Education research is our focus
Welcome to PER-Central, a resource collection for physics education researchers. Here you may find articles, theses and dissertations, research groups, curricular material, and news and events of interest to the PER Community. Learn more about PER-Central.
PER Literature
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Or find an article by topic:
- Basic Research
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Astronomy, Classical Mechanics, Electricity & Magnetism, Fluid Mechanics, General Physics, Mathematical Tools, Modern Physics, Optics, Oscillations & Waves, Other Sciences, Quantum Physics, Relativity, Thermo & Stat Mech
Reviews in PER
Volume 2 of Reviews in PER is dedicated to helping researchers get started in Physics Education Research.
In this review article, a member of the PER community presents an overview of an area of PER:
Identifying and Addressing Difficulties: Reflections on the empirical and theoretical basis of an influential approach to improving physics education
by P. R. L. Heron.
Find more articles introducing PER research methods in Volume 2 of Reviews in PER.
Community Resources
PER Programs
Browse the different PER groups and their descriptions on the PER Program Map.
For the Classroom
Intermediate Mechanics Tutorials
This web site provides small-group learning materials for teaching intermediate mechanics. The physics is Newtonian with very little Lagrangian formalism. Materials are a mix of conceptual, mathematical, and problem solving University of Washington-style tutorials, as well as related research results, examination questions, and suggested course outlines.
Find more PER-based Curricular Materials: Course Packages | Student Activities | Pedagogy Guides
Research Instruments
Attitudes and Approaches to Problem Solving Survey
The AAPS, developed by Mason and Singh, is designed to evaluate students' attitudes and approaches towards physics problem solving. The survey is based on investigations of responses from introductory physics students, graduate students, and faculty members. It expands upon the Attitudes towards Problem Solving survey (Marx and Cummings, 2007) to consider approaches to problem solving and different levels of problem solving expertise.
