Effect of an introductory quantum physics course using experiments with heralded photons on preuniversity students’ conceptions about quantum physics

Abstract

We conducted a quasiexperimental study in order to investigate the effect of a teaching concept on quantum physics based on coincidence and correlation experiments with heralded photons on preuniversity students’ conceptions of quantum physics (experimental group, N=150). We compare the results with the traditional curriculum’s effect (control group, N=130) at German secondary schools using a questionnaire to assess students’ conceptions of quantum physics adapted from the literature. The results show that students introduced to quantum physics using the quantum optics concept acquire conceptions of quantum physics that are significantly less influenced by classical mechanistic and deterministic conceptions than those of the control group. In more detail, correlation and principal component analysis results indicate that the conceptions acquired by experimental group students are more consistent than those of the control group students.6 MoreReceived 5 March 2021Accepted 29 June 2021DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.17.020103Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.Published by the American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasAssessmentConcepts & principlesInstructional materials developmentInstructional strategiesPhysics Education Research