This research investigates the influence of computer simulations (virtual experiments) on one hand and real experiments on the other hand on the conceptual understanding of electrical charging. The investigated sample consists of students in the second year (10 th grade) of three gymnasiums in Macedonia. There were two experimental groups and one control group. In one of the experimental groups, called Sim group, the instruction was realized by means of computer simulations. In the other experimental group, called Real group, the instruction was realized by means of real experiments. The difference between pre-test results and post-test results revel that the approaches used in experimental groups give more quality knowledge and skills than the one in the control group. The results in the Real group and Sim group are very similar. There are slight differences caused by the different features of the two approaches. Some differences occur based on the feature difference between real experiments and computer simulations.

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This research is conducted among 65 seventh graders (12-14 years old) who attend introductory course on physics. Tests and interviews are used to trace the roots of the students' misconceptions about mass. Results from the research reveal serious weaknesses in students' understanding of concept of mass, and its confusion with concepts of density and weight. Pre-conceptions about dependence of volume and mass of physical body and concept of heavy materials have deep impact on students understanding of mass and its measurement. Also, poor understanding of inertia signals that it might be more natural way for students to present mass as property of matter that comprises the body. Sources of misconceptions are found in the prior students' experience in informal, as well as in formal education. Later include students' vocabulary development, physics curriculum structure, and physics textbook. Weaknesses are detected in the non-physics teachers' competences who teach physics concepts. All of the research findings are supported by similar findings in other researches, which confirm that detected misconceptions are generic. In order to minimize the existence of detected misconceptions, directions for revision of the curriculum and textbook are proposed. Also, directions for methodological approach are given.

Students’ graph understanding was chosen for the research because teachers, especially physics teachers, tend to use graphs as a second language, assuming that their students can extract most of the information from them. This research aims to determine the differences between Serbian and North Macedonian students’ graph understanding of kinematics and their perceived mental effort. Differences in physics curricula in the Republic of Serbia and Republic of North Macedonia are taken into account and compared as well as students’ achievement on the TUG-K knowledge test to find explanations of potential differences and guidelines for change in the approaches to physics teaching. The sample includes 630 first-grade grammar school students (313 students from Serbia and 317 from North Macedonia) from randomly selected classes. Mann–Whitney U-test determined possible differences in student achievement and perceived mental effort. The main results indicate a difference in students perceived mental effort. North Macedonian students perceived less mental effort than Serbian ones, which leads to higher instructional efficiency of teaching approaches applied in North Macedonia than in Serbia. Based on the results, the recommendation for improving the Serbian education system lies in reducing mental effort through efficient allocation of teaching hours.