with an example from astronomy.

Observing whiteness in introductory physics: A case study

Amy d. robertson and w. tali hairston, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010119 (2022) – published 11 march 2022.

Whiteness shapes many practices in physics classrooms that are often thought to be neutral.

Impact of introductory physics for the life sciences in a senior biology capstone course

Benjamin d. geller, jack rubien, sara m. hiebert, and catherine h. crouch, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010120 (2022) – published 11 march 2022.

Biology majors who take the introductory physics for life sciences course are more likely to reason quantitatively and mechanistically about diffusive phenomena and to successfully coordinate between multiple representations of diffusive processes.

Instructor interactions in traditional and nontraditional labs

David g. wu, ashley b. heim, meagan sundstrom, cole walsh, and n. g. holmes, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010121 (2022) – published 14 march 2022.

The amount of interaction between instructors and students during lab is more a product of the instructional design than an individual instructor’s implementation of that design.

Designing and implementing materials on quantum computing for secondary school students: The case of teleportation

Sara satanassi, elisa ercolessi, and olivia levrini, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010122 (2022) – published 14 march 2022.

Designing an inclusive and productive learning environment for the teaching of quantum computing in secondary schools.

History of science based dialogues on sound waves: From sound atoms to phonons

Alexander volfson, haim eshach, and yuval ben-abu, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010123 (2022) – published 18 march 2022.

An instructional technique that makes use of whole class discussions based on the history of science.

What decisions do experts make when doing back-of-the-envelope calculations?

Gabriel murillo-gonzalez and eric w. burkholder, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010125 (2022) – published 5 april 2022.

Solving back-of-the-envelope problems does not require different skills than solving other kinds of problems that physicists encounter in their research.

Measuring the level of homework answer copying during COVID-19 induced remote instruction

Zhongzhou chen, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010126 (2022) – published 5 april 2022.

Most students do not engage in answer copying behaviors to complete online homework assignments in introductory calculus-based physics.

Learning entropy among peers through the lens of coordination class theory

Juan velasco, laura buteler, carlos briozzo, and enrique coleoni, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010127 (2022) – published 7 april 2022.

Using coordination class theory to observe learning at both the individual and the group level.

Impacts on student learning, confidence, and affect in a remote, large-enrollment, course-based undergraduate research experience in physics

Alexandra werth, colin g. west, and h. j. lewandowski, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010129 (2022) – published 13 april 2022.

Implementation and assessment of a large-scale, introductory, online physics course-based undergraduate research experience.

Assessing the impact of introductory physics for the life sciences on students’ ability to build complex models

Benjamin d. geller, maya tipton, brandon daniel-morales, nikhil tignor, calvin white, and catherine h. crouch, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010131 (2022) – published 20 april 2022.

Introductory physics for the life sciences students are more successfully than students in a typical physics course at combining multiple ideas to solve problems in new contexts.

Evaluation of high school student responses to the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey

Julian s. martins and william e. lindsay, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010132 (2022) – published 25 april 2022.

Developing an attitudes and beliefs survey structure for K-12 physics courses aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards.

Motivations for using the item response theory nominal response model to rank responses to multiple-choice items

Trevor i. smith and nasrine bendjilali, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010133 (2022) – published 25 april 2022.

New insights on multiple-choice assessments based on similarities between the item response theory nominal response model and the probability function of the canonical ensemble with degenerate energy states.

Detecting preservice teachers’ visual attention under prediction and nonprediction conditions with eye-tracking technology

Qiuye li, shaorui xu, yilin chen, chuting lu, and shaona zhou, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010134 (2022) – published 27 april 2022.

In an eye-tracking study, preservice teachers who correctly predicted student responses paid attention to different areas than those teachers who did not correctly predict student responses.

Investigating students’ views of experimental physics in German laboratory classes

E. teichmann, h. j. lewandowski, and m. alemani, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010135 (2022) – published 27 april 2022.

A German language version of the E-CLASS instrument is available for understanding students views of experimental physics.

Problem solving in basic physics: Effective self-explanations based on four elements with support from retrieval practice

Vegard gjerde, vegard havre paulsen, bodil holst, and stein dankert kolstø, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010136 (2022) – published 2 may 2022.

Retrieval practice of physics principles and their conditions of application before self-explanation can have a positive effect on posttest problem-solving scores and can increase the quality of students’ self-explanations.

High school students’ perceptions on the relevance of inquiry-oriented instructional labs as introduction to an extended research project

David perl-nussbaum and edit yerushalmi, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010137 (2022) – published 25 may 2022.

Investigating high school student perceptions of the value of different inquiry practices in a learning progression and interpreting these finding using the lens of boundary crossing.

Difficulties in understanding mechanical waves: Remediated by problem-based instruction

Stella teddy kanyesigye, jean uwamahoro, and imelda kemeza, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010140 (2022) – published 2 june 2022.

Implementation of problem based learning in secondary schools in Western Uganda improves student understanding of mechanical waves.

Classification of open-ended responses to a research-based assessment using natural language processing

Joseph wilson, benjamin pollard, john m. aiken, marcos d. caballero, and h. j. lewandowski, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010141 (2022) – published 2 june 2022.

A natural language processing model can be trained to categorize open-ended responses to the physics measurement questionnaire as well as a pair of human coders.

Do female and male students’ physics motivational beliefs change in a two-semester introductory physics course sequence?

Yangqiuting li and chandralekha singh, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010142 (2022) – published 3 june 2022.

The current learning environment in traditionally taught introductory physics courses does not improve students’ physics motivational beliefs, and initial gender differences in these beliefs becomes larger.

Mediating role of personality in the relation of gender to self-efficacy in physics and mathematics

Rachel henderson, dona hewagallage, jake follmer, lynnette michaluk, jessica deshler, edgar fuller, and john stewart, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010143 (2022) – published 3 june 2022.

A substantial amount of the often-reported differences in self-efficacy between men and women may result from gender differences in the tendency to experience anxiety and the tendency to conscientiously complete tasks.

Exploring student ideas on change of basis in quantum mechanics

Giaco corsiglia, benjamin p. schermerhorn, homeyra sadaghiani, armando villaseñor, steven pollock, and gina passante, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010144 (2022) – published 6 june 2022.

Quantum mechanics students grapple with basis and change of basis in a variety of ways.

From Cartesian coordinates to Hilbert space: Supporting student understanding of basis in quantum mechanics

Benjamin p. schermerhorn, giaco corsiglia, homeyra sadaghiani, gina passante, and steven pollock, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010145 (2022) – published 8 june 2022.

The iteratively designed tutorial effectively helps students make sense of and carry out a change of basis in quantum mechanics by drawing an analogy between quantum state vectors and 2D Cartesian vectors.

Long-term collaboration with strong friendship ties improves academic performance in remote and hybrid teaching modalities in high school physics

Javier pulgar, diego ramírez, abigail umanzor, cristian candia, and iván sánchez, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010146 (2022) – published 13 june 2022.

Strong peer-to-peer collaborations in a physics class require time to develop and can result in higher grades.

Workplace climate for LGBT + physicists: A view from students and professional physicists

Ramón s. barthelemy, bryce e. hughes, madison swirtz, matthew mikota, and timothy j. atherton, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010147 (2022) – published 13 june 2022.

Actively cultivating an LGBT-inclusive work environment may have a more profound impact on retaining LGBT physicists than only removing exclusive behaviors and practices.

Harnessing active engagement in educational videos: Enhanced visuals and embedded questions

Greg kestin and kelly miller, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010148 (2022) – published 21 june 2022.

Instructonal physics videos are most effective when they include enhanced visuals and embedded questions.

Examining the relation of high school preparation and college achievement to conceptual understanding

Dona hewagallage, elaine christman, and john stewart, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010149 (2022) – published 28 june 2022.

Gender differences observed in pretest and post-test scores were changed little by controlling for either high school preparation or noncognitive factors.

Today’s interdisciplinary quantum information classroom: Themes from a survey of quantum information science instructors

Josephine c. meyer, gina passante, steven j. pollock, and bethany r. wilcox, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 010150 (2022) – published 30 june 2022.

There is not a canonical approach to introduction to quantum information science courses.

REVIEW ARTICLES

Critical race and feminist standpoint theories in physics education research: a historical review and potential applications, miguel rodriguez, ramón barthelemy, and melinda mccormick, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 013101 (2022) – published 25 february 2022.

A review and critique of critical race theory and feminist standpoint theory while providing guidance for using these theories in physics education research.

Eye tracking in physics education research: A systematic literature review

L. hahn and p. klein, phys. rev. phys. educ. res. 18 , 013102 (2022) – published 2 march 2022.

The use of eye tracking in physics education research is growing rapidly and has led to insights into students’ learning processes.

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review Physics Education Research

• Forgot your username/password?
• Create an account

Article Lookup

Paste a citation or doi, enter a citation.