Reviews in PER Volume 2: Getting Started in Physics Education Research
Charles Henderson and Kathleen A. Harper, editors
Physics Education Research (PER) is a rapidly growing research field within physics departments. There is currently no place for a newcomer to turn for a quality overview of the types of research questions asked by the PER community, the types of research methods used to answer these questions, and the norms for reporting on this research.
For this volume, members of the PER community were invited to present an accessible overview of an area of PER in which they have expertise. We see the primary audience for this volume as people who are interested in beginning to do work in PER. This includes physics faculty and teachers who are not trained in PER as well as graduate students in PER. Of course, we also expect this volume to be a useful reference for current PER practitioners, as no one is an expert in every aspect of this broad field.
These invited articles have been carefully peer reviewed. If you would like to submit a comment on one of these articles, please email Charles Henderson or Kathleen A. Harper. It will be peer reviewed and, if accepted, will be published as an addendum to the articles in each issue.
Issue 5 - Research Traditions within PER
Charles Henderson, Kathleen A. Harper, and Amy D. Robertson, editors
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Foreword - Research Traditions within PER
Charles Henderson, Kathleen A. Harper, and Amy D. RobertsonA special foreword for Research Traditions within PER.
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The Roles of Engagement: Network Analysis in Physics Education Research
Eric BreweThis chapter gives a brief overview of network analysis as a tool in physics education research, along with the author’s story of the influences that led him to this line of research.
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Identifying and Addressing Difficulties: Reflections on the empirical and theoretical basis of an influential approach to improving physics education
Paula R. L. HeronThis chapter discusses how research on conceptual difficulties in physics has developed over the last several decades, given from the perspective of a long-time member of the Physics Education Group at the University of Washington.
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Selection, Generalization, and Theories of Cause in Physics Education Research: Connecting Paradigms and Practices
Amy D. Robertson, Sarah B. McKagan, and Rachel E. ScherrThis chapter explores some fundamental variations in approaches to physics education research through the story of a new faculty member seeking to expand her research practices by learning from her new colleagues; the authors share how these events shaped their conceptualization of paradigms and practices within the field.
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Physics Education Research as a Multidimensional Space: Current Work and Expanding Horizons
Rosemary S. Russ and Tor Ole B. OddenThis chapter proposes one way in which researchers in physics education might map out the increasingly diverse space of the field, grounded in the differences that the authors experienced in their training as graduate students.
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Research in the Resources Framework: Changing environments, consistent exploration
Michael C. WittmannThis chapter describes how the author’s research in the resources framework has evolved through his career, along with the professional and personal interactions that influenced this development.
Issue 4 - 2018
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An Overview on Research on Gender and Under-Represented Ethnicities in Physics Education
Laura McCulloughThis chapter provides an overview of the physics education research focusing on two under-represented populations in physics: women and under-represented races and ethnicities.
Issue 3 - 2012
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Regulations and Ethical Considerations for Working with Human Participants in Physics and Astronomy Education Research
J. C. Antonellis, E. Brogt, S. R. Buxner, E. F. C. Dokter, and T. FosterThis article introduces the regulations researchers must adhere to when studying human subjects in physics education research.
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Getting Started with Quantitative Methods in Physics Education Research
L. Ding and X. LiuThis article introduces the reader to quantitative research methods as used in physics education research. Topics include research design, data collection, data analysis, and presentation of findings.
Issue 2 - 2011
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Getting Started with Research on Epistemologies and Expectations
A. ElbyThis article introduces the reader to the research methods used to explore student epistemologies and expectations in physics education research.
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An Overview of Physics Education Research on Problem Solving
D. P. MaloneyThis article provides an overview of the research on solving tasks commonly used as "problems" in introductory physics courses and is presented as an introduction to this domain of PER.
Issue 1 - 2009
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Foreword - Getting Started in Physics Education Research
C. Henderson and K. A. HarperWe welcome comments about this issue, as well as suggestions for topics to be addressed by future issues.
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An Introduction to Physics Education Research
R. J. BeichnerThis article aims to introduce the reader to the field of Physics Education Research (PER).
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An Introduction to Classical Test Theory as Applied to Conceptual Multiple-choice Tests
P. V. EngelhardtThe purpose of this paper is to provide the reader with a general overview of the key aspects of the development process from the perspective of classical test theory and critical issues that distinguish high-quality conceptual multiple-choice tests from those that are not.
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Getting Started in Qualitative Physics Education Research
V. K. Otero and D. B. HarlowThis article introduces procedures for collecting and analyzing qualitative data and provides a generic approach to qualitative research that is consistent with most qualitative research traditions. Strategies and examples are provided to help both new and veteran researchers to get started in qualitative PER.
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