Practical work in optics is essential to understand complex abstract phenomena. Consequently, hands-on experiments are part of most physics' curricula, despite the fact that they can be hard to set up and maintain. In this article, we present a virtual laboratory tool, called SHIRE, which allows students to carry out optical experiments from a…

Previous research has found gender inequitable equipment usage across various lab course contexts. Few studies, however, have tested possible remediation strategies. In this work, we use hierarchical linear modeling to compare men and women's lab equipment usage in two group work structures across three course contexts. In one in-person course,…

The increasing availability of digital tools in science classrooms can provide students with more frequent and easier access to large amounts of data. Large data sets have considerable epistemological potential, as they enable, for instance, the observation of otherwise unobservable phenomena, but it must be assumed that handling them places…

Intrinsic motivation plays a unique mediating role in student academic performance. An inquiry-based learning (IBL) physics practical is studied in terms of effects on secondary school students' intrinsic motivation towards performing science practicals. After performing IBL experiments on ionizing radiation, 38 secondary school physics students…

Empowering students with a robust Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, while equipping their teachers with comprehensive training, fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which are important aspects of innovation, social progress, and advancement. The main objective of this study is to investigate how a…

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Instructional labs: Improving traditions and new directions.] This review article provides an overview of research on the topic of gender equity in educational physics labs. As many institutions and instructors seek to evolve or transform physics lab learning, it is important that changes are made…

Previous research has identified an unfilled gap between, on the one hand, mathematical prerequisites needed for a formal treatment of least squares and, on the other hand, only teaching procedural aspects of curve fitting. As a response to this, the present study explores students' suggestions of how they think a computer or calculator does curve…

Acknowledgement of the limited learning outcomes in our first-year physics lab course, strikingly similar to the observed and reported issues in literature, incited renewal of the course with a focus on developing students' ability to engage in experimental physics research. The "procedural and conceptual knowledge (PACKS)…

Here, a relatively simple laboratory experiment of a physical pendulum, suitable for students of science and engineering in the first courses of university physics, is presented to illustrate its dynamic behavior and to determine its inertia moment. To this end, a long wooden rod of length L = 99.8 cm and cross-section radius R = 1.73 cm was used…

Investigating students' thinking in classroom tasks, particularly in science and engineering, is essential for improving educational practices and advancing student learning. In this context, the notion of "Ways of Thinking" (WoT) has gained traction in STEM education, offering a framework to explore how students approach and solve…

This paper explores the development and evaluation of a MOOCs-based virtual physics measurement laboratory module designed to overcome common barriers in physics education, such as limited physical lab access, high costs, and safety concerns. Utilizing the Borg and Gall Research and Development model, this module integrates structured layouts,…

The area near the electrode surface is called the diffusion layer, and to understand electrochemistry, it is crucial that students have a knowledge of the phenomena occurring at the diffusion layer. Here, we present a demonstration and activity to visualize and analyze the expansion of a micrometer-sized diffusion layer. The electrode process…

A single-slit diffraction experiment in an introductory physics laboratory is generally comprised of a rectangular slit and a laser source. The laser beam is sent to the slit producing the well-known diffraction pattern on the screen. This paper proposes a simple modification of the single-slit diffraction experiment to increase student attention…

Generative AI tools, including the popular ChatGPT, have had a significant impact on discourses about future work and educational practices. Previous research in science education has highlighted the potential of generative AI in various education-related areas, including generating valuable discussion material, solving physics problems, and…

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Instructional labs: Improving traditions and new directions.] In recent years, physics instructional labs have been under considerable research and development. However, there seems to be no shared understanding of how the assessment of instructional labs should be arranged to best serve students'…