Abstract
Students' difficulties in quantum mechanics may be the result of unproductive framing rather than a fundamental inability to solve the problems or misconceptions about physics content. Using the theoretical lens of epistemological framing, we applied previously developed frames to seek an underlying structure to the long lists of published difficulties that span many topics in quantum mechanics. Mapping descriptions of published difficulties into errors in epistemological framing and resource use, we analyzed descriptions of students' problem solving to find their frames, and compared students' framing to the framing (and frame shifting) required by problem statements. We found three categories of error: mismatches between students' framing and problem statement framing; inappropriate or absent shifting between frames; and insufficient resource activation within an appropriate frame.
Highlights
Researchers in student understanding of quantum mechanics have used a “difficulties” framework to understand student reasoning, identifying long lists of difficulties which span many topics in quantum mechanics
This paper presents a secondary analysis of published difficulties in quantum mechanics through the lens of epistemological framing
By taking a conceptual approach, students create more sense-making opportunities with less need for writing several algebra-based steps. Using this set of frames, we looked for moments where students’ problem solving is impeded because they are in an unproductive frame or when a problem statement requires shifting between frames and students are unable to make that transition
Summary
Researchers in student understanding of quantum mechanics have used a “difficulties” framework to understand student reasoning, identifying long lists of difficulties which span many topics in quantum mechanics. The goal of research in quantum difficulties is to determine common, repeatable incorrect patterns of students’ reasoning [1,2,3,4]. The realms of quantum and classical mechanics are different—the classical world is simpler and more intuitive than the quantum world—researchers have long considered the possibility of difficulties in quantum mechanics being analogous to misconceptions in classical mechanics [6]. This similarity is due to both persistent misconceptions or difficulties in students’ reasoning [7], and students not having enough preparation with the formalism of quantum mechanics [8]. Research has detailed lists of student difficulties in determining the time dependency of stationary, superposed, and degenerate eigenfunctions [3]; the effect of time dependency of different physical systems on the probability densities [3]; energy measurements of a quantum mechanical system [4]; concepts of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation [4] (TDSE); and the role of Hamiltonian physics
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