A variety of coordinated efforts across Europe are advancing quantum education and workforce development. One such effort is the EU’s Quantum Flagship initiative, under which the European Competence Framework for Quantum Technologies (CFQT) was developed to serve as a reference for defining and comparing quantum-related education and qualifications. Several projects in Europe and beyond have used the CFQT to support curriculum development, qualification profiling, and job market analysis. This talk will introduce key educational initiatives and outline the development of the CFQT through iterative research and stakeholder consultation, as well as provide examples of its application.

F. Greinert and R. Müller, Quantum technology education: projects, research, and a reference framework for Europe and beyond, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.plenary.Greinert.

Recent federal initiatives have focused on workforce development in the rapidly advancing field of quantum information science and technology (QIST), which begins with precollege education to engage and inspire students. This paper will examine the integrated nature of QIST education (physics, computer science, engineering, mathematics) and its relationship with psychosocial domains including student interest, self-efficacy, normative comparison, recognition, belonging, and self-concept. The intervention that informed this work is a summer program for precollege students at a research university and an informal science institution, developed and taught by a quantum theorist, a quantum experimentalist, and a physics education researcher. This work suggests that QIST education may be uniquely accessible for all precollege students, leading to increased QIST self-concept and career aspiration formation. Implications for broader QIST participation and related attitudinal domains are discussed.

A. M. Kelly, Psychosocial factors in precollege learning of quantum information science and technology, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.plenary.Kelly.

Physics identity is developed over time as a result of students’ experiences in and beyond physics. Prior studies demonstrate that physics identity predicts choice of major, success, persistence, and sense of belonging in physics. In this study, we highlight the cases of two undergraduate women in physics from a larger project focused on the formation of physics identity. We examine the role external STEM and physics recognition plays from early experiences through their current undergraduate studies. This study calls attention to the importance of context, and the gendered role that family, community, and society play in accumulation of STEM capital, and physics identity formation.

L. M. Akesson, J. L. Rosenberg, B. W. Dreyfus, and N. M. Holincheck, Physics identity: examining the role of recognition for undergraduate women in physics, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Akesson.

Students in introductory physics courses often rely on ineffective strategies, focusing on final answers rather than understanding underlying principles. Integrating scientific argumentation into problem-solving fosters critical thinking and links conceptual knowledge with practical application. By facilitating learners to articulate their scientific arguments for solving problems, and by providing real-time feedback on students’ strategies, we aim to enable students to develop superior problem-solving skills. Providing timely, individualized feedback to students in large-enrollment physics courses remains a challenge. Recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) offer promising solutions. This study investigates the potential of AI-generated feedback on students’ written scientific arguments in an introductory physics class. Using Open AI's GPT-4o, we provided delayed feedback on student written scientific arguments and surveyed them about the perceived usefulness and accuracy of this feedback. Our findings offer insights into the viability of implementing real-time AI feedback to enhance students’ problem-solving and metacognitive skills in large-enrollment classrooms.

W. Allen, A. Shanker, and N. S. Rebello, Students' Perceptions to a Large Language Model's Generated Feedback and Scores of Argumentation Essays, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Allen.

Symbolic representation is a cornerstone of mathematics and science. While much research has explored student understanding of various mathematical symbols, there is very little known about the way students conceptualize the use of Greek letters in scientific notation. In this work, we share excerpts from interviews with upper-division physics students, which illuminate their experience with Greek symbol use. The students reported frequently mistaking pairs of similar-looking Greek and Latin letters. They also felt that their texts and instructors had not sufficiently introduced novel Greek letters or explained what they represented in the equations. The students also disliked how often a single Greek letter would be used in multiple contexts – or that different texts and instructors would not follow the same convention for which letter to use in a single context. These observations suggest that educators should devote additional time to introducing and discussing Greek letters in scientific contexts.

J. Arnell, R. Munir, H. Swanson, and J. Edwards, "Psi equals craziness": Upper-division physics students’ conceptions of Greek letters, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Arnell.

Many students are affected by inequities in physics education, partly due to instructional norms that prioritize abstract, decontextualized knowledge over students’ lived experiences. While equity-intended reforms have called for more inclusive practices, there is limited research about how physics teachers’ conceptions of their students shape their approach to equitable instruction. This study investigated how twenty-five secondary and postsecondary physics teachers conceptualize their students’ abilities, needs, and how these perceptions influence their pedagogical choices. Drawing on the Physics Teacher Identity Framework [5], we focus on the “conceptions of others” dimension to examine how teachers position students within the classroom. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and thematically analyzed to identify patterns in how teachers interpret students’ engagement, motivations, and challenges. Findings reveal that teachers frequently acknowledge the impact of structural barriers, struggles with executive functioning, and emotional factors on student learning. Teachers with more nuanced, student-centered conceptions emphasized differentiated support, relevance to students’ goals, and hands-on, phenomenon-based instruction. These views contrast with deficit-oriented perspectives that reduce student difficulties to a lack of effort or ability. Our analysis suggests that physics teachers’ conceptions of students are critical to their approach towards enacting equitable practices. Teachers who hold asset-aligned perspectives and view students as capable and complex learners are more likely to adopt inclusive strategies that center emotional support, scaffolding, and culturally relevant pedagogy. This study highlights the significance of addressing teacher beliefs in professional learning and physics education reform initiatives. Implications for developing equity-focused instructional approaches and teacher preparation programs are discussed.

S. H. Azam, C. Mathis, and M. N. Brown, Teaching Toward Equity: The Role of Student Conceptions in Physics Instruction, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Azam.

In this work we present an example of participatory research methodologies: a co-design session. The session was an early stage of the development of a broader study of graduate student mental health, and it provided critical insights that helped shape the study design. This paper first motivates studying graduate student mental health and then describes our co-design process in detail. We discuss the particular activities performed and the motivations for each activity, foregrounding our design choices and how these choices attended to participant psychological safety. We finally describe participants' evaluation of the session as well as themes from the session that shaped the subsequent study design. This work highlights the value of meaningfully including members of a study population in the design and interpretation of physics education research studies.

P. R. Banner, K. O’Brien, and C. Turpen, Co-Designing for Graduate Student Mental Health: An Example of Participatory Research Methods in PER, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Banner.

Across the United States, Introductory Physics Labs are typically broken into multiple sections taught by (often graduate) Teaching Assistants (TAs). At CU Denver, the reformed Introductory Physics Lab TAs are mostly undergraduate physics majors. As part of a larger project studying the transformation and efficacy of these labs, we seek to understand how our TAs prepare, and specifically their comfort with the material. We have designed weekly surveys for our TAs and implemented them over multiple semesters. These surveys probe changes to TA comfort throughout the week: specifically before the preparatory meetings, after the meetings but before teaching, and after teaching. We present a preliminary analysis of these data over one academic year. Results indicate that self-reported TA comfort with the material was high before the weekly meeting and increased or stayed constant afterwards. Changes in comfort following teaching are also discussed, with more mixed results.

M. L. Barru and J. D. Gifford, Measuring and analyzing teaching assistant comfort with content in a reformed introductory physics laboratory course, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Barru.

The degree to which curricula can be understood depends on how they are defined and presented. If features of the content itself are not well-defined, or if the content is presented in a vague or misleading manner, then this places limitations on conceptual understanding. Such curricula lack a degree of formalization. Formalization is the process of translating an unclear or incomplete idea into a precise, well-defined concept or mathematical structure. This has applications in physics and physics education. Quantum mechanics is notoriously difficult to understand, especially with its departure from classical intuition, but we argue that a lack of formalization in quantum models and curricula is a major source of that confusion. Formalization in this context is compared with other conceptual difficulties such as quantum indeterminacy and philosophical interpretations of quantum mechanics. Recommendations are offered for physics educators and future research.

J. Bass and S. D. Willoughby, Clarifying Quantum Mechanics: The Importance of Formalization in Education, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Bass.

Physics students often experience a disconnect between their social identities and their learning of physics. To explore this, we analyzed 669 written survey responses from students in calculus-based introductory physics courses, where they were asked how their personal experiences and perspectives shaped their understanding of physics. Using the Critical Physics Identity framework, we categorized the types of experiences students identified as influential. While most students acknowledged that their perspectives affected their learning, they primarily referenced aspects related to Personal Characteristics within the Ideational Resource construct. Only a small portion mentioned perspectives linked to their social identities as in the Positioning in Physics and Perception of Physicists codes, despite having previously provided demographic information. We argue that this pattern reflects a dominant physics learning culture that presents the discipline as neutral and objective, often ignoring the role of broader social structures—particularly in the experiences of marginalized students.

C. Bentley, T. Huynh, and RoxRox, Introductory physics students connecting their physics experiences and personal perspectives, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Bentley.

Student misconceptions in introductory physics topics are widespread. This study investigates a project in which students are required to research how other students deal with misconceptions that arise when engaging with these topics. Six topic areas, well-known by physics education researchers for the difficulties students encounter when they engage with these areas, are presented as research topics. Students select for their research one of the topics that they personally identify with, either through their own struggles, or from observing others, or both. Students conduct research and present their findings to the class citing two additional and relevant peer-reviewed sources. They complete pre- and post-project surveys, a written reflection on their own experience, and answer interview questions similar to those presented in the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS). Preliminary results suggest that this project encourages deeper engagement and helps students correct misconceptions, improving their understanding of key physics concepts.

D. Benton, A. Stone, and S. Loebman, A student-centered research project on correcting misconceptions in introductory physics: A metacognitive intervention supporting conceptual change, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Benton.

"Two-stage" exam formats, in which students take an exam and then repeat portions in a small-group setting, have been studied for years as a method to bring interactivity and peer-instruction into the classroom. Despite evidence of educational benefits, they have not yet seen widespread adoption at the scale of other active-learning interventions, perhaps in part because the mechanisms behind the potential benefits have been less thoroughly explored. We propose a theory of successful group exams in which students advocate for their chosen answers and deliberate thoughtfully among the options presented, without resorting to strategies like majority voting or deference to a single seemingly-strong student. By categorizing decision patterns across a sample of 59 group exam questions we provide statistical evidence that group exams can indeed support these kinds of pedagogically valuable interactions, and we examine the ways that different exam questions can influence productive or counterproductive interaction types.

W. D. Block and C. G. West, Theories and patterns of productive group interaction in two-stage introductory physics exams, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Block.

Our research focuses on student engagement with science practices across introductory chemistry, biology, and physics laboratory courses as defined in the Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). In this study, we use the Three-Dimensional Learning Assessment Protocol (3D-LAP) to look for evidence of potential to elicit science practices in introductory calculus-based physics laboratory materials. We found the science practices of Developing and Using Models, Analyzing and Interpreting Data, Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking, Constructing Explanations, and Engaging in Argument from Evidence to be consistently embedded into the physics laboratory curriculum. Meanwhile, there were few opportunities for students to engage in practices such as Asking Questions, Planning Investigations, Evaluating Information, Communicating Information, and Designing Problems and Solutions. We discuss the implications of these findings for the development of future physics lab curricula and instructor pedagogy, and by extension, student learning.

K. Bolland, N. Stephenson, C. L. Dahlberg, K. Hunter, L. Spring, J. Weaver, E. Worline, E. Duffy, and T. Huynh, Science practices in calculus-based introductory physics laboratory courses, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Bolland.

Qualitative analysis is typically limited to small datasets because it is time-intensive. Moreover, a second human rater is required to ensure reliable findings. Artificial intelligence tools may replace human raters if we demonstrate high reliability compared to human ratings. We investigated the inter-rater reliability of state-of-the-art Large Language Models (LLMs), ChatGPT-4o and ChatGPT-4.5-preview, in rating audio transcripts coded manually. We explored prompts and hyperparameters to optimize model performance. The participants were 14 undergraduate student groups from a university in the midwestern U.S. who discussed problem-solving strategies for a project. We prompted an LLM to replicate manual coding, and calculated Cohen’s Kappa for inter-rater reliability. After optimizing model hyperparameters and prompts, the results showed substantial agreement (k>0.6) for three themes and moderate agreement on one. Our findings demonstrate the potential of GPT-4o and GPT-4.5 for efficient, scalable qualitative analysis in physics education and identify their limitations in rating domain-general constructs.

N. S. Borse, R. Chatta Subramaniam, and N. S. Rebello, Investigation of the Inter-Rater Reliability between Large Language Models and Human Raters in Qualitative Analysis, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Borse.

Reasoning models are the new generation of Large Language Models (LLMs) capable of complex problem solving. Their reliability in solving introductory physics problems was tested by evaluating a sample of n=5 solutions generated by one such model---OpenAI's o3-mini---per each problem from 20 chapters of a standard undergraduate textbook. In total, N=408 problems were given to the model and N X n = 2,040 generated solutions examined. The model successfully solved 94% of the problems posed, excelling at the beginning topics in mechanics but struggling with the later ones such as waves and thermodynamics.

A. Bralin and N. S. Rebello, AI Reasoning Models for Problem Solving in Physics, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Bralin.

Substantial research indicates that active learning methods improve student learning more than traditional lecturing. Accordingly, current studies aim to characterize and evaluate different instructors' implementations of active learning methods. Peer Instruction is one of the most commonly used active learning methods in undergraduate physics instruction and typically involves the use of classroom response systems (e.g., clickers) where instructors pose conceptual questions that students answer individually and/or in collaboration with nearby peers. Several research studies have identified that different instructors vary in the ways they implement Peer Instruction (e.g., the time they give students to answer a question and the time they spend explaining the correct answer); however, these studies only take place at a single institution and do not relate the implementation of Peer Instruction to student learning. In this study, we analyze variation in both the implementation and impacts of Peer Instruction. We use classroom video observations and conceptual inventory data from seven introductory physics instructors across six U.S. institutions. We characterize implementation using the Framework for Interactive Learning in Lectures (FILL+), which classifies classroom activities as interactive (e.g., clicker questions), vicarious interactive (e.g., individual students asking a question), or non-interactive (e.g., instructor lecturing). Our preliminary results suggest that instructors who use both interactive and vicarious interactive strategies may exhibit larger student learning gains than instructors who predominantly use only one of the two strategies.

I. Bukola, M. Sundstrom, J. Gambrell, O. Ross, A. L. Traxler, and E. Brewe, Multi-institutional assessment of Peer Instruction implementation and impacts using the Framework for Interactive Learning in Lectures, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Bukola.

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into education research, it is critical to assess the capabilities and limitations of such tools in complex disciplinary contexts. This study explores the effectiveness of natural language processing (NLP) for topic identification using the BERTopic package to analyze undergraduate quantum mechanics syllabi. By comparing AI-generated topics with human-coded themes from a corpus of syllabi from 50 US institutions, we find that while NLP reliably identifies broad and structural elements of syllabi (e.g., policies, textbook references), it is limited in its ability to capture the nuanced and context-dependent content typical of upper-level physics instruction. The AI-derived topics were often underrepresented and diverged from expert human interpretation, particularly in areas requiring deep disciplinary knowledge. Our findings support the use of NLP as a complementary tool for theme generation and cross-validation, but emphasize the continued necessity of expert human analysis for rigorous and meaningful educational research.

A. Buzzell, R. S. Barthelemy, and T. J. Atherton, Assessing a combined human coding and natural language processing method for qualitative analysis in physics education research, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Buzzell.

Research suggests that self-efficacy is a productive lens that can provide potential for better understanding the complicated experience [1] of transferring from two-year colleges (associate-granting institutions) to bachelor’s degree granting institutions. We have begun the development of a survey to measure community college student’s STEM Transfer Self-Efficacy (S-TSE). In this poster we discuss the critical step of developing a new survey; generating items from multiple sources. Our first step of developing items for the S-TSE survey was to adapt existing items from the Laanan-Transfer Students’ Questionnaire developed by Lanaan [2] and refined by Moser [3, 4]. We then generated additional items through reflecting on the first author’s personal transfer experience. We will present a system of lenses used to generate quantitative survey items from previously published qualitative research papers [1, 5]. We will also present analysis of the items generated and discuss the merits of this methodology for generating items.

J. Byrd, V. Sawtelle, and R. Henderson, Developing a STEM Transfer-Self Efficacy Survey: Methods of item generation and validation, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Byrd.

Graduate physics education faces structural barriers limiting student access and participation. The Inclusive Graduate Programs (IGP) project supports physics departments in transforming their cultures to better serve diverse students. Our research developed departmental profile templates to gather information from program leaders, focusing on three core categories: admissions, post-entry support, and department-wide equity efforts. Admissions practices include deprioritizing GRE scores, holistic reviews, anti-bias training, fee waivers, and targeted recruitment. Post-entry support involves restructuring qualifying exams, fostering community, improving faculty-student communication, and mentoring. Equity efforts include events, inclusive gatherings, and partnerships with minority-serving institutions. Content analysis of nine programs showed only two demonstrate holistic efforts across all categories. Most invested unevenly, with post-entry support notably underdeveloped. While efforts aligned with identified needs, significant gaps remain. These findings emphasize the need for integrated, sustained equity initiatives in graduate physics education and offer a foundation for further research on institutional change in STEM fields.

A. Claar, A. Kunz, D. Sachmpazidi, M. Verostek, D. Codding, S. Woods, B. Goldberg, and G. L. Cochran, Mapping structural equity with departmental profiles in physics graduate education, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Claar.

STEM graduate programs continue to have low retention rates, with first-year experiences being critical in student persistence. This study examines the experiences of the inaugural cohort of a physics Ph.D. program at a private R2 university. A focus group interview with four of the seven students in the cohort was conducted using a semi-structured interview protocol, and the transcript was analyzed with deductive thematic analysis methods. Students found value in program aspects including their relationships with research mentors, a supportive and collaborative atmosphere, and graduate course credit transfer. Desired program changes included more structured social integration, clearer department communication, and improving required courses. These findings will be incorporated into a larger study on the climate and culture of the physics department, and will be presented to faculty leaders to help establish the regular use of student data to inform gradual program improvement early in the existence of the program.

K. Coldren and D. Sachmpazidi, Identifying strengths and areas for improvement in a new physics Ph.D. program, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Coldren.

Transfer students navigating the path from an associate's degree granting institution to a bachelor's degree granting institution have unique and complex trajectories. In this paper we introduce a qualitative artifact, called the 'transfer grid', to allow researchers to better understand and explore these transfer student narratives. This tool makes visible a more complete narrative of the transfer student experience. Through mapping important moments before and during this transition, we provide researchers a method to: (1) support relationship building between the interviewer and participant; (2) discover what the participant sees as important to their transfer trajectory; and (3) generate a rich narrative with which to ground findings in context itself.

F. T. Dachille, V. Phun, and V. Sawtelle, The 'transfer grid': A qualitative interview tool to more fully understand the transfer student trajectory, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Dachille.

The transition from sophomore-level classes to junior-level classes is often a significant one; the level of mathematics, abstraction, and difficulty is higher than what was encountered previously. This study examines students' perspectives of quantum mechanics and intermediate classical mechanics across two dimensions: disciplinary identity (math vs. physics course) and epistemic focus (mathematical vs. conceptual). Using a semantic differential scale methodology in semi-structured interviews with six students, we collected both quantitative (percentage estimations from the scale placements) and qualitative (student justifications of their placements) data. Here, we present our results for both types of data, which show that the 'abstractness' of quantum mechanics and 'tangibleness' of classical mechanics determine how students perceive their disciplinary identity. For the epistemic scale, instructional choices seem to be most impactful in influencing student perspectives. Mathematical preparation also appears to influence how students perceive classical and quantum mechanics on these scales.

L. Doughty, J. Tran, and J. K. Freericks, Comparing student perspectives of intermediate classical mechanics and quantum mechanics courses, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Doughty.

As more physics educators are developing courses and programs to prepare students for careers in quantum information science, understanding the quantum industry’s future workforce needs has become increasingly important. As part of ongoing efforts to understand the knowledge and skills needed for various job roles, we interviewed quantum industry professionals in managerial positions about workforce needs. Through thematic analysis, we identify two broad themes about projected needs. First, managers anticipate a need for a range of educational levels from bachelors to PhDs in physics, engineering, and computer science to fill the needs of roles spanning manufacturing to innovation. Second, managers anticipate an increased need for individuals who can apply quantum information science knowledge across fields. These results provide insights for physics educators about course and program development: continued investment in quantum information science education at all levels is valuable, and greater emphasis should be placed on applications of quantum science.

S. El-Adawy, A. R. Piña, B. M. Zwickl, and H. J. Lewandowski, Industry Perspectives on Projected Quantum Workforce Needs, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.El-Adawy.

The Dual-Process Theory of Reasoning (DPToR) is one of the theoretical frameworks used to examine students' reasoning in physics. So far, this framework has mainly been employed to analyze student reasoning in introductory calculus-based physics courses. In this study, we apply the framework and its corresponding methodology to explore student reasoning in algebra-based courses primarily taken by students majoring in life sciences. Additionally, we redesigned a set of traditional physics tasks to incorporate more familiar and relevant contexts for life science majors. Both the original and modified versions require the application of the same physics knowledge and skills but differ in context. The aim was to investigate how, if at all, these contextual modifications affect reasoning. The results largely replicate those documented in calculus-based physics courses, showing no observable effects of contextual changes on reasoning patterns. This finding highlights the robustness of the reasoning mechanisms described by DPToR.

T. Garcia and M. Kryjevskaia, Determining how context matters in an algebra-based physics class, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Garcia.

Conceptual understanding in quantum physics acts as a bridge between the abstract mathematical framework and the physical reality it describes, fostering intuition, guiding research, and enabling communication. Although, accurately pinpointing or describing an individual's conceptual understanding is challenging, language, imagery, and gestures could offer a proxy, as is suggested by Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT). A core idea in CMT is that we understand abstract concepts by relating them to concrete physical experiences or familiar knowledge via metaphors, images, or actions. Adopting a CMT perspective, this poster explores how individuals, across varying levels of expertise, express a conceptual understanding of quantum physics. Through classroom observations, focus groups, and interviews with expert-physicists, physics teachers, and students, recurring metaphorical mappings within the field of quantum physics were identified. The findings revealed increasingly interconnected metaphorical structures with greater expertise: experts demonstrated richer, integrated networks of metaphors, while novices showed fragmented and less developed conceptualizations.

B. Gierus, Conceptual understanding of quantum physics across varying levels of expertise, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Gierus.

A growing body of research on laboratory classes has encouraged a shift away from traditional, cook-book, content-validation activities and towards more authentic, inquiry-based explorations. Over the last several years we have reformed our Introductory Experimental Physics course based on this call. Despite positive responses from students and the instructional team, a consistent issue was the authentic, individual assessment of experimental content knowledge and practical laboratory skills. This paper discusses the goals and structure of a new laboratory practicum assessment, and reports on student performance and reception of the assessment over two semesters of data collection. Results show that student performance is stable over two semesters, and that students broadly feel that the practicum is a fair and accurate assessment of their performance in lab. Differences between the two courses (Lab 1 and Lab 2) and between the two semesters of data collection are explored in detail.

J. D. Gifford, Student performance and perception on a lab practicum assessment in a reformed introductory physics lab, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Gifford.

Founded in 2014, the Access Network brings together nine student-centered, university-based programs that are pursuing systemic change towards a vision of a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible STEM community. Network and program leaders are primarily students (undergraduate and graduate) and early-career faculty, many of whom started out as student leaders in Access programs. Over the last nine years, Access has brought people together (virtually or in-person) for an annual event called the “Assembly.” The environment and structures at the Assembly enable the sharing of ideas, excite people to translate those ideas to their local programs, and create space for informed and deliberate adaptations. Drawing on post-Assembly survey data, we describe where ideas come from, and where attendees intend to apply them. We also see that participants from various institutional positionalities report learning new ideas at the Assembly and having confidence to adapt them to their local contexts.

B. Gutmann, C. Turpen, R. P. Dalka, M. Carlson, J. C. Corbo, G. Jones-Hall, M. M. Smith, and D. E. Shafer, The Access Assembly: sharing ideas and enabling informed adaptations, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Gutmann.

Pre-service teachers play a unique dual role as they straddle between the roles of students and future teachers. This dual role requires them to adopt both the learner's and the instructor's perspectives while engaging with pedagogical and content knowledge. The current study investigates how pre-service elementary teachers taking a physical science course prompt AI to generate representations that effectively communicate conceptual ideas to two distinct audiences. The context involves participants interacting with AI to generate appropriate representations that explain the concepts of wave velocity to their elementary students (while casting themselves as teachers) and the Ideal Gas Law to their English teachers (while casting themselves as students). Emergent coding of the AI prompts highlight that, when acting as teachers, participants were more explicit in specifying the target audience, predetermining the type of representation, and producing a broader variety of representations compared to when they acted as students. Implications of the observed `exploratory' and `prescriptive' prompting trends across the two roles on pre-service teachers' education and their professional development are discussed.

R. Hamed, A. Sirnoorkar, and N. S. Rebello, Dual-Role Dynamics in Prompting: Elementary Pre-service Teachers’ AI Prompting Strategies for Representational Choices, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Hamed.

Providing individualized scaffolding for physics problem solving at scale remains an instructional challenge. We investigate (1) students’ perceptions of a Socratic AI chatbot’s impact on problem-solving skills and confidence and (2) how the specificity of students’ questions during tutoring relates to performance. We deployed a custom Socratic AI chatbot in a large-enrollment introductory mechanics course at a Midwestern public university, logging full dialogue transcripts from 150 first-year STEM majors. Post-interaction surveys revealed median ratings of 4.2/5 for knowledge-based skills and 4.0/5 for overall effectiveness. Transcript analysis showed question specificity rose from approximately 10–15% in the first turn to 75 % by the final turn, and specificity correlated positively with self-reported expected course grade (Pearson r = 0.43). These findings demonstrate that AI-driven Socratic dialogue not only fosters expert-like reasoning but also generates fine-grained analytics for physics education research, establishing a scalable dual-purpose tool for instruction and learning analytics.

S. F. A. Hashmi and N. S. Rebello, Analyzing Undergraduate Problem-Solving in Physics Through Interaction With an AI Chatbot, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Hashmi.

We explore the use of tutorials to assist upper-division electricity & magnetism (E&M) students with problem solving. Specifically, we test two versions of tutorials; one that implements a problem-solving framework, and another with the framework removed. Data examined in this paper includes student exam problems, an end-of-semester survey, interviews, and problem-solving exercises administered using a think-aloud protocol. Preliminary results when considering exam scores alongside student comments offer some evidence that tutorials structured on a problem-solving framework may improve conceptual parts of problem solving for students. Student problem-solving processes are also examined, and we find that these upper-division students struggle with practices of checking their reasoning, an area for future attention.

J. Hecht, A. J. Mason, M. Rundquist, S. Read, D. Neilsen, and J. S. Colton, Problem-Solving Frameworks for Tutorials in Upper-Division Electricity and Magnetism, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Hecht.

This study investigates how undergraduate students conceptualize particle physics through a think-aloud concept mapping task. Participants, drawn from an online upper-division particle physics course offered across Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), constructed digital concept maps via an online diagram app using a curated set of terms related to different particles and fundamental interactions. Building on prior work using concept maps, we developed a concept map activity to investigate how students understand what particle physics is, through organizing their core ideas using the concept map. Responses ranged from process-oriented structures highlighting particle behaviors (e.g., annihilation, scattering) to more classification-driven maps reflecting textbook frameworks. While students often correctly linked bosons with fundamental forces, many showed difficulty articulating relationships between particle families, the roles of mediators, or distinctions among categories like quarks, leptons, and mesons. Several participants referenced external resources during the task, offering insight into areas of productive struggle and conceptual uncertainty. Our findings suggest that think-aloud concept mapping is a promising tool for surfacing students’ implicit reasoning and structural understanding of complex topics. We discuss implications for supporting advanced concept development in upper-division coursework and online learning environments.

N. Ho, Q. X. Ryan, and S. Abdolrahimi, Using Think-aloud Concept Map Activity to Probe Students' Understanding of Particle Physics in an Undergraduate Online Course, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Ho.

The University of Maryland’s Open Source Tutorial (OST) on Newton’s Third Law (N3) has demonstrated a significant impact on boosting student conceptual understanding of N3, even in comparison to other research-based curricular material. Although OSTs were originally designed as group-based guided worksheets, the first author has developed and implemented an online asynchronous alternative: the N3 Synthetic Groupwork-Based OST (SynG-OST). Here, we report data from a pilot study with the module that suggest it may be comparably effective to the in-person OST. Furthermore, we compare learning gains with those obtained with an interactive video-based lecture guiding students through the worksheet. Preliminary data indicate that student learning is greater with the N3 SynG-OST than with the lecture-based version. This strengthens the argument that synthetic groupwork-based materials may be a viable option to replace in-person groupwork for asynchronous learners. It can also be assigned—as we have done—as homework for in-person classes.

M. M. Hull and K. R. Pokharel, Conceptual Gains with the Synthetic Groupwork-based Newton’s Third Law Open Source Tutorial, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Hull.

LA personas characterize common assets that LAs bring to the practice of teaching – these include ideas about STEM teaching and learning as well as LAs’ goals for teaching. Personas are realistic, though fictionalized, characters that are based on potential or real users’ personal goals and experiences when interacting with a program or product. Our LA personas address the design questions: How can we recruit diverse students to become LAs? How can LA pedagogy courses support LAs to engage in student-centered teaching? We use interviews with STEM LAs at three universities in the Pacific Northwest to construct a set of four Learning Assistant personas – each with distinct goals, perspectives, and experiences with teaching, and challenges they might encounter – that collectively represent the participant LAs. This set of personas can guide pedagogy course instructors to consider LAs’ assets and experiences while designing courses that promote excellent, engaging, and equitable teaching.

T. Huynh, L. M. Goodhew, and K. E. Gray, Undergraduate STEM Learning Assistant Personas, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Huynh.

Computer simulations are used in introductory physics classes to help students understand abstract concepts through manipulating experimental variables. Learning in both the classroom and the lab requires a social construction of knowledge to develop both content and scientific skill mastery. One challenge, however, is the disconnect that has been seen between students' understanding of abstract concepts taught in the classroom with the real-world experiences in the lab. We report here on the usage of HTML5-based computer simulations in labs on geometric and physical optics in a large, algebra-based, studio physics course for life science students at a private, research-intensive institution. Our research on students' use of simulations in place of hands-on equipment demonstrate similar learning outcomes on quizzes and pre/post assessments as with traditional hands-on equipment alone. These results suggest a strategy for providing students multiple modes of dynamic visual representation through the use of simulations.

M. Jariwala, E. Allen, and A. Duffy, Student use of simulation-based optics lab experiments in introductory physics classes, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Jariwala.

Students often find it difficult to connect abstract ideas to complex problem solving. While much of the research on student difficulties in problem-solving focuses on mechanics, comparatively fewer studies have addressed challenges in electricity and magnetism, where boundary conditions near conductors are a topic that has received very little attention. This study explores student misconceptions related to electric fields in the context of conductive surfaces through a qualitative analysis of interview data. Six open ended interview questions were designed, focusing on key concepts such as electric field orientation on the surface of a conductor, surface charge distribution and importance of these kind of questions. Student responses were analyzed using NVivo, enabling the identification and categorization of common themes and misconceptions. Based on these findings, ten multiple choice questions were developed to serve as the basis for a future quantitative study.

S. Maheswara Kumar, G. Gallagher, and A. Gavrin, Investigating students' understanding of electric fields at boundaries, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Kumar.

Introductory physics labs not only develop students' conceptual learning, but they also enculturate students into STEM as a community-oriented profession based on cooperative work around shared resources. An introductory lab can be thought of as a Community of Practice, defined as a group of members pursuing a common set of goals by using conventional practices. Students can develop different perspectives of the community within an introductory lab, embedded in each student's mental model of the lab. We administered a survey in which students drew a picture of their mental model of Introductory Physics for Life Sciences. In analyzing the contents of these drawings, we need to establish whether students are drawing their internalized perspectives as intended, or are drawing photographic depictions of the literal lab environment. To address this concern, here we examine drawings from three groupmates with a shared lab experience. We arrange the contents of these drawings in a Venn diagram and look for similarities and differences in their literal, figurative, and abstract elements. We find that they hold only a few literal and figurative elements in common, with a broad diversity of unique literal, figurative, and abstract elements. This diversity gives us confidence that this survey collects information about students' perspectives as intended.

W. B. Lane, C. Dries, G. Khazal, and T. Snow, Using drawings to compare groupmates' experiences in an introductory physics lab, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Lane.

Many introductory physics lab courses intend to have students learn about concepts and practices of measurement uncertainty. However, studies have shown that learning goals around this topic are often not met. To improve students' proficiency with concepts and practices of measurement uncertainty, we developed a new, noise-enhanced PhET simulation, Projectile Data Lab, featuring statistical noise and measurement tools in the context of projectile motion. To validate the simulation design and provide insight into its effectiveness, we conducted 12 think-aloud interviews where students worked through an associated lab activity with the simulation. Through emergent coding of the interview transcript and screen recording, we found that students are successfully engaging with the ideas around measurement uncertainty associated with the simulation features. These findings suggest that the simulation and accompanying lab activity have the potential to enhance students' conceptual understanding of measurement uncertainty in an introductory physics lab setting.

Q. Liu, M. Blackman, K. K. Perkins, and H. J. Lewandowski, Student engagement with statistical noise features in PhET's Projectile Data Lab simulation, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Liu.

Energy band theory is a central topic in upper-division solid state physics and plays a foundational role in semiconductors and material science research. However, no validated concept inventory is currently available to measure students’ conceptual understandings of this topic. As an initial step toward assessment development, this study reports a content analysis of four widely used textbooks—two in English and two in Chinese—aimed at identifying core concepts in energy band theory across different sources. Results revealed five key concept categories, common across all texts, including foundational approximations, Bloch’s theorem, the nearly free electron model, the tight-binding model, and symmetry operators. We validated these concept categories by comparing them against graduate entrance exam syllabi from three major Chinese universities. The convergence between textbook content and national curricular expectations supports these five concept categories as the focus for assessment. This work lays the foundation for future development of a research-based concept inventory, capable of supporting instruction and learning in upper-level solid state physics.

G. Ma and L. Ding, Toward a Concept Inventory for Energy Band Theory: Insights from Textbooks and Graduate Exam Syllabi, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Ma.

Planetariums are inherently immersive and effective learning spaces for astronomy concepts, but they lack interaction and become mere lecture environments. We explore how technology can support interaction and active learning with an initial prototype of the extrasolAR app designed through interviews with exoplanet educators. The educators shared four common learning goals: 1) detection methods, 2) properties and biases of each detection method, 3) what these properties imply about life in the universe, and 4) the plurality of exoplanets. Through the extrasolAR app, students explore the dome using their tablet and tapping on stars. The students are tasked with finding exoplanets and filling an Exoplanet Catalog with their calculations of various properties of the exoplanet. They look for bigger patterns in the Exoplanet Table, where the lab class' discoveries are shared. Our extrasolAR app incorporates the educators' four learning goals and design goals and explores how technology can create authentic, interactive experiences for students in the planetarium.

A. Mahajan, E. Y. Do, J. M. Keller, and M. D. Gross, Designing an augmented reality exoplanet lab app and activity to facilitate interaction and active learning in the planetarium, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Mahajan.

Students in physics courses are often asked to compute integrals that are both similar and different compared to the integrals from Calculus courses. We interviewed three students at a mid-sized midwestern university and asked them to work on integral problems from math and physics contexts and talk through their thinking. We identified five conceptual resources that students activated throughout and across the interviews. Here, we highlight an example of a student reasoning through a volume integral problem, and their thought process as they attempt to connect different conceptions of integration. We argue that this case study excerpt is representative of some of the hurdles that certain conceptions of integrals may lead to when solving different integral problems in physics, despite students' prior success in math courses.

I. Malik, S. Meyer, and W. M. Christensen, One student's resources throughout a triple integral question, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Malik.

Standardized Conceptual Learning Assessments (SCLAs) measure individuals’ conceptual understanding using distractor-driven multiple-choice items. Concentration analysis (CA), a quantitative technique that evaluates the concentrations of each item’s response distribution allowing researchers to determine how many models are triggered by each item, and can be utilized to help establish the validity of distractor driven items. As part of the development of the Fluids Conceptual Evaluation (FCE), a distractor-driven two-tier multiple-choice evaluation instrument, the authors evaluated the concentration factors of a set of responses from the FCE’s preliminary pilot test results. Results of this analysis show how many different mental models are triggered by each item’s first tier. This paper demonstrates how the use of CA verifies recommended models, and suggests a similar model structure for concentration deviation. Recommendations for future use of concentration analysis will be made accordingly. Supported by NSF Award # 2021059 (AAPT), 2021261 (UNE) and 2021273 (UNH).

A. J. Mason, L. G. E. McDermott, M. Gilhooly, J. Vesenka, D. C. Meredith, D. J. Wagner, D. E. Young, and R. S. Lindell, Virtual Tools for Developing SCLAs: An Example of Concentration Analysis, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Mason.

Physics education often omits students whose cultural experiences are not reflected in traditional instruction and assessment practices. Limited research has explored how students use their cultural resources to make sense of physics concepts. This pilot study examines how students in a general physics 2 class respond to qualitative, open-ended formative assessments designed to elicit culturally grounded explanations related to capacitance, electric field, and power. We examined (1) what cultural resources students draw upon and (2) how these resources support their epistemologies and physics sensemaking. Findings revealed students frequently drew on everyday analogies, personal narratives, and cultural tools to explain phenomena. Their reasoning reflected diverse epistemologies, including experiential, relational, and narrative modes. This study demonstrates the potential of developing formative assessments to reveal the full range of students’ intellectual resources. Implications include new directions for enhancing assessment approaches in physics education that center on broadening learners' and value students’ cultural knowledge.

C. Mathis, H. Assi, I. Neuhart, J. Kelly, and S. H. Azam, Cultural resources in physics sensemaking: what students reveal through formative assessment, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Mathis.

Instructors use multiple representations such as equations, definitions, and graphs to convey the principles of physics. However, relatively little work has focused on how students use multiple representations without prompts. We investigate the quantity and types of representations students recall in an introductory undergraduate physics course to understand how students build their physics knowledge. Students completed a five-minute free recall activity, where they wrote down as much information as they remembered from the previous lecture. Analyzing 1011 recalled physics ideas, we found the average number recalled was 3.72. Raters coded for the presence of words, math, and diagrams for each recalled idea. Results showed 74% of the ideas included words, 42% included math, and 14% included diagrams. Students used more than one representation 30% of the time. These results indicate that soon after learning a topic, students are most comfortable with verbally describing the concept.

A. C. Mederer, C. T. Nguyen, S. T. Shaw, and B. Pollard, How students represent physics knowledge through recall, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Mederer.

Laboratory courses are essential in undergraduate physics education. The American Association of Physics Teachers recommends labs focus on developing students' experimental and professional skills, scientific reasoning, confidence, as well as other goals. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) offer a promising approach to achieve these goals--providing authentic research opportunities to entire student cohorts while lowering barriers to research participation. However, few physics CUREs are documented in the literature. Broadly, our work aims to determine effective practices for developing and implementing physics CUREs. When developing a CURE, instructors should consider how to align course learning goals, such as engaging students in authentic research, with both the structural elements of a CURE and students' perceptions of those goals. Here, we examine how students engage with one aspect of authentic research, the idea of successful science, through an end-of-semester reflection assignment. We present the results of our analysis and compare how students in a CURE and those in a traditional lab course define successful science.

R. L. Merritt, M. Kretchmer, and H. J. Lewandowski, Student perspectives on "Successful Science'' in a physics CURE and traditional lab course, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Merritt.

Understanding how Physics Education Research (PER) has changed and matured can help researchers and materially improve physics teaching and learning. The advent of large language models (LLMs) and embedding-based NLP techniques opens new avenues for this work by enabling the analysis of large corpora with minimal manual coding. This preliminary study builds off the work of [T. O. B. Odden et al., Physical Review Physics Education Research 20, 020151 (2024)]. We explore the use of text embeddings and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)-like methods without generative AI to analyze themes across a random sample of 94 articles from major PER journals. Specifically, we examine how two methodological choices affect topic modeling performance: (1) representing articles using a single embedding versus multiple sentence-level embeddings, and (2) deriving topic centroids from representative texts versus researcher-defined queries. All results are evaluated against a human-coded dataset focused on four overarching thematic categories: teacher-centered, student-centered, physics content, and journal business. Our findings inform best practices for researchers seeking scalable, interpretable, and low-barrier approaches to literature analysis in PER.

M. Mingyar, T. O. B. Odden, and S. D. Willoughby, Exploring Query-Driven Centroiding and Embedding Strategies for Automated Thematic Analysis in Physics Education, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Mingyar.

Introductory algebra-based physics courses can present unique motivational challenges for pre-health students, who often perceive physics as irrelevant or intimidating. According to Expectancy-Value Theory, students’ performance and persistence are shaped not only by their expectations for success, but also by the perceived value and cost of engagement. This study quantitatively examines the role of perceived cost—such as effort, emotional toll, and opportunity cost—among students enrolled in an active learning, algebra-based physics course designed for life science majors. Our findings reveal that higher perceived costs are negatively correlated with physics identity and intentions to continue in the course sequence, particularly among students who have a low physics identity. Regression analysis of perceived cost before the course results in only emotional cost having a negative effect on students' physics identity. This negative correlation persisted in post course experience, and the added cost of outside effort was statistically significant in negatively affecting physics identity. These findings suggest the persisting emotional anxiety towards physics impedes students from believing they can do well in physics even before they enter the course.

S. Miranda, T. Gonzalez, and I. Rodriguez, Perceived Cost and Physics Identity in Algebra-Based Physics for Pre-Health Majors, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Miranda.

With the rise of large language models such as ChatGPT, interest has grown in understanding how these tools influence learning in STEM education, including physics. This study explores how students use ChatGPT during a physics problem-solving task embedded in a formal assessment. We analyzed patterns of AI usage and their relationship to student performance. Findings indicate that students who engaged with ChatGPT generally performed better than those who did not. Particularly, students who provided more complete and contextual prompts experienced greater benefits. Further, students who demonstrated overall positive gains collectively asked more conceptual questions than those who exhibited overall negative gains. However, the presence of incorrect AI-generated responses also underscores the importance of critically evaluating AI output. These results suggest that while AI can be a valuable aid in problem solving, its effectiveness depends significantly on how students use it, reinforcing the need to incorporate structured AI-literacy into STEM education.

Q. Mirza and N. S. Rebello, Help or Hype? Students' Engagement and Perception of Using AI to Solve Physics Problems, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Mirza.

Demographic data collection is essential in education research, as demographic data allows researchers to better describe the participant population they study and to contextualize findings. However, current research practices for neurodiversity demographics often rely on prescriptive methods (e.g., requiring participants to report official diagnoses) rather than allowing participants to self-identify. This approach can: a) not allow participants to express their intersecting identities in ways that are authentic; and b) limit trustworthiness and reliability of the data and interpretation. In addition, inconsistent dissemination and representation of demographic data across studies hinder the accessibility and usability of this work. Through a literature review of neurodivergent student experiences with learning and performing STEM, we identified widespread discrepancies in how demographic information is collected and reported. This paper explores how neurodivergent identities can be more accurately and inclusively represented in education research. We present findings of a thematic analysis on the ways neurodivergent demographic data collection is done in the literature using data from a systematic literature review on neurodivergent science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning and performance. We call on the PER community to contribute to the development of a framework that centers participant autonomy while supporting clarity, consistency, and future research use.

M. D. Moenter, G. R. Keefe, L. G. E. McDermott, and E. M. Scanlon, Power, Prescription, and Postpositivism: Considerations for collecting and representing neurodiversity demographic information in physics education research, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Moenter.

Exponential functions are foundational to modeling dynamic phenomena in physics, yet students often struggle to integrate their mathematical form with corresponding physical interpretations. This study reports on upper-division physics students’ reasoning about exponential decay in the context of projectile motion with drag. Using the Knowledge in Pieces framework, we analyze how students activate and coordinate mathematical and conceptual resources during problem-solving. Case studies reveal that while participants demonstrated procedural fluency with exponential expressions, they did not construe these forms as meaningful representations of physical systems. In contrast, polynomial forms elicited stronger conceptual associations, suggesting that curricular familiarity plays a role in resource coordination. These findings underscore a persistent disconnect between symbolic manipulation and physical interpretation in students’ reasoning. We argue for instructional designs that explicitly foster connections between mathematical structure (e.g., e^-kt) and mechanistic models (e.g., velocity-dependent drag), thereby supporting more integrated and expert-like engagement with exponential functions in physics contexts.

R. Munir, J. Arnell, H. Swanson, and J. Edwards, "Its just a math equation": Examining resource coordination in physics students’ reasoning about exponential functions and drag, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Munir.

Computational physics is a key part of what it means to do physics in the twenty-first century. However, upper division computational physics remains a largely understudied area. We set out to understand the experiences of students in an upper division computational physics lab course. To that end we conducted semi-structured interviews with five students at the end of their second of three terms in the course sequence. We then analyzed these interviews utilizing the emerging framework of Physics Computational Literacy. We found that the way students express how they learn computational physics implies they are making tradeoffs between their development of the different aspects of computational literacy. Additionally, we found that how students approach developing social computational literacy varies across individuals, and is driven by unspoken assumptions.

L. Nearhood and P. C. Hamerski, Student experiences in a computational physics lab through the lens of physics computational literacy, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Nearhood.

Physics education in Nigeria is often critiqued for being overly theoretical and disconnected from students' cultural contexts and everyday lives. While students struggle to relate physics concepts to their lived experiences, teachers themselves are frequently blamed for lacking innovative or student-centered approaches. However, this perspective often overlooks the colonial legacies and systemic barriers that shape how teachers were trained and the resources available to them. This study uses interviews with two in-service physics teachers in Nigeria to examine how they navigate these constraints and strive to reframe physics teaching in ways that resonate with their students. Drawing on framing theory, culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP), and the concept of coloniality, the findings reveal that while the curriculum and professional development continue to privilege Western epistemologies and canonical physics knowledge, teachers are finding creative and culturally rooted ways to make physics more relevant and meaningful. Teachers like Obi and Esther leverage students' local knowledge, whether it be farming practices, musical traditions, or community challenges to build bridges between textbook content and real-world applications. Yet, this culturally relevant work remains largely informal and teacher-driven, occurring in the margins of a system still structured by colonial assumptions about what counts as valid scientific knowledge. This study argues for a reimagining of physics education in Nigeria that moves beyond deficit views of teachers, instead foregrounding the agency and resourcefulness of teachers as they negotiate and reframe physics in their classrooms.

L. Nonyelum, C. Mathis, O. Akcil-Okan, and M. J. Smith, Framing Towards Culturally Relevant Practice in Nigeria High School Physics Education, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Nonyelum.

Grading practices are known to influence student behavior and learning, particularly in introductory physics courses. To study these influences, we must gain an understanding of how students think about grades with respect to the poles of effort and mastery that shape some popular alternative grading strategies. We administered a survey about grading to N = 88 introductory physics students, with a combination of free-response and numerical questions. The free-response questions generated feedback about students' experiences with stress related to grades and their perspectives on how grades represent effort and mastery. The numerical question asked about their preferences for how grades in a physics course weight their understanding of course material and their effort toward completing coursework. The numerical responses reveal that just over half our introductory students weighted effort more heavily than understanding. Filtering these numerical responses by students' discussion of stress, effort, and mastery reveals insights into their thinking about how grading is structured.

T. O’Brien, W. B. Lane, J. C. Speirs, and N. Laird, Student preferences for grade weighting in introductory physics, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.OBrien.

Recent studies on growth mindset have noted their significant benefit to students, in both supporting higher academic achievement and being correlated with greater levels of persistence in STEM disciplines. In spring 2023, the first national survey of the impact of student facilitation of informal physics outreach programs on student development was distributed to Society of Physics Students chapters. This survey, which received 704 responses, noted an important connection between self-reported measures of students’ growth mindset and their engagement in informal physics outreach programs. This work explored the relationship between having a growth mindset and engaging in outreach—specifically, whether a growth mindset encourages students to participate in outreach or if outreach itself fosters a growth mindset. To investigate this, we examined student responses to three open-ended questions, looking for indicators of mindset and directionality. Across 239 student responses, we identified 26 instances of mindset, with 24 reflecting a growth mindset. Notably, 17 of these indicated that outreach had contributed to its development. Through thematic analysis, we identified five significant themes: more to learn, confidence in ability/knowledge, students’ realization of understanding, development of understanding, and recognition of difficulty. Four of these themes emerged from responses demonstrating a growth mindset, while the last was observed in fixed mindset responses. These findings, drawn on self-reported data, strongly suggest that participation in informal physics outreach programs can provide students with meaningful opportunities to develop a growth mindset, which may significantly benefit their academic performance and motivation to complete their degrees.

I. Oaks, J. Hirons, T. L. Erukhimova, J. D. Perry, T. Sauncy, S. White, and R. L. Ivie, Chicken and the egg: does outreach lead to a growth mindset or vice versa?, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Oaks.

As new quantum technologies are being developed in a rapidly evolving quantum industry, the need for employees with bachelor's degrees continues to increase. At a large R1 institution, an upper-division physics capstone course was developed to help meet this need by preparing students to work in the quantum industry through participating in an authentic industry project with a partner company. This capstone course began in the 2022--2023 academic year, and we investigated the experiences of the first cohort of students throughout their time in the course. One to one and a half years after graduation, we follow up with these students to explore how the course has influenced their career trajectories and shaped their engagement with current and future work. We find that, while finding a job of interest was challenging for the students, they continue to perceive the course as a positive influence on their career prospects and current jobs.

K. A. Oliver, V. Borish, B. R. Wilcox, and H. J. Lewandowski, Influence of an undergraduate quantum capstone course on students' post-graduation careers, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Oliver.

Alternative grading systems are becoming more prevalent in general academia, to more accurately, effectively, and equitably represent student learning. These systems include labor-based, specifications, mastery, and ungrading. Other disciplines acknowledge variability in individual student preparation, time commitment, effort, and learning and have used these alternative systems to provide a link between individualized learning and the cemented letter grading system through which students are currently evaluated. Nevertheless, these alternative grading systems have yet to find widespread audience in the physics community, even though the inherent student variability is similarly prominent. These grading systems aim to enhance individualized learning by encouraging remediation of mistakes and reducing grade anxiety. A blend of these grading systems was implemented in multiple introductory physics courses. Concept inventory gains historically highlighted the positive impact of pedagogical alterations; those comparative gains are not present here. Regardless, an argument is made in support of grading system transformation due to instructor involvement, student perceptions, and end-of-term evaluations.

R. L. Pearson III and C. Martin, Exploratory analysis on the impact of alternative grading in introductory physics courses, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Pearson_III.

Quantum Information Science and Engineering (QISE) education and workforce development are top priorities at the national level in the US. This has included a push for academia to support the development of programs that will prepare students to enter the QISE workforce. As the field of QISE has grown rapidly in academia and industry, there is a need to better understand what quantum knowledge is needed for students to be ready for the workforce. We present preliminary findings on the level of quantum expertise and the specific quantum knowledge utilized across different roles, and in the execution of specific tasks in the QISE industry. Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with industry professionals elucidates these aspects of the vital work functions related to the ongoing development of quantum technologies in industry. This work will provide insights into QISE curriculum development and changes needed to better support students transitioning into this growing industry.

A. R. Piña, S. El-Adawy, H. J. Lewandowski, and B. M. Zwickl, Industry Insights into Quantum Knowledge Needed for the Quantum Information Science and Engineering Workforce, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Pina.

Capturing expert knowledge is a common approach in domains that are not yet well mapped out or lack an established body of canonical knowledge. As the need to develop the quantum information science and engineering (QISE) workforce grows, we need to equip students with necessary quantum technology competencies and skills. Quantum sensing receives far less focus in existing curricula compared to quantum computing and communication. There are no standard textbooks, structured curriculum, or established conceptual frameworks for understanding quantum sensing. To address this gap, curriculum developers can draw on the knowledge of experts actively working in the field. This paper presents a methodology for eliciting expert knowledge through semi-structured interviews with a concept mapping activity. We detail the process from participant recruitment to the analysis of the resulting concept maps. Through this approach, we were able to identify detailed mental models of experts on specific quantum sensing protocols. The insights gained from this work will directly inform the development of quantum sensing curriculum and this methodology will be useful for educators and curriculum designers.

N. Pradeep and B. M. Zwickl, Capturing expert mental models of quantum sensing using concept maps, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Pradeep.

Effective collaboration is an essential skill for scientists, particularly in rapidly evolving, interdisciplinary fields such as quantum engineering. The Quantum Engineering Centre for Doctoral Training at the University of Bristol prepares PhD students to join this dynamic workforce through a combination of theoretical courses and team-based laboratory courses in their first year. In this study, we examine student views on teamwork within one of these lab courses, using a framework based on the Adaptive Instrument for Regulation of Emotions survey. We found that a lack of designated leadership roles and clear team structure led to specific challenges that students had to overcome. Furthermore, developing leadership skills was a primary teamwork goal for students, but they were often concerned that there would not be enough opportunities to attain this goal. This work can provide guidance to programs and instructors in developing more effective teamwork structures in laboratory courses.

A. Price, K. A. Oliver, V. Borish, C. A. Weidner, B. R. Wilcox, and H. J. Lewandowski, Graduate student views of leadership and team structure in a self-guided instructional laboratory setting, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Price.

Physics instructors and education researchers use research-based assessments (RBAs) to evaluate students’ preparation for physics courses. This preparation and learning can cover a range of topics, including algebra, pre-calculus and calculus. To meet the need for high quality, adaptable assessments, we are developing a cognitive diagnostic for calculus as an online test using evidence centered design. Using cognitive diagnostic models and computerized adaptive testing allows the users to customize which skills are assessed and when they are assessed. In this article, we investigate the extent to which our model of the students calculus skills fit the data from three mathematics RBAs. Our model included five calculus skills students often use in physics courses: pre-calculus knowledge, limits, derivatives, applications of derivatives, and integration. The data came from the LASSO platform and includes 4,132 responses from the Calculus Concept Assessment, Calculus Concept Inventory, and Pre-calculus Concept Assessment. The “Deterministic Input, Noisy ’And’ gate” (DINA) analyses demonstrated a good fit for the five skills to the data. These results provide validity for our model of mathematics skills students develop. Including items from these RBAs will provide a foundation for developing a flexible assessment of a range of mathematics skills that can adapt to instructors’ and researchers’ needs.

K. Roberge, V. Le, B. Van Dusen, and J. M. Nissen, Calculus Cognitive Diagnostic: Mathematics skills tested in first semester calculus courses, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Roberge.

Project STEMinAR is an augmented reality (AR) interactive simulation for use in the Physics classroom. The simulations topics include force and motion, Newton’s cannon, optics, lenses, thermodynamics, rotational motion, and electromagnetic induction. These simulations provide opportunities for the user to dynamically manipulate multiple variables to and see the impact in real time. We conducted focus group interviews of students who recently completed an introductory algebra-based Physics I course; the simulations were not part of their course. During the interviews, students were engaged in a lesson driven by one of the AR simulations. We then engaged them in a reflection of the experience. They discussed topics such as usability and perceived helpfulness had the simulations been part of the course instruction. Feedback overall was very positive, and students indicated that the additional representations provided in the simulations help them to “see” the concepts they were learning about in class.

D. Rosengrant, K. K. R. Hensberry, K. Navas, R. M. Cacace, N. Sharfun, and G. Matthews, Students’ attitudes on Project STEMinAR: Augmented reality in Physics, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Rosengrant.

As part of an NSF-funded initiative to broaden career pathways for physics majors at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), we developed and implemented an online particle physics course through the CSU Fully Online system. The course integrates active learning strategies, including pre-recorded lectures, weekly assessments, structured office hours, and research term papers. Select students engage in follow-up summer research at national and international labs such as CERN. This paper presents preliminary findings from the first implementation, focusing on changes in students’ self-efficacy, physics identity, and interest, and their relationship to pre/post-assessment performance. Survey results showed stable interest, modest gains in identity, and a significant correlation between post-course identity and post-assessment scores. These results suggest online physics courses can support both affective development and learning.

Q. X. Ryan, J. Ordona, L. Deng, N. Ho, and S. Abdolrahimi, Evaluating Students' Attitudes and Learning in an Undergraduate Particle Physics Online Course, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Ryan.

Efforts to promote inclusive and sustainable cultural change in physics departments require reliable tools to measure progress. This paper describes the co-design and development of two survey instruments to assess departmental culture regarding inclusion and systemic change. Using human-centered design principles, we brought together stakeholders from physics and astronomy education in a series of facilitated co-design sessions. These collaborative discussions informed the survey constructs, representation of results, and alignment with users' values and goals. We detail our facilitation strategies and co-design activities, showing how this approach built consensus around key constructs for measuring cultural change. We also reflect on lessons learned and provide recommendations for others interested in using collaborative design to create tools that support and measure change. This work contributes to the growing practice of involving participants directly in the development of survey instruments. By centering users' experiences, we aim to support more effective and inclusive approaches to evaluating and advancing departmental change.

D. Sachmpazidi and C. Turpen, Measuring what matters: A human-centered design approach to survey development around departmental culture in physics, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Sachmpazidi.

This study investigates how graduate students’ sense of belonging (SB) influences their intent to persist (IP) in physics and astronomy programs, and how this relationship is shaped by the basic psychological needs that drive motivation—autonomy, competence, and relatedness—as well as gender. Grounded in self-determination theory, the analysis treats these three needs as mediators and gender as a moderator. A quantitative survey was administered to graduate students in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at a large public land-grant R1 Midwestern university in the USA. Using probit regressions, we found that SB significantly predicts IP. Autonomy may play a compensatory role when SB is high, competence amplifies the effect of SB on IP, and relatedness buffers against low SB. Gender moderates the relationship: women report lower IP at low levels of SB but exceed men when SB is strong. These findings underscore the importance of fostering a sense of belonging, academic confidence, and social connection—particularly for women in male-dominated STEM fields.

S. Sarkar and N. S. Rebello, Sense of Belonging and Intent to Persist: Mediating Role of Motivation and Moderating Role of Gender in Physics and Astronomy Graduate Students, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Sarkar.

Analyzing students’ written solutions to physics questions is a major area in PER. However, gauging student understanding in college courses is bottlenecked by large class sizes, which limits assessments to a multiple-choice (MC) format for ease of grading. Although sufficient in quantifying scientifically correct conceptions, MC assessments do not uncover students’ deeper ways of understanding physics. Large language models (LLMs) offer a promising approach for assessing students’ written responses at scale. Our study used an LLM, validated by human graders, to classify students’ written explanations to three questions on the Energy and Momentum Conceptual Survey as correct or incorrect, and organized students’ incorrect explanations into emergent categories. We found that the LLM (GPT-4o) can fairly assess students’ explanations, comparable to human graders (0-3% discrepancy). Furthermore, the categories of incorrect explanations were different from corresponding MC distractors, allowing for different and deeper conceptions to become accessible to educators.

S. Savage and N. S. Rebello, Using an LLM to Investigate Students' Explanations on Conceptual Physics Questions, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Savage.

The abilities of Generative-Artificial Intelligence (AI) to produce real-time, sophisticated responses across diverse contexts has promised a huge potential in physics education, particularly in providing customized feedback. In this study, we investigate around 1200 introductory students' preferences about AI-feedback generated from three distinct prompt types: (a) self-crafted, (b) entailing foundational prompt-engineering techniques, and (c) entailing foundational prompt-engineering techniques along with principles of effective-feedback. The results highlight an overwhelming fraction of students preferring feedback generated using structured prompts, with those entailing combined features of prompt engineering and effective feedback to be favored most. However, the popular choice also elicited stronger preferences with students either liking or disliking the feedback. Students also ranked the feedback generated using their self-crafted prompts as the least preferred choice. Students' second preferences given their first choice and implications of the results such as the need to incorporate prompt engineering in introductory courses are discussed.

A. Sirnoorkar and N. S. Rebello, From Self-Crafted to Engineered Prompts: Student Evaluations of AI-Generated Feedback in Introductory Physics, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Sirnoorkar.

Understanding the ways that unconscious information processing occurs can help educators teach in more efficient ways. In any given science task, there are typically a myriad of relevant and irrelevant features that frame and direct reasoning pathways. To better train students to navigate task features productively, more needs to be understood about the ways that attention-attracting task features interact with reasoning processes. Eye-tracking methodologies allow physics education researchers to record where a student allocates their attention, including the initial focus of attention. In this paper, we discuss results from eye-tracking research into a mechanic graph task that has a strong intuitive reasoning pathway that leads to an incorrect conclusion. We analyze data from students in algebra-based physics courses. We find that analysis of the eye-tracking metrics of first look and dwell time are consistent with predictions made from dual-process theories of reasoning.

J. C. Speirs and B. Sandlin, Using Eye-tracking to Study Intuitive Reasoning on a Kinematics Graph Tasks, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Speirs.

An increasing number of studies in physics education research use social network analysis to quantify interactions among students. These studies typically gather data through online surveys using one of two different survey formats: recognition, where students select peers' names from a provided course roster, and recall, where students type their peers' names from memory as an open response. These survey formats, however, may be subject to two possible systematic errors. First, students may report more peers' names on a recognition survey than a recall survey because the course roster facilitates their memory of their interactions, whereas they may only remember a subset of their interactions on the recall format. Second, recognition surveys may be subject to name order effects, where students are more likely to select peers' names that appear early on in the roster than those that appear later on (e.g., due to survey fatigue). Here we report the results of two methodological studies of these possible errors in the context of introductory physics courses: one directly comparing 65 student responses to recognition and recall versions of the same network survey prompt, and the other measuring name order effects on 54 recognition surveys from 27 different courses. We find that students may report more peer interactions on a recognition survey than a recall survey and that most recognition surveys are not subject to significant name order effects. These results help to inform survey design for future network studies in physics education research.

M. Sundstrom, J. Gambrell, A. L. Traxler, and E. Brewe, Evaluating recognition and recall formats of social network surveys in physics education research, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Sundstrom.

This paper introduces a novel methodology that was designed to enrich student perspective interview data by providing students with a more robust approach to supplying their justifications to interview questions. This methodology evokes student perspectives on a target object (e.g., their typing speed) by inviting participants to place the object along a physical dial representing a conceptual continuum (e.g., slow to fast) and justify their placement through open-ended discussion. The data presented to introduce the methodology was collected from upper-level undergraduate students in a quantum mechanics (QM) course. In this paper, we focus on two illustrative case studies, Oliver and Emma, to demonstrate the range of interpretive strategies used among students. The methodology supports multiple modes of reasoning: object-focused, scale-focused, qualitative, and quantitative. The physical dial acted as an anchor for students to provide structure to not only the interview protocol, but also how students deliver their responses to the interviewer. Through the use of a training period at the beginning of the interview, where students "learn how to play the game", students were able to give consistent responses to course perspectives interview questions. The pilot study presented here is part of a larger analysis of the methodology, but already suggests that integrating semantic differential scaling into interviews offers a promising framework for structured yet open-ended exploration of student thinking across complex scientific domains.

J. Tran, J. K. Freericks, and L. Doughty, A Novel Methodology to Elicit Student Perspectives In Semi-Structured Interviews, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Tran.

Founded in 2014, the Access Network brings together nine student-centered, university-based programs that pursue systemic change towards a vision of a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible STEM community. Leaders at the Network-level and program-level are either current students (undergraduate or graduate) or young faculty and professional scientists, many of whom started out as student leaders in Access programs. Over the last 9 years, Access has brought people together (virtually or in-person) for an annual event called the "Assembly." Student leaders who attend the Assembly appreciate community-building and networking opportunities that help them build capacity for leading local site programming. Many participants report that the Assembly is a special place with a different feel than many other professional spaces. In this paper, we share stories from past Assembly events to give you a feel for how this space operates differently. We also report on the results of a post-Assembly evaluation survey which illustrate that participants tend to feel included, make new friends, feel valued, and build confidence as leaders.

C. Turpen, B. Gutmann, R. P. Dalka, G. M. Quan, M. Carlson, J. C. Corbo, G. Jones-Hall, M. M. Smith, and D. E. Shafer, The Assembly: Learning together, building friendships, and strengthening our leadership capacities, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Turpen.

A major challenge for departmental change efforts is a lack of reliable tools to consistently and accurately monitor progress. Without such tools, identifying challenges in the change process and adjusting strategies accordingly is difficult. This paper presents results from a pilot administration of the Culture around Systemic Change Survey (CSCS), a tool developed to help physics departments assess and improve their local culture. The instrument captures faculty and staff perceptions of both their department's "current" and "ideal" states across five factors: open mindedness, student involvement, collective use of evidence, sustainability, and disrupting systemic injustices. Data from N=111 participants across 33 departments show significantly higher ratings for current departmental open mindedness and collective use of evidence compared to other factors. Across all factors, significant gaps exist between current and ideal states. These findings offer actionable insights for change leaders seeking to build more inclusive and sustainable cultures in their departments.

M. Verostek, D. Sachmpazidi, J. Petrella, and C. Turpen, Assessing the culture around systemic change in physics programs: A pilot study from 33 programs in the United States, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Verostek.

The Quantum Information Science and Technology (QIST) workforce is rapidly expanding as it helps develop transformative technologies used for computing, sensing, and communication. However, exposure to quantum concepts in high school and college is limited for students in many science and engineering degrees, which means many students may lack knowledge about QIST and what the subject entails. This project involved interviews with 22 undergraduate students from varying STEM disciplines. In our analysis, we separate students with high and low interest in QIST across the following factors: awareness and early learning experiences, course-based learning experiences, perceptions of math in quantum, perceptions of the scariness and mystery of quantum, perceptions of a disconnect between QIST and their primary discipline, and perceptions of quantum careers. We examine why quantum may be viewed as "scary" or "mysterious", and how quantum technology may come into contact with their discipline. Many interviewees expressed an interest in quantum, but were reluctant to pursue it as a subject due to a perceived disconnect with their own discipline. Overall, we hope that developing an understanding of students' views of QIST will support ongoing improvements in the development and implementation of introductory QIST courses, minors, and tracks.

E. Watts and B. M. Zwickl, Formation of students’ interests in quantum technology across STEM majors, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Watts.

Scholarship on Quantum Mechanics (QM) in physics education research (PER) tends to persist in examining learners' reasoning from a deficit perspective by emphasizing learners' incorrect approaches. Although there is a common understanding that QM is challenging, with students describing it as "wonky," "bizarre," or "weird," much of the deficit literature examines learners' difficulties by documenting incorrect strategies students take. Alternatively, some research literature and instruction seek to elevate students' approaches to QM. Drawing on resource theory and epistemological approaches, the current study aims to amplify students' voices, not through judgment or a deficit lens, but rather by foregrounding how they articulate QM and what strategies they find meaningful. Data comes from ethnographic-style solo or pair open-ended interviews with undergraduate quantum physics learners. Coding their verbal responses identified three approaches students take to navigating QM's wonky nature: reasoning across scale boundaries, relying on mathematics, and drawing on classical knowledge. Although prior deficit literature has identified two of the three approaches as barriers to quantum learning, we document cases where students view these approaches as their learning strategies. Furthermore, in the relevant literature, reasoning across scale boundaries has been overlooked as an approach to QM, thereby highlighting a new quantum learning opportunity. The results described throughout are situated in a broader literature emphasizing students' voices in PER, offering instructional implications, and prioritizing students' perspectives over researcher-imposed judgments.

M. L. Whiting, L. A. Barth-Cohen, A. L. Adams, D. Stroupe, and J. M. Gerton, Amplifying Physics Students' Voices: How Learners Approach Wonky and Unknowable Quantum Mechanics, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Whiting.

Within PER, case studies of successful physics learning are important for many reasons, including because they provide insight into curricular development. Additionally, from a theoretical perspective, examples of successful learning as demonstrated through microgenetic analyses of moment-by-moment shifting priorities of intuitions, can also contribute to the Knowledge in Pieces (KiP) framework by providing empirical evidence for the KiP learning mechanism. Here we present a moment-by-moment analysis of a case of successful learning in which we see how intuitions about translational symmetry, scaling symmetry, and how magnets work, i.e. they have opposite poles that attract or repel, are raised and lowered as students develop and run a model of permanent magnetism that is substantively similar to the canonical model.

T. G. Young and L. A. Barth-Cohen, A moment-by-moment analysis of a successful case of students generating and running a model of permanent magnetism, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Young.

This study investigates how strong an interest in theoretical and computational physics develops among undergraduate physics majors. While broad exposure to theoretical, computational, and experimental methods is essential for supporting students' career decision-making in physics, curricular and institutional barriers often limit these opportunities. Using Social Cognitive Career Theory, we examined how strong interest develops by analyzing interviews with 18 physics majors, focusing on 10 who showed the highest interest in theoretical or computational methods. Using causal maps, we identified key influences on interest developments, including self-directed learning, coursework, mentorship, and early research exposure. Outcome expectations, like enjoying math or seeking practical skills, also shaped interest. These findings can guide departments in refining curricula and advising to better support student exploration and interest formation across theoretical and computational physics.

D. Zohrabi Alaee, N. Noughani, K. S. Tonry, and B. M. Zwickl, Exploring High Interest in Theoretical and Computational Physics Among Undergraduates Through Social Cognitive Career Theory, 2025 PERC Proceedings [Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025], edited by A. Pawl, J. P. Zwolak, and A. E. Leak, doi:10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Zohrabi_Alaee.