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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By Topic:
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:
Selection, Generalization, and Theories of Cause in Physics Education Research: Connecting Paradigms and Practices
by A. D. Robertson, S. B. McKagan, and R. E. Scherr.
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
SEI: Upper-division Electrostatics (E&M I) Course Materials
This web site contains the research-based curricular materials on junior-level Electricity and Magnetism developed by the University of Colorado Science Education Initiative group. This course is the first semester of a two-semester course covering electro- and magneto-statics and closely follows the standard text by David Griffiths, "Introduction to Electrodynamics." The materials provided include concept tests, homework questions, tutorials, lecture notes, instructor guides, and the results of studies of student difficulties with the class.
Find more PER-based Curricular Materials: Course Packages | Student Activities | Pedagogy Guides
Research Instruments
PhysPort: Research-Based Assessments
PhysPort's collection of research-validated physics and astronomy learning assessments and science appreciation surveys are available for many topics and levels of student, from high school through upper division. Information is provided on the goal and structure of each assessment, research results, and best practices for using the assessments. The assessment database also includes the Data Explorer service that analyzes assessments results and compares to national outcomes. Access to the assessments is restricted to verified physics and astronomy educators and researchers.
PER Events 
Physics Education Research Conference 2026
PERC 2026 will be held July 22-23, 2026 in Pasadena, CA. The theme will be "Potentials and Perils from AI in Physics Teaching and Learning."
Foundations and Frontiers of Physics Education Research: Puget Sound 2026
The sixth FFPER: Puget Sound conference will be held August 20-23, 2026 at the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center. FFPERPS is a regional conference open to physics educators in the Cascadia region and beyond.
