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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- 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
This review article from Reviews in PER Volume 3 helps to describe resources for and applications of critical perspectives in PER:
Understanding Intersectionality as a Tenet of Critical Race Theory for Physics and Physics Education
by M. Boveda and G. L. Cochran.
Find more articles on equity and power in PER in Volume 3 of Reviews in PER. Also available in Spanish.
Community Resources
PER Programs
Browse the different PER groups and their descriptions on the PER Program Map.
For the Classroom
SEI: Upper-Division Electrodynamics (E&M 2) Course Materials
This web site contains a complete suite of resources suitable for the second semester of an upper-division undergraduate electricity and magnetism class. The materials include clicker questions, in-class activities, homework problems, and assessments.
Find more PER-based Curricular Materials: Course Packages | Student Activities | Pedagogy Guides
Research Instruments
Determining and Interpreting Resistive Electric Circuit Concepts Test
DIRECT, developed by Engelhardt and Beichner, is designed to evaluate students' reasoning regarding direct current resistive electric circuits. The test may be administered to students in algebra- or calculus-based introductory physics courses.
PER Events 
Physics Education Research Conference 2025
PERC 2025 will be held August 6-7, 2025 in Washington, DC. The theme will be "A PER lens on the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology."
