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Education Sciences
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Innovative Research Based Educational Proposals in Physics Education
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Innovative Research Based Educational Proposals in Physics Education

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102). This special issue belongs to the section "STEM Education".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 28391

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Marisa Michelini

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Physics (DMIF), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
Interests: research-based educational paths in classical and modern physics; ICT and multimedia to overcome conceptual knots and learning difficulties; innovative experiments and lab methods for teaching/learning physics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue is dedicated to research-based proposals to improve physics teaching and learning in the framework of content research. We are particularly thinking of research-based educational paths, teaching intervention modules and tools, new methods for the laboratory or the use of multimedia for learning physics.

The Special Issue will be organized in three sections, with proposals respectively for kindergarten and primary school, secondary school and university.

Contributions are particularly welcome on new strategies and methods improving conceptual learning, helping to overcome conceptual knots in classical physics topics, new experiments or new ways of working in labs, in conducting experiments in specific contexts, new ways in which multimedia tools allow the overcoming of conceptual knots and support learning, evidence on ways to produce competence related to physics identity and didactic proposals on modern and contemporary physics (e.g., on Einstein’s relativity, quantum mechanics, superconductivity, or high-energy physics).

Proposals must be research-based, and evidence of their effectiveness in learning as the outcome of specific implementation must be presented.

The suggested structure for the papers is the following: an introduction to the problem addressed with extensive literature analysis and clear identification of the aims of the contribution and didactic proposal; the theoretical framework for research and the characteristics of the research, the research questions; the rationale of the educational proposal and the referent methods for its building; the sample and the way of the implementation of the proposal; methods of data collection and data analysis; discussion of the results; and conclusions. 

Abstracts that arrive by July 2022 will be submitted to the scientific committee, and the index of the Special Issue will be constituted. Articles must be received by December 2022 and will be subjected to double-blind peer review.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Marisa Michelini
Guest Editor

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

  • educational paths
  • experiments, tools from content research in physics education

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 4089 KiB  
Article
On Mathematics and Physics Teaching in Upper-Secondary School
by Örjan Hansson, Kristina Juter and Andreas Redfors
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(6), 564; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13060564 - 31 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2954
Abstract
This article reports on physics teaching in upper-secondary school with a focus on communication and relations made between mathematics, theoretical models in physics, and reality. Video data from four physics classrooms in three different teaching contexts, i.e., lessons, problem solving, and lab work, [...] Read more.
This article reports on physics teaching in upper-secondary school with a focus on communication and relations made between mathematics, theoretical models in physics, and reality. Video data from four physics classrooms in three different teaching contexts, i.e., lessons, problem solving, and lab work, have been analysed by combining two theoretical frameworks: the Ternary Framework and Joint Action Theory in Didactics. Four physics teachers were selected from among a range of teachers who had responded to a web-based questionnaire, representing different teacher profiles from the questionnaire. The results indicate that the teacher profiles, including information on curriculum emphasis and views of mathematics, physics, and physics teaching, were good predictors for communication in the classrooms. The teacher profiles were found to influence teaching and the communication more than the teaching contexts. The benefits of formally correct mathematical treatment during physics teaching are discussed based on the results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Research Based Educational Proposals in Physics Education)
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28 pages, 5758 KiB  
Article
Investigating and Improving Student Understanding of Conductors and Insulators
by Lisabeth Marie Santana, Caitlin Hickman, Joshua Bilak and Chandralekha Singh
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(3), 242; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13030242 - 25 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3246
Abstract
Concepts involving conductors and insulators are challenging at all levels of instruction. Here, we summarized an investigation of the difficulties that introductory students have pertaining to the charging of conductors and insulators and how that research was used as a resource to develop, [...] Read more.
Concepts involving conductors and insulators are challenging at all levels of instruction. Here, we summarized an investigation of the difficulties that introductory students have pertaining to the charging of conductors and insulators and how that research was used as a resource to develop, validate, and evaluate a conceptual tutorial on this challenging topic. The tutorial uses guided inquiry-based teaching–learning sequences and focuses on helping students develop conceptual understanding of charging conductors and insulators using concrete examples. At a large university in the US, we first evaluated whether there was any statistically significant difference on the pretest (before college instruction) between the performance of students who had any high school physics instruction and those who did not on relevant questions. Then, we compared the performance of introductory physics students in the experimental group who engaged with the tutorial and the control group who did not engage with the tutorial and only had traditional, lecture-based instruction. Our analysis shows large improvements from pre- to post-tests (i.e., from before to after instruction) for the tutorial group and large gaps in post-test scores between the nontutorial and tutorial groups. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Research Based Educational Proposals in Physics Education)
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21 pages, 1523 KiB  
Article
Helping Students Become Proficient Problem Solvers Part II: An Example from Waves
by Alexandru Maries and Chandralekha Singh
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 138; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13020138 - 29 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2544
Abstract
Helping students become proficient problem solvers is one of the primary goals of physics courses. In Part I of this article, we summarized the vast research on problem solving relevant for physics instruction, and here we discuss a concrete example of problem solving [...] Read more.
Helping students become proficient problem solvers is one of the primary goals of physics courses. In Part I of this article, we summarized the vast research on problem solving relevant for physics instruction, and here we discuss a concrete example of problem solving in the context of waves from introductory physics. The goal of this research was to investigate how drawing diagrams affects students’ problem-solving performance. An introductory class was broken up into three recitations which received different instructions related to diagrams on their weekly quizzes: one group was provided a diagram, another was asked to draw one, and the third was the comparison group which was given no instructions about diagrams. We find that students who were provided a diagram performed significantly worse than students in the other two groups. Furthermore, we find that irrespective of the condition, students who drew diagrams as part of the problem-solving process performed better overall, despite primarily using a mathematical approach to solving the problem. Lastly, we conducted think-aloud interviews with students who solved the same problem to further understand their solution approaches as well as how drawing a diagram is useful even in situations where a primarily mathematical approach is used. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Research Based Educational Proposals in Physics Education)
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28 pages, 8960 KiB  
Article
The Concept of Observer in Science Teaching in Middle School: Pre-Instructional Knowledge as a Lever for Learning rather than an Obstacle
by Ben Stein, Hana Stein and Igal Galili
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(1), 95; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13010095 - 16 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2837
Abstract
This study deals with the concept of the observer in science education, which is currently significantly diminished at school. In the first part, we review the theoretical perspective of the concept, regarding its historical role in physics knowledge, cognitive aspects of learning and [...] Read more.
This study deals with the concept of the observer in science education, which is currently significantly diminished at school. In the first part, we review the theoretical perspective of the concept, regarding its historical role in physics knowledge, cognitive aspects of learning and the relevant curricular situation. The second part of the study was devoted to the experiment, which included constructing new materials to facilitate interpretation of physical situations by inertial and non-inertial observers in teaching students in middle schools. The impact of the experimental teaching was assessed by an open questionnaire addressing content knowledge and affective perception of the new material. The significant positive results obtained testify to the feasibility of such innovative teaching. It has a strong advantage in comparison with the regular teaching in the control group. The implication of the study could be significant changes which would upgrade school physics curricula. The explicit inclusion of the inertial forces—instead of banning them, as currently practised—maturates the physics knowledge of school students while resonating with their naive views on the subject. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Research Based Educational Proposals in Physics Education)
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18 pages, 844 KiB  
Article
Implementing Dirac Approach to Quantum Mechanics in a Hungarian Secondary School
by Marisa Michelini, Alberto Stefanel and Kristóf Tóth
Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(9), 606; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12090606 - 6 Sep 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2452
Abstract
Quantum mechanics is included in many curricula across countries because of its cultural value and technological application. In the last decades, two-state approaches to quantum mechanics became popular because of the age of quantum computers. This article presents an experiment with 24 Hungarian [...] Read more.
Quantum mechanics is included in many curricula across countries because of its cultural value and technological application. In the last decades, two-state approaches to quantum mechanics became popular because of the age of quantum computers. This article presents an experiment with 24 Hungarian high school students on teaching/learning quantum mechanics according to Dirac’s approach to concepts and basic formalism developed in the context of light polarization. Tutorials, pre/post-tests, and oral interviews are the main monitoring tools used to collect data on the students’ learning path. From the qualitative and quantitative data analysis, learning progressions emerged in the phenomenology exploration and on the probabilistic nature of single quantum measurement. The students’ conceptions of quantum state are enriched, confirming the importance to focus educational approaches on fundamental topics. For one section of students, the complex relationship between quantum state and property remained problematic, but the students’ interpretations of a quantum state can be categorized. Two lines of reasoning emerged regarding the impossibility to attribute a trajectory to a quantum system, one more orthodox and one that seeks to avoid the probabilistic nature of the quantum world. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Research Based Educational Proposals in Physics Education)
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19 pages, 293 KiB  
Article
Physics Teachers’ Perceptions about Their Judgments within Differentiated Learning Environments: A Case for the Implementation of Technology
by Purwoko Haryadi Santoso, Edi Istiyono and Haryanto
Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(9), 582; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12090582 - 25 Aug 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3210
Abstract
There is a national shift in the new Indonesian curriculum towards employing differentiated learning approaches in addressing the diversity of students’ needs and abilities. A teachers’ judgment evidently corresponds to the duty required of physics teachers to monitor their students at an individual [...] Read more.
There is a national shift in the new Indonesian curriculum towards employing differentiated learning approaches in addressing the diversity of students’ needs and abilities. A teachers’ judgment evidently corresponds to the duty required of physics teachers to monitor their students at an individual level. Within the context of Indonesian physics education research (PER), empirical study addressing this subject is still lacking. To fill this gap, eight Indonesian physics teachers’ experiences and limitations about their judgments within differentiated learning environments have been investigated through phenomenological study. Physics teachers were voluntarily recruited after they declared their endorsement and personal consent to participate in the study. Our participants were distributed over several teaching experiences, geographic regions, and information and communication technology (ICT) experiences. The latter experience might be taken into account since, through this study, upcoming developmental research will be projected on engaging recent technological approaches to address the limitations of teachers’ judgments. Online semi-structured interviews (~50 min) were conducted by the first author to all physics teachers involved. Other authors contributed in reviewing the interview protocol and training the first author’s pilot interview. The model of teachers’ thought and action, from Clark and Peterson, was implemented to uncover physics teachers’ experiences and limitations in making judgments within a diverse group of students. The findings revealed that physics teachers have conceded that they should dynamically adapt the learning process in order to meet heterogeneous students’ performances. Personal observation has mainly informed teachers in identifying students’ differences. After students have been identified, the teachers creatively designed learning transformations to accommodate the wide spectrum of students’ abilities. Nevertheless, several limitations were discovered as being encountered by physics teachers, particularly in terms of judgments’ equity and accuracy, as well as the teachers’ workloads. To overcome this, the teachers indicated various and supportive attitudes about technological implementations that would assist their judgments. Ideas for technological development were provided to address identified obstacles during the teachers’ judgments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Research Based Educational Proposals in Physics Education)
13 pages, 865 KiB  
Article
Early Years Physics Teaching of Abstract Phenomena in Preschool—Supported by Children’s Production of Tablet Videos
by Andreas Redfors, Marie Fridberg, Agneta Jonsson and Susanne Thulin
Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(7), 427; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12070427 - 22 Jun 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2326
Abstract
In 2011, a renewed national curriculum for preschools in Sweden introduced explicit pedagogical tasks concerning chemistry and physics. This article is about the analysis of physics teaching supported by video productions with tablets, part of a three-year professional development programme on collaborative inquiry [...] Read more.
In 2011, a renewed national curriculum for preschools in Sweden introduced explicit pedagogical tasks concerning chemistry and physics. This article is about the analysis of physics teaching supported by video productions with tablets, part of a three-year professional development programme on collaborative inquiry teaching of chemistry and physics in Swedish preschools. The temporal case studies reported here were focused on children’s and teachers’ communication during extended teaching sequences with three- to six-year-old children in two Swedish preschools. Eleven children and two teachers participated in this study. The children worked in small groups with one teacher. Results indicate that children’s video productions by tablets contributed to children’s learning, with differences indicated for children’s experiences of objects of learning in physics at different levels of abstraction. Consequences of the results for future teaching of early years physics are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Research Based Educational Proposals in Physics Education)
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Review

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21 pages, 354 KiB  
Review
Helping Students Become Proficient Problem Solvers Part I: A Brief Review
by Alexandru Maries and Chandralekha Singh
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 156; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13020156 - 2 Feb 2023
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 6775
Abstract
Understanding issues involved in expertise in physics problem solving is important for helping students become good problem solvers. In part 1 of this article, we summarize the research on problem solving relevant for physics education across three broad categories: knowledge organization, information processing [...] Read more.
Understanding issues involved in expertise in physics problem solving is important for helping students become good problem solvers. In part 1 of this article, we summarize the research on problem solving relevant for physics education across three broad categories: knowledge organization, information processing and cognitive load, and metacognition and problem-solving heuristics. We also discuss specific strategies discussed in the literature for promoting the development of problem-solving skills in physics. This review article can be valuable in helping instructors develop students’ problem solving, reasoning, and metacognitive skills in physics and other related disciplines. Additionally, this review article is relevant across educational contexts in countries that may have different educational paradigms and challenges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Research Based Educational Proposals in Physics Education)
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