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Thinking Physics for Learning in the 21st Century: From the...
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Thinking Physics for Learning in the 21st Century: From the History of Physics to Modern Pedagogical Practices

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 16 November 2026 | Viewed by 1387

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Marco Giliberti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physics, University of Milan, 20133 Milano, Italy
Interests: educational approaches to quantum mechanics; history of quantum mechanics; informal learning; nature of science; cultural understanding of physics
Dr. Luisa Lovisetti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physics, University of Milan, 20133 Milano, Italy
Interests: history of quantum mechanics; nature of science; educational approaches to quantum mechanics; cultural understanding of physics; history of scientific instruments

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Submissions are invited for a Special Issue of Education Sciences dedicated to Thinking Physics for Learning in the 21st Century: From the History of Physics to Modern Pedagogical Practices. This Special Issue aims to bring together contributions that explore how physics can be meaningfully taught and learned in contemporary educational contexts, drawing on insights from both physics education research and the history and philosophy of physics.

The issue seeks to foster a dialogue between research in physics education, historical analyses of the development of physical theories, and innovative pedagogical approaches. In particular, it addresses the question of how the conceptual structure of physics, its historical evolution and its epistemological foundations can inform effective teaching and learning strategies for the 21st century.

We welcome original research articles, theoretical contributions and well-documented case studies focusing on topics including, but not limited to:

  • Research in Physics Education and its relationship with the History and Philosophy of Physics;
  • Teaching and learning strategies in physics education, with particular attention to the development of key scientific competencies;
  • The role of physics education in fostering an informed understanding of the Nature of Science;
  • Identification and analysis of learning difficulties and conceptual bottlenecks in specific disciplinary contexts;
  • The interplay between the History of Physics and physics education, including the mutual benefits of historical perspectives for teaching and learning physics;
  • Studies on students' understanding of fundamental conceptual aspects of physics;
  • Physics teacher education and professional development;
  • The use of mathematics as a conceptual and epistemic tool in physics learning;
  • The educational value of historical experiments and their role in contemporary instructional practices;
  • Innovative pedagogical approaches, from Investigative Science Learning Environments to embodied cognition and other emerging frameworks.

This Special Issue aims to provide a multidisciplinary and international perspective on how physics education can respond to the challenges of modern societies, preparing learners to master physical concepts and to engage critically with scientific knowledge and practices, also in the context of citizenship education, to foster learners' understanding of the Nature of Science and its role in contemporary societies.

Prof. Dr. Marco Giliberti
Dr. Luisa Lovisetti
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • physics education
  • history of physics
  • teaching practices and methods
  • teachers’ education
  • informal learning
  • cultural understanding of physics

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

34 pages, 2515 KB  
Article
Bridging Laboratory Inquiry and History of Science: Enhancing Scientific Literacy Through Explicit and Reflective Approaches to the Nature of Science
by Pasquale Onorato, Filippo Faita and Alessandro Salmoiraghi
Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(5), 704; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16050704 - 30 Apr 2026
Viewed by 429
Abstract
This study proposes an innovative instructional approach to promote scientific literacy by integrating the Nature of Science and the Nature of Scientific Inquiry with experimental practice and the history of physics. The aim is to foster a deep understanding of how scientific knowledge [...] Read more.
This study proposes an innovative instructional approach to promote scientific literacy by integrating the Nature of Science and the Nature of Scientific Inquiry with experimental practice and the history of physics. The aim is to foster a deep understanding of how scientific knowledge is constructed and to promote informed trust in science. Using an explicit and reflective methodology, the intervention combines experimental activities with historical reflection. The core of the learning sequence is the experimental reconstruction of Galileo’s studies on falling bodies, based on the historical manuscript folio 116v, an original document that provides the empirical evidence for the law of falling bodies, illustrating the transition from raw experimental data to mathematical formalization. Through this activity, students engage with key epistemic aspects of scientific practice, including the management of uncertainty—distinguished into statistical/aleatory and structural/epistemic forms—the probabilistic nature of scientific knowledge, the predictive power of models and theories, and the underdetermination of scientific theories. Additional themes addressed include the role of thought experiments, the importance of communicating results for scrutiny and validation, the function of models as mediators between theory and phenomena, and the process of de-idealization. The study also challenges the persistent myth of a single, linear “scientific method,” highlighting instead the theory-laden character of scientific inquiry and the central role of the scientific community. This dimension is explored through the historical comparison between Galileo and Mersenne, which illustrates elements of the scientific ethos and the role of peer review as a mechanism for the correction and refinement of knowledge. The results obtained with pre-service teachers, with whom this instructional sequence was implemented, indicate that this contextualized approach facilitates the overcoming of a view of science as a set of absolute truths. Instead, it promotes a more mature understanding of science as a dynamic, provisional, and self-correcting human enterprise, while equipping future citizens with the critical tools necessary to navigate the challenges of the twenty-first century. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thinking Physics for Learning in the 21st Century: From the History of Physics to Modern Pedagogical Practices)
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35 pages, 4461 KB  
Article
Instructor Framing and Incentives Shape Physics Students’ Engagement and Learning Gains from an Inquiry-Based Electrostatics Tutorial on the Method of Images
by Jaya Shivangani Kashyap, Robert P. Devaty and Chandralekha Singh
Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(4), 594; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16040594 - 8 Apr 2026
Viewed by 613
Abstract
The method of images (MoI) is a valuable technique for solving certain electrostatic boundary value problems consisting of charge density near conductor(s). We developed and validated an inquiry-based tutorial on MoI to help students learn to identify the problems involving symmetry in which [...] Read more.
The method of images (MoI) is a valuable technique for solving certain electrostatic boundary value problems consisting of charge density near conductor(s). We developed and validated an inquiry-based tutorial on MoI to help students learn to identify the problems involving symmetry in which MoI is applicable and then apply it by finding the correct image charge configuration. We implemented the inquiry-based tutorial accompanied by pretest and posttest, across three instructors’ classes to evaluate student learning. We also conducted think-aloud interviews with advanced physics students, which helped us gain insights into their problem-solving strategies, evaluate their understanding developed through the tutorial and make necessary refinements to the MoI tutorial. The study identified common student difficulties, which were subsequently integrated into the inquiry-based tutorial as a guide to provide support to students. One important finding is that advanced students have common difficulties related to physics concepts similar to those found in introductory physics courses. The performance difference in the pretest administered after lecture-based instruction and the posttest administered after working through the tutorial reflects students’ ability to apply what they learned from the inquiry-based tutorial compared to traditional lecture. Another important and unanticipated finding of this study is the potential impact of the framing of the inquiry-based tutorial and accompanying tests by one of the instructors on the engagement and performance of students. In particular, the instructor of one of the classes offered students a small amount of extra credit for engaging with the inquiry-based tutorial and tests, explicitly noting that these activities were not part of the current course syllabus and were primarily conducted to support physics education research. This kind of framing likely influenced students’ motivation and engagement, which underscores how the way the instructor frames the inquiry-based instructional tasks to their students can have a significant impact on student performance. Overall, this iterative multi-year design-based comparative research with mixed-method triangulation provides valuable insights on the challenges involved in such studies that educators and researchers alike can greatly benefit from. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thinking Physics for Learning in the 21st Century: From the History of Physics to Modern Pedagogical Practices)
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