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Toward a Concept Inventory for Energy Band Theory: Insights from Textbooks and Graduate Exam Syllabi
written by Guofu Ma and Lin Ding
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.
Physics Education Research Conference 2025
Part of the PER Conference series
Washington, DC: August 6-7, 2025
Pages 240-245
Subjects Levels Resource Types
Education - Basic Research
- Assessment
= Conceptual Assessment
= Instruments
Electricity & Magnetism
- Semiconductors and Tubes
= Semiconductors
Modern Physics
- Condensed Matter
- Graduate/Professional
- Upper Undergraduate
- Reference Material
= Research study
PER-Central Type Intended Users Ratings
- PER Literature
- Researchers
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Format:
application/pdf
Mirror:
https://doi.org/10.1119/perc.2025…
Access Rights:
Free access
License:
This material is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the published article's author(s), title, proceedings citation, and DOI.
Rights Holder:
American Association of Physics Teachers
DOI:
10.1119/perc.2025.pr.Ma
Keyword:
PERC 2025
Record Creator:
Metadata instance created October 20, 2025 by Lyle Barbato
Record Updated:
October 27, 2025 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update
when Cataloged:
October 28, 2025
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Record Link
AIP Format
G. Ma and L. Ding, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2025, Washington, DC, 2025, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=17147&DocID=6075).
AJP/PRST-PER
G. Ma and L. Ding, Toward a Concept Inventory for Energy Band Theory: Insights from Textbooks and Graduate Exam Syllabi, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2025, Washington, DC, 2025, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=17147&DocID=6075>.
APA Format
Ma, G., & Ding, L. (2025, August 6-7). Toward a Concept Inventory for Energy Band Theory: Insights from Textbooks and Graduate Exam Syllabi. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2025, Washington, DC. Retrieved December 12, 2025, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=17147&DocID=6075
Chicago Format
Ma, Guofu, and Lin Ding. "Toward a Concept Inventory for Energy Band Theory: Insights from Textbooks and Graduate Exam Syllabi." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2025, Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=17147&DocID=6075 (accessed 12 December 2025).
MLA Format
Ma, Guofu, and Lin Ding. "Toward a Concept Inventory for Energy Band Theory: Insights from Textbooks and Graduate Exam Syllabi." Physics Education Research Conference 2025. Washington, DC: 2025. 240-245 of PER Conference. 12 Dec. 2025 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=17147&DocID=6075>.
BibTeX Export Format
@inproceedings{ Author = "Guofu Ma and Lin Ding", Title = {Toward a Concept Inventory for Energy Band Theory: Insights from Textbooks and Graduate Exam Syllabi}, BookTitle = {Physics Education Research Conference 2025}, Pages = {240-245}, Address = {Washington, DC}, Series = {PER Conference}, Month = {August 6-7}, Year = {2025} }
Refer Export Format

%A Guofu Ma %A Lin Ding %T Toward a Concept Inventory for Energy Band Theory: Insights from Textbooks and Graduate Exam Syllabi %S PER Conference %D August 6-7 2025 %P 240-245 %C Washington, DC %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=17147&DocID=6075 %O Physics Education Research Conference 2025 %O August 6-7 %O application/pdf

EndNote Export Format

%0 Conference Proceedings %A Ma, Guofu %A Ding, Lin %D August 6-7 2025 %T Toward a Concept Inventory for Energy Band Theory: Insights from Textbooks and Graduate Exam Syllabi %B Physics Education Research Conference 2025 %C Washington, DC %P 240-245 %S PER Conference %8 August 6-7 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=17147&DocID=6075


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Toward a Concept Inventory for Energy Band Theory: Insights from Textbooks and Graduate Exam Syllabi:


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