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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

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

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.

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

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

Sonja Cwik and Chandralekha Singh

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.

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.

ARTICLES

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Sonja Cwik and Chandralekha Singh

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.

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.

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