Student perceptions of math-physics interactions throughout spins-first quantum mechanics

Schermerhorn, Benjamin P.; Villasenor, Armando; Agunos, Darwin Del; Sadaghiani, Homeyra R.; Passante, Gina; Pollock, Steven J.

doi:10.1119/perc.2019.pr.schermerhorn

Cited by 2 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Not all interviewees felt this way, however (see also related research in [4]). One remarked in his first interview that, "I'm way more confident in my math abilities in this course than I was in like diff-EQ or calc 3," although he still considered problem-solving in the course to be "all math."…”

Section: Discussion and Interview Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Johansson discusses students' perceptions of their QM courses in light of cultural expectations, arguing that an expectancy mismatch can affect how students identify as physicists [3]. Schermerhorn et al investigated whether students considered the physics or math more challenging when studying spin systems or spatial wave functions [4]. Outside of the QM context, Gupta et al explored connections between students' emotions and conceptual reasoning [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characterizing and monitoring student discomfort in upper-division quantum mechanics

Corsiglia¹,

Garcia²,

Schermerhorn³

et al. 2020

2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings

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We investigate student comfort with the material in an upper-division spins-first quantum mechanics course. Prelecture surveys probing students' comfort were administered weekly, in which students assigned themselves a "discomfort level" on a scale of 0-10 and provided a written explanation for their choice. The weekly classwide average discomfort level was effectively constant over the semester, suggesting that the class found no single unit especially jarring nor especially easy. Student written responses were coded according to their reported source of discomfort-math, math-physics connection, physics, and notation. The relative prevalence of these categories varied significantly over the semester, indicating that students find that different units present different challenges, and also that some of these challenges fade in importance as the semester progresses. Semistructured interviews with students in a similar quantum mechanics course at a different institution provided additional context and insight into these results.

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Section: Discussion and Interview Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterizing and monitoring student discomfort in upper-division quantum mechanics

Corsiglia¹,

Garcia²,

Schermerhorn³

et al. 2020

2020 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…These topics were chosen to provide a basis for activities a high school physics teacher could use throughout the school year. The quantum-focused track used a spinsfirst curriculum [24][25][26] and Python arrays [27] to reduce the mathematical demands of learning quantum concepts such as probability, measurement, and expectation values. Teachers could choose to complete one or both tracks.…”

Section: Professional Development Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Creating a computational playground in high school physics

Lane¹,

Galanti²,

Pruett³

et al. 2022

2022 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings

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The competencies required of physics-oriented STEM professionals are rapidly evolving to include computational practices (the use of computers to study physical systems). Developing these practices in students requires sustained learning experiences, and high school students benefit from encountering this domain at an appropriate level. However, many high school physics teachers have had limited (if any) exposure to computation, let alone practice with integrating it at the high school level. Our interdisciplinary team of university STEM educators designed and facilitated two semesters of an online professional development sequence on computational integration for high school teachers. This sequence included asynchronous modules and monthly remote meetings centered around teachers reflecting on their experiences as learners and adaptations to these modules for delivery in their classrooms. At the end of spring 2022, we conducted semi-structured interviews to explore the teachers' experiences and plans for implementation. When analyzing the transcripts from the remote meetings and interviews, we attended to how the teachers operated within two frames. The learner frame focuses on what the teacher is learning about computation, what piques their own curiosity and interest, and what they feel they can accomplish. The mediator frame focuses on what they believe their students could reasonably accomplish with computation, what their students are curious about, and how they can use computation to develop their ideal classroom environment. Our analysis highlights these teachers' enthusiasm about how computation can contribute to the playful, creative environment that they value in their classrooms. They also perceived that curiosity was a necessity for productive computational integration and that computation could engage students' curiosity in new ways. We offer implications for future iterations of professional development to emphasize computation's potential to inspire curiosity in all students.

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Student perceptions of math-physics interactions throughout spins-first quantum mechanics

Cited by 2 publications

References 6 publications

Characterizing and monitoring student discomfort in upper-division quantum mechanics

Characterizing and monitoring student discomfort in upper-division quantum mechanics

Creating a computational playground in high school physics

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