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
Search the literature by:
Or find an article by topic:
- Basic Research
- Achievement
- Alternative Conceptions
- Assessment
- Behavior
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- Communication
- Learning Theory
- Problem Solving
- Research Design & Methodology
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- Societal Issues
- Student Characteristics
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- Applied Research
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- Informal Education
- Instructional Material Design
- Learning Environment
- Pedagogy
- Professional Development
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- Teacher Preparation
- Technology
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: Classical Mechanics/Math Methods I Course Materials
This website provides the materials to teach a transformed sophomore-level classical mechanics/math methods course. The provided course is the first semester of a two-semester sequence at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Find more PER-based Curricular Materials: Course Packages | Student Activities | Pedagogy Guides
Research Instruments
Colorado Upper Division Electrostatics (CUE) Asssessment
The Colorado Upper Division Electrostatics (CUE) Asssessment is designed to test student understanding of core learning goals in junior-level E&M. It consists of a 17-item open-ended test with optional 9-item pretest.
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."
