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Investigating students' understanding of electric fields at boundaries
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.
Physics Education Research Conference 2025
Part of the PER Conference series Washington, DC: August 6-7, 2025 Pages 221-226
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Record Link
<a href="https://www.per-central.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=17144">Maheswara Kumar, S, G. Gallagher, and A. Gavrin. "Investigating students' understanding of electric fields at boundaries." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2025, Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025.</a>
AIP Format
S. Maheswara Kumar, G. Gallagher, and A. Gavrin, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2025, Washington, DC, 2025, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=17144&DocID=6072).
AJP/PRST-PER
S. Maheswara Kumar, G. Gallagher, and A. Gavrin, Investigating students' understanding of electric fields at boundaries, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2025, Washington, DC, 2025, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=17144&DocID=6072>.
APA Format
Maheswara Kumar, S., Gallagher, G., & Gavrin, A. (2025, August 6-7). Investigating students' understanding of electric fields at boundaries. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2025, Washington, DC. Retrieved February 11, 2026, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=17144&DocID=6072
Chicago Format
Maheswara Kumar, S, G. Gallagher, and A. Gavrin. "Investigating students' understanding of electric fields at boundaries." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2025, Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=17144&DocID=6072 (accessed 11 February 2026).
MLA Format
Maheswara Kumar, Smitha, Greg Gallagher, and Andrew Gavrin. "Investigating students' understanding of electric fields at boundaries." Physics Education Research Conference 2025. Washington, DC: 2025. 221-226 of PER Conference. 11 Feb. 2026 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=17144&DocID=6072>.
BibTeX Export Format
@inproceedings{
Author = "Smitha Maheswara Kumar and Greg Gallagher and Andrew Gavrin",
Title = {Investigating students' understanding of electric fields at boundaries},
BookTitle = {Physics Education Research Conference 2025},
Pages = {221-226},
Address = {Washington, DC},
Series = {PER Conference},
Month = {August 6-7},
Year = {2025}
}
Refer Export Format
%A Smitha Maheswara Kumar %A Greg Gallagher %A Andrew Gavrin %T Investigating students' understanding of electric fields at boundaries %S PER Conference %D August 6-7 2025 %P 221-226 %C Washington, DC %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=17144&DocID=6072 %O Physics Education Research Conference 2025 %O August 6-7 %O application/pdf
EndNote Export Format
%0 Conference Proceedings %A Maheswara Kumar, Smitha %A Gallagher, Greg %A Gavrin, Andrew %D August 6-7 2025 %T Investigating students' understanding of electric fields at boundaries %B Physics Education Research Conference 2025 %C Washington, DC %P 221-226 %S PER Conference %8 August 6-7 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=17144&DocID=6072 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. Investigating students' understanding of electric fields at boundaries:Know of another related resource? Login to relate this resource to it. |
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