Physicists, physics students, and community members engage with each other through a variety of informal physics programs. These programs differ in format, such as after school programs, public lectures, planetariums, summer camps, and other non-formal classroom environments. These programs also differ in the physics topics they cover, activities,…

Quantitative literacy---the use of mathematics to describe and understand the world---is an essential skill. Physics has an opportunity to contribute to how students develop quantitative literacy, as much of physics curriculum centers on making sense of quantitative models. One facet of quantitative literacy in physics is covariational reasoning:…

This dissertation provides a start-to-finish description of development, administration, and validation for an online middle-school physics test using a DCM framework with response-time. The first paper illustrated the process of implementing DCM with a careful selection of the content domain and a simulation approach for a Q-matrix construction.…

In recent years, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have gained increasing importance in the field of physics. Despite efforts to enhance DEI, physics still faces numerous challenges in this area. This dissertation is divided into three main chapters, aiming to investigate the significance of learning-related emotions and physics identity as…

The human brain is a byproduct of the natural process of evolution, as is the knowledge it contains. Like other natural resources fit for human consumption, knowledge can be modeled as a physical entity that can be sought after and acquired. In ancient times, knowledge was geographically constrained as a consequence of being a physical entity…

Different teaching and learning strategies have informed physics educators on addressing the cultural meanings and practices of physics that have sustained homogeneity within university programs. However, literature evidence physics learning environments are under-theorized in dismantling homogeneity and conceptually changes physics student…

This study investigated evidence of how students' mental models of fundamental kinematic relations evolved (i.e., developed cognitively over time) as observed during an introductory course in calculus-based classical mechanics. The core of the curriculum is based on a claim known as Galileo's principle of relativity. The course material comprised…

Conceptual approaches to contemporary physics topics pose many learning challenges. One factor influencing knowledge integration is a student's epistemological framing. Epistemic frames provide a context within which a particular situation is perceived, interpreted, and judged. The utility of an epistemic frame is context dependent, and the…

This dissertation investigates the complexities associated with developing expertise in physics problem-solving and the methods for measuring and assessing the skills involved. Problem-solving skills are critical in today's rapidly changing world, and thus, it is important to emphasize them in education. However, lacking precise methods for…

Over the past few decades, physics education researchers (PER) developed a variety of assessments instrument for research and instructional purposes. Most of these instruments are designed to measure topical understanding. Generally, if student performance is satisfactory, it is assumed that the students possess the content understanding and that…

Physics education researchers have called for a shift from traditional laboratory (lab) instruction to labs that focus on the development of experimental skills. Although research has demonstrated the efficacy of such reformed labs, much work remains to determine what these labs can and should teach students and how best to achieve these goals.…

Understanding human behavior and reasoning is essential for developing successful instruction. Discipline-based education researchers have examined how students learn, informing the development of successful instructional strategies. Researchers have also identified barriers to the successful implementation of such strategies. This work utilizes…

Optimization is a component critical to method development. Mathematical modeling of physical phenomena enables an efficient search for the parameters and conditions that optimize methods and systems. Here, optimization of methods in sonoelectrochemistry, electrochemical separations, electrochemical education, and assessment of diabetic status are…

Challenges to integrating technology into educational institutions pose a significant issue that impacts students' performance and accomplishments. The research problem addressed through this study was that secondary school physics teachers were challenged to integrate information and communication technology (ICT) in a southwestern state of…

Many efforts to reform science educational standards and structure have placed an emphasis on directing learners to communicate about concepts using external representations (ERs). Techniques to develop competencies with ERs often ask learners to develop understanding outside of a physical context while concurrently making connections back to the…