PERC Proceedings Notable Papers

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PERC Proceedings Notable Papers

The Physics Education Research Leadership Organizing Council (PERLOC) identifies a select set of peer reviewed papers that are particularly noteworthy in terms of their overall quality of research, readability, and impact on the PER community. All peer reviewed papers are eligible. Based on the recommendations of the peer reviewers and the current PERC Proceedings editors, a selection of papers is submitted to a committee appointed by PERLOC who then selects the Notable Papers. Prior to 2014, a single paper was annually selected for the PERC Paper Award.

2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010

2023 PERC Notable Papers

PERLOC selected seven Notable Papers from the 2023 PERC proceedings that span the spectrum of physics education research.

Understanding students’ struggles with collaboration through their views of knowing
Josephine R. Allen, William Henriquez, Thanh K. Lê, Andrew Boudreaux, and Carolina Alvarado
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“Science happens between people”: teachers’ perspectives in a physics RET program
Roshni Bano and Minjung Ryu
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A Look Physics Teacher Identity Around Equitable Instruction: The Tour Guide, Coach, and Gardener
Maria S. Horak, Clausell Mathis, Delwrick Nanthou, Abigail R. Daane, and Michelle N. Brown
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"The prettiest photos are the ones that have happy people in them": the use of photovoice in an upper-division physics capstone project course
Kristin A. Oliver, Victoria Borish, Bethany R. Wilcox, and Heather J. Lewandowski
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Investigating Perceptions of Relevance Towards Computation in an Introductory Physics for Life Science Course
Jacob Watkins, Nikolay Ivanov, Kathleen A. Hinko, and Kirtimaan Mohan
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ChatGPT reflects student misconceptions in physics
Sav Wheeler and Rachel E. Scherr
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Analyzing AI and student responses through the lens of sensemaking and mechanistic reasoning
Dean A. Zollman, Amogh Sirnoorkar, and James T. Laverty
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2022 PERC Notable Papers

PERLOC selected five Notable Papers from the 2022 PERC proceedings that span the spectrum of physics education research.

Physics teachers integrating social justice with science content
Tra Huynh, Kara E. Gray, Lauren C. Bauman, Jessica Hernandez, Lane Seeley, and Rachel E. Scherr
PER-Central Record
The Epic and the Tragedy: Narratives of a Disabled Physics Student
Dan P. Oleynik, Erin M. Scanlon, and Jacquelyn J. Chini
PER-Central Record
Disciplinary Inq[ee]ry in Computational Physics
Anna McLean Phillips, Ezra Gouvea, Brian Gravel, and Timothy J. Atherton
PER-Central Record
Characterizing covariational reasoning in physics modeling
Alexis Olsho, Charlotte Zimmerman, Andrew Boudreaux, Trevor I. Smith, Philip Eaton, and Suzanne White Brahmia
PER-Central Record
Graduate student understanding of quantum mechanical spin
Andrew F. Heckler and Chris D. Porter
PER-Central Record

2021 PERC Notable Papers

PERLOC selected four Notable Papers from the 2021 PERC proceedings that span the spectrum of physics education research.

Preliminary efforts to evaluate an initiative introducing computation across the undergraduate physics curriculum
Andrew Gavrin, Gautam Vemuri, and Danka Maric
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Student difficulties with quantum uncertainty in the context of discrete probability distributions
Yujia Li, Antje Kohnle, and Gina Passante
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Explicating Universal Design for Learning-aligned instructional practices for postsecondary STEM
Jacquelyn J. Chini, Erin K. H. Saitta, Abdelkader Kara, and Erin M. Scanlon
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Physics teachers’ framings of the relationship between equity and antiracism
Tra Huynh, Lauren C. Bauman, Amy Robertson, and Rachel Scherr
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2020 PERC Notable Papers

PERLOC selected four Notable Papers from the 2020 PERC proceedings that span the spectrum of physics education research.

The impact of extra credit incentives on students’ work habits when completing online homework assignments
Zachary Felker and Zhongzhou Chen
This paper used a novel set of quantitative analyses to understand student study habits in online homework systems and establishes extra credit as an effective method that incentives student engagement with online course material.
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“I’m not that important”: Barriers and bolsters to student agency during conversations about the intersections of physics and ethics
Brianne Gutmann, Egla Ochoa-Madrid, and Alice R. Olmstead
For thoughtfulness and scientific rigor centered around a timely topic -- the intersection of science and ethics.
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The associations between conceptual learning, physics identity and social interdependence
Miguel Rodriguez and Geoff Potvin
Many PER strategies rely on group work, and this paper represents an important resource for the community to understand in more detail what works and what does not with respect to group work.
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Practicing physicists’ knowledge about disability: Development of the Disability and Physics Careers Survey (DPCS)
Erin M. Scanlon, Dan P. Oleynik, and Jacquelyn J. Chini
This paper is notable in promoting access for people with disabilities -- which requires understanding the non-obvious obstacles -- and presenting a strong example of survey design and improvement.
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2019 PERC Notable Papers

PERLOC selected four Notable Papers from the 2019 PERC proceedings that span the spectrum of physics education research.

Who does physics: Understanding the composition of a physicist through the lens of women of color and female LGBQ+ physicists
Xandria R. Quichocho, Jessica Conn, Erin M. Schipull, and Eleanor W. Close
For revelatory findings regarding notions of physics identity from the perspective of women of color and female LGBTQ+ physicists, and a focus on research participants' lived experiences.
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Hidden Value: Investigating the Physics Demonstration as Aesthetic Experience
Sydney Seese, Megan Halpern, and Kathleen A. Hinko
For novel analysis of physics demonstrations as expressive objects using the theory of aesthetic experience to capture a more comprehensive view of demonstrations, that could be applied more broadly to other informal learning activities.
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Using Machine Learning to Understand Physics Graduate School Admissions
Nicholas T. Young and Marcos D. Caballero
This paper brings a new analysis approach to understanding the factors that influence graduate admissions and causes the reader to rethink the weight placed on GREs.
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Attending to Emotion in a Metaphor for Success in Physics with Poetic Analysis
Brian Zamarripa Roman, Amy Vary Schwandes, and Jacquelyn J. Chini
For research topic and methodology that are novel in PER, empathetic involvement of participants in research, and a well written and researched account of all that.
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2018 PERC Notable Papers

PERLOC selected three Notable Papers from the 2018 PERC proceedings that span the spectrum of physics education research.

Ability profiles: A framework for conceptualizing dimensions of ability
Erin M. Scanlon and Jacquelyn J. Chini
For developing a well-grounded framework for examining how particular curricula privilege or disadvantage students with abilities across a multidimensional spectrum.
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Examining physics identity development through two high school interventions
Hemeng Cheng, Geoff Potvin, Raina Khatri, Laird H. Kramer, Robynne M. Lock, and Zahra Hazari
For a careful quantitative analysis of research-driven interventions designed to impact physics identity development in high school girls at a national scale.
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Success is a puzzle: Sorting out the pieces with metaphor analysis
Brian Zamarripa Roman and Jacquelyn J. Chini
For robustly applying metaphor analysis to how women in physics conceptualize success in physics to arrive at insightful findings and for deliberately engaging study participants in interpretive, analytical work.
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2017 PERC Notable Papers

PERLOC selected four Notable Papers from the 2017 PERC proceedings that span the spectrum of physics education research.

Student Interpretations of Partial Derivatives
Paul J. Emigh and Corinne A. Manogue
An excellent example of how a conference-proceedings paper can focus on a subset of data and tightly connect the theoretical framework, data collection, analysis, and interpretation of a study on student understanding of partial derivatives in upper-level physics.
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The Invention Coach: A computer-based environment that supports the transfer of STEM concepts
Marianna Lamnina, Helena Connolly, and Vincent Aleven
This is a great example of a tightly designed and carefully analyzed quantitative study that serves as a proof-of-concept of the effectiveness of a novel pedagogical technology.
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Differences between the SCALE-UP model and instructors' perceptions of implementation
Brian Zamarripa Roman, Constance M. Doty, Matthew Wilcox, Noel Klinger, Jarrad W. T. Pond, Joshua S. Von Korff, and Jacquelyn J. Chini
For their exploratory work with well-supported conclusions on the under-investigated issue of how faculty feel they enact research-based instructional strategies and why they alter them. A good example of how preliminary analysis can be done well for the PERC proceedings.
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Investigating Physics Faculty’s Reasoning about Inequities in Undergraduate Physics Education
Chandra Turpen, Angela Little, and Vashti Sawtelle
An insightful study into how early career faculty are making sense of an important topic: issues of discrimination and bias in the physics classroom.
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2016 PERC Notable Papers

PERLOC selected four Notable Papers from the 2016 PERC proceedings that span the spectrum of physics education research. All were particularly highlighted for having strong analyses:

Influences of teaching style and perceived care of instructor on retention of underrepresented groups in STEM
Melissa H. Dancy, Katherine Rainey, Roslyn Mickelson, Elizabeth Stearns, and Stephanie Moller
For an articulate presentation of a strong and important study of retaining underrepresented groups, with careful attention to analysis, especially issues of correlation and selection bias
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Using asynchronous communication to support virtual faculty learning communities
Joel C. Corbo, Andy Rundquist, Charles Henderson, and Melissa H. Dancy
For a critical study of using learning communities to support faculty adoption of research-based instructional strategies, with strong analysis and graphical representations that present a replicable study
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Methods for analyzing pathways through a physics major
John M. Aiken and Marcos D. Caballero
For a novel analysis method to understand how students enter, progress, and possibly leave the physics major
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Leveraging the expertise of the urban STEM student in developing an effective LA Program: LA and Instructor Partnerships
Mel S. Sabella, Andrea G. Van Duzor, and Felicia Davenport
For a characterization of the relationships between Learning Assistants and faculty, an important contribution to understanding the factors that promote effective LA programs
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2015 PERC Notable Papers

Four 2015 PERC Proceedings papers were selected as notable by PERLOC and the Notable Papers subcommittee:

Student Difficulties with Boundary Conditions in Electrodynamics
Qing X. Ryan, Bethany R. Wilcox, and Steven J. Pollock
For exploration of students' conceptual understanding and reasoning strategies in upper-division E&M using the ACER framework and three complementary data sources
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The role of metacognition in troubleshooting: an example from electronics
Kevin L. Van De Bogart, Dimitri R. Dounas-Frazer, H. J. Lewandowski, and MacKenzie R. Stetzer
For a case-study analysis with an innovative framework of metacognition to analyze and evaluate student troubleshooting in an upper-division electronics setting
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Understanding the Nuance in Disciplinary Self-Efficacy
Vashti Sawtelle and Angie Little
For a detailed exploration of a student's perception of competence in physics and of the influence of success in coursework on those views.
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How to structure an unstructured activity: generating physics rules from simulation or contrasting cases
Shima Salehi, Martin Keil, Eric Kuo and Carl Wieman
For contributions to the understanding of successful characteristics in the design of active learning activities using contrasting cases and simulations.
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2014 PERC Notable Papers

Four 2014 PERC Proceedings papers were selected as notable by PERLOC and the Notable Papers subcommittee:

Sensitivity of Learning Gains on the Force Concept Inventory to Students’ Individual Epistemological Changes
Lin Ding
Notable for questioning assumptions underlying survey data and how they are reported (here the CLASS).
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Multiple Representations and Epistemic Games in Introductory Physics Exam Solutions
Adrienne L. Traxler, Jonathan V. Mahadeo, Daryl McPadden, and Eric Brewe
This paper is notable for emerging research looking for correlation between students’ choices in representation and their epistemic games.
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Instructional Goals and Grading Practices of Graduate Students after One Semester of Teaching Experience
Charles R. Henderson, Emily Marshman, Alexandru Maries, Edit Yerushalmi, and Chandralekha Singh
Notable for examining the experiences of TA's, with implications for professional development of "preservice" physics faculty
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Physics I MOOC - Educational Outcomes
David Lieberman, Michael Dubson, Ed Johnsen, Jack Olsen, and Noah D. Finkelstein
Notable for extending PER methods and measurements to a novel context (MOOC), and finding surprising results.
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