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Selection, Generalization, and Theories of Cause in Physics Education Research: Connecting Paradigms and Practices
written by
Amy D. Robertson, Sarah B. McKagan, and Rachel E. Scherr
published by the American Association of Physics Teachers edited by Charles R. Henderson, Kathleen A. Harper, and Amy D. Robertson
In this paper, we use connections between (a) interviews with physics education researchers and (b) methodological literature in education research more broadly to answer questions about research practices in physics education research (PER). In particular, we define two paradigms in PER – case-oriented PER and recurrence-oriented PER – in terms of assumptions about the social world and about what counts as rigorous or trustworthy when it comes to research accounts. Case-oriented PER is predicated on the assumptions that (1) social actions are guided by the meanings that people are making of their local environments and that (2) reality is subjectively constructed. Recurrence-oriented research, on the other hand, is predicated on the assumptions that (1) human behavior is guided by predictable relationships between variables and that (2) real phenomena are reproducible. We will draw connections between (i) these two different sets of assumptions and (ii) differences in selection practices, generalization practices, and causal-claims-making in our field.
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Record Link
<a href="https://www.per-central.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=14727">Robertson, A, S. McKagan, and R. Scherr. "Selection, Generalization, and Theories of Cause in Physics Education Research: Connecting Paradigms and Practices." In Getting Started in PER. 4 ed. Edited by Charles Henderson, Kathleen Harper, and Amy Robertson. College Park: American Association of Physics Teachers, 2018.</a>
AIP Format
A. Robertson, S. McKagan, and R. Scherr, , in Getting Started in PER, edited by C. Henderson, K. Harper, and A. Robertson, (American Association of Physics Teachers, College Park, 2018), Vol. 2, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=14727&DocID=4888).
AJP/PRST-PER
A. Robertson, S. McKagan, and R. Scherr, Selection, Generalization, and Theories of Cause in Physics Education Research: Connecting Paradigms and Practices, in Getting Started in PER, edited by C. Henderson, K. Harper, and A. Robertson, (American Association of Physics Teachers, College Park, 2018), Vol. 2, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=14727&DocID=4888>.
APA Format
Robertson, A., McKagan, S., & Scherr, R. (2018). Selection, Generalization, and Theories of Cause in Physics Education Research: Connecting Paradigms and Practices. In Henderson, C., Harper, K., & Robertson, A. (Eds.), Getting Started in PER (4, 2). College Park: American Association of Physics Teachers. Retrieved July 18, 2025, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=14727&DocID=4888
Chicago Format
Robertson, A, S. McKagan, and R. Scherr. "Selection, Generalization, and Theories of Cause in Physics Education Research: Connecting Paradigms and Practices." In Getting Started in PER. 4 ed. Edited by Charles Henderson, Kathleen Harper, and Amy Robertson. College Park: American Association of Physics Teachers, 2018. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=14727&DocID=4888 (accessed 18 July 2025).
MLA Format
Robertson, Amy, Sarah B. McKagan, and Rachel Scherr. "Selection, Generalization, and Theories of Cause in Physics Education Research: Connecting Paradigms and Practices." Getting Started in PER. Eds. Henderson, Charles, Kathleen Harper, and Amy Robertson. 4 ed. Vol. 2. College Park: American Association of Physics Teachers, 2018. 21 July 2018. 18 July 2025 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=14727&DocID=4888>.
BibTeX Export Format
@incollection{
Author = "Amy Robertson and Sarah B. McKagan and Rachel Scherr",
Editor = "Charles Henderson and Kathleen Harper and Amy Robertson",
Title = {Selection, Generalization, and Theories of Cause in Physics Education Research: Connecting Paradigms and Practices},
BookTitle = {Getting Started in PER},
Publisher = {American Association of Physics Teachers},
Address = {College Park},
Volume = {2},
Edition = {4},
Month = {July},
Year = {2018}
}
Refer Export Format
%A Amy Robertson %A Sarah B. McKagan %A Rachel Scherr %T Selection, Generalization, and Theories of Cause in Physics Education Research: Connecting Paradigms and Practices %B Getting Started in PER %S Reviews in PER %E Charles Henderson %E Kathleen Harper %E Amy Robertson, (eds) %V 2 %N 5 %D July 21, 2018 %I American Association of Physics Teachers %C College Park %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=14727&DocID=4888 %O 4 %O application/pdf
EndNote Export Format
%0 Book Section %A Robertson, Amy %A McKagan, Sarah B. %A Scherr, Rachel %D July 21, 2018 %T Selection, Generalization, and Theories of Cause in Physics Education Research: Connecting Paradigms and Practices %E Henderson, Charles %E Harper, Kathleen %E Robertson, Amy %B Getting Started in PER %C College Park %I American Association of Physics Teachers %V 2 %N 5 %7 4 %8 July 21, 2018 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=14727&DocID=4888 Disclaimer: ComPADRE offers citation styles as a guide only. We cannot offer interpretations about citations as this is an automated procedure. Please refer to the style manuals in the Citation Source Information area for clarifications.
Citation Source Information
The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual. The AJP/PRST-PER presented is based on the AIP Style with the addition of journal article titles and conference proceeding article titles. The APA Style presented is based on information from APA Style.org: Electronic References. The Chicago Style presented is based on information from Examples of Chicago-Style Documentation. The MLA Style presented is based on information from the MLA FAQ. Selection, Generalization, and Theories of Cause in Physics Education Research: Connecting Paradigms and Practices:
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Getting Started in PER
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