The article considers the necessity of introducing theoretical methods of idealization and mode ling in educational research. A brief overview of the problem of involving talented students in educational research not on a competitive basis, but for the organic development of their creative potential is given. The importance of theoretical educational research tasks in teaching physics is analyzed. A possible direction for organizing educational research aimed at developing the creative potential of talented students in physics and other natural-mathematical disciplines is proposed. Since curious students often put forward technically unrealizable ideas due to lack of factual knowledge and experience, the article provides an example of using a pedagogical technique known as “Socratic dialogue”. Examples of setting purely theoretical educational research tasks aimed at implementing methods for measuring the electric charge of a small ball suspended on a thread are given. Possible solutions to such problems are indicated for the case: 1) static equilibrium of such a ball in a horizontal electric field; 2) harmonic oscillations of a pendulum with a charged ball in a vertical electric field. A theoretical assess ment of the order of magnitude of results obtained from the practical creation of proposed measuring devices is carried out. The article’s conclusions provide an author’s vision of recommendations for implementing theoretical educational research in physics.