Physics Textbooks Research Articles

Open-inquiry opens doors to intriguing optics experiments at home: A case study

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Instructional labs: Improving traditions and new directions.] This manuscript presents a case study of an introductory physics student who, during the remote learning conditions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, found inspiration within a new, open-inquiry, project-based, laboratory curriculum designed at Portland State University. The phenomenon investigated by the study subject was intriguing to both the student and the lab instructors for its unfamiliar and instructive optical effect: a ring-shaped pattern or halo created by a laser diffusely reflected in a shallow body of water. Drawing on classwork and interview responses, this study shows that the subject achieved many expected curriculum outcomes, particularly with respect to experimental design and data analysis tasks, indicating that the course’s open-inquiry structure can be effective while offering students a free choice of what to investigate in a laboratory class. Additionally, the case study shows that the halo phenomenon is pedagogically rich as it combines refraction, diffuse reflection, and total internal reflection in a nontrivial way, thereby answering calls by physics education researchers for more complex, realistic examples in geometric optics instruction. Finally, this case also highlights challenges students may experience interpreting diffuse reflection and determining the position of optical features beyond image formation, not commonly a focus of introductory physics courses, textbooks, and education research. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Development of an Integrated Basic Physics Textbook of Al-Qur'an Verses with Social Conten

Development of an Integrated Basic Physics Textbook of Al-Qur'an Verses with Social Conten

Categorization of the texts present in the Physics textbooks of the PNLEM 2018, adopted at CEFET-MG: connections with the history of Physics

In Brazil, students from the public schools of the municipal, state and federal networks receive free of charge the textbooks that they will use throughout their basic education, and this distribution is guaranteed by the National Textbook Program (PNLD in the Portuguese acronym). Research in the Teaching of Sciences has a great concern in studying how the teaching-learning process takes place through the textbooks and the role of the teacher in this mediation. The present study was carried out by two students of basic education, under the supervision of their guidance teachers, inserted in the program of Scientific Initiation Jr of CEFET-MG, having as main objective to analyze the complementary texts present in the works of the discipline of Physics, approved in the National Plan of the Textbook of High School (PNLEM) 2018 and adopted in the campuses CEFET-MG, looking for different languages adopted that support the interdisciplinarity between Physics and History and development of Science required in the public notice of the PNLEM. A priori, the identification of the number of texts with the relationship between Physics and History and the development of Science, present in each Physics content and in each volume of the work, was carried out. The texts were categorized into: biographical and historical. In the complementary texts of the works from the 1st to the 3rd year of high school, the collections "Aula per lesson" and "Physics" presented a greater incidence of the historical character of science, with a frequency of, respectively, 70.6% and 91.9%, while the collection "Science and Technology" had 95.6% bibliographic texts. The textbooks are the main sources of educational construction of the students, evidencing their significant importance. For this reason, it is necessary that such tools are constantly analyzed and worked on by academics from the areas of education, aiming increasingly at the improvement of these materials and, as a consequence, of education as a whole. The documents that guide basic education highlight the importance of the recognition of Physics as a process whose construction has occurred throughout history. As the collections approved in the PNLEM contemplate this approach, the reflection is therefore left for the teachers to observe how it is inserted in the textbooks and to incorporate this discussion into their praxis.

An Investigation into the Assessment of Critical Thinking Skills in Physics Textbooks for Grade X Semester II at Senior High Schools

In the context of the revised 2013 curriculum, critical thinking skills have become essential for students in the 21st century. A survey conducted across public high schools in Padang revealed that various sources authored and published physics textbooks used by these schools. However, it remains unclear whether these printed books incorporate indicators of critical thinking skills. Consequently, researchers analyzed the Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) component, explicitly focusing on critical thinking, in physics textbooks used in high schools. This descriptive study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative analysis. The study population consisted of all Grade X Semester II physics textbooks across 16 public high schools in Padang. The sample comprised widely used printed books from three publishers: Intan Pariwara's 2016 physics textbook, Erlangga's 2016 publication, and Tiga Serangkai's 2016 printed book. Research data were collected using an analysis instrument for HOTS indicators in Grade X Semester II physics textbooks. Findings indicate that the ER book exhibited the highest availability of critical thinking skills indicators within the "quite facilitating" category, while the TS book displayed the lowest availability. The sub-indicator of critical thinking often found in textbooks is the sub-indicator of concluding in IP books, with a percentage of 90%. Meanwhile, the lowest percentage, 0%, is in the deductive and inductive sub-indicators in the TS book. Consequently, it can be concluded that the availability of critical thinking skills indicators in the commonly used printed books in Padang's public high schools is not easy. It is hoped that this research will assist teachers in selecting appropriate learning resources (printed books), particularly in physics, to enhance students' critical thinking skills at the high school level in the 21st century.

Analysis of the difficulty of text generated by the ChatGPT artificial intelligence, text from a lower-secondary physics textbook, and other sources in Czech language

ChatGPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is a chatbot that was launched by Open AI as a prototype on November 30, 2022. ChatGPT has quickly gained attention for its detailed and well-formulated answers in many areas of knowledge. It can write computer programmes, poetry, business correspondence, or generate seemingly technical texts, depending on the verbal assignment. This article analyses and compares text in Czech language describing hydrostatic pressure produced by ChatGPT, from lower-secondary physics textbook and other sources. A text difficulty analysis was performed on the selected texts. The text-difficulty analysis by Nestler was chosen to assess the didactic properties. The results of the text-difficulty analysis and the selected partial coefficients are discussed.

Body practices in photographs in physical education textbooks

Resumen Las prácticas corporales son modos de acción en las que se expresa la motricidad. La adopción del concepto de prácticas corporales permite una ruptura con las prenociones hegemónicas en el ámbito de la educación física y permite indagar sobre todas las prácticas encarnadas, no solo desde una óptica orgánica sino también cultural. Esta investigación trata de desvelar las prácticas corporales predominantes en la educación formal. Para ello se investigó su representación en las fotografías de los libros de texto de educación física. Se analizaron a través de la técnica de análisis de contenido 6773 fotografías pertenecientes a 39 libros de texto. Se utilizó un sistema de categorías elaborado para este fin. Las variables analizadas fueron el tipo de práctica, el ámbito y la editorial. La validez, la fiabilidad, la objetividad y la utilidad práctica fueron los criterios científicos que avalaron la herramienta de análisis. Los datos evidenciaron la reproducción de un discurso acorde a una racionalidad mecanicista e instrumental y a las lógicas neoliberales. A modo de conclusión, se pone en relieve la necesidad de visibilizar y privilegiar prácticas corporales alejadas de las lógicas del capitalismo y afines a otros encarnamientos invisibilizados, vinculados con lo artístico, lo hedonista, lo expresivo y lo singular.

THE OPERATION DESERT STORM AND THE PATRIOT MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM [1] -TRAJECTORY MOTIONS IN THE AIR

Contrary to the physics text book description of a high-speed trajectory motion of an object in the air, engineers have hard time on simulating the actual trajectory of a high-speed object in the air. There are various effects of air frictions such as vibrating motions, circular rotations and sideway swings, together with some additional non-linear effects on top of these.

THE OPERATION DESERT STORM AND THE PATRIOT MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM [1] -TRAJECTORY MOTIONS IN THE AIR

Contrary to the physics text book description of a high-speed trajectory motion of an object in the air, engineers have hard time on simulating the actual trajectory of a high-speed object in the air. There are various effects of air frictions such as vibrating motions, circular rotations and sideway swings, together with some additional non-linear effects on top of these.

Improving Use of Science Textbooks: The Case of Grade 7th Physics Textbook Used at One of Government School, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Improving Use of Science Textbooks: The Case of Grade 7th Physics Textbook Used at One of Government School, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Analysis of the Integration of Physics History in the New Middle School Physics Textbooks

Analysis of the Integration of Physics History in the New Middle School Physics Textbooks

Higher Order Thinking Skills Analysis on Problems in Class XI SMA Physics Books

Currently, schools are expected to be able to train students to get used to solving higher-order thinking questions, one of which is through the textbooks the teacher chooses to teach. This study aimed to analyze the types of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) questions in Physics textbooks for class XI students. Data was collected using documentation techniques. The documents are physics textbooks from four publishers: Erlangga, Grafindo, Yrama Widya, and Intan Pariwara. Data analysis in the form of the percentage of HOTS questions in each book was calculated quantitatively and then discussed qualitatively related to these results. The results showed that the distribution of HOTS questions in (1) Erlangga textbooks was 8% in chapter 1 and 8% in chapter 2; (2) Grafindo textbooks by 20% in chapter 1 and 20% in chapter 2; (3) Yrama Widya textbooks by 43% in chapter 1 and 50% in chapter 2; (4) Intan Pariwara textbooks by 55% in chapter 1 and 40% in chapter 2. Among the four textbooks, the book published by Intan Pariwara has the highest distribution of HOTS questions. Based on this result, teachers can use this book to carry out learning evaluations to measure students' HOTS abilities.

Analysis of diagrams in the kinetic gas theory materials in high school physics textbooks: a content analysis

The theory of gas kinetics material studies objects that are abstract in nature. Therefore, its learning requires visual representations capable of visualizing these abstract objects, one of which is diagrams. The presence of diagrams in high school physics textbooks is considered important to aid the learning process. This research aims to determine the distribution of diagram categories, trends in diagram usage, and teachers’ perceptions of diagram usage in the Theory of Gas Kinetics material in high school physics textbooks with a descriptive quantitative research design. The research results show the distribution of diagram categories with the highest percentage in each analyzed book being the glossary image category, accounting for an overall percentage of 45%. The usage trends of each diagram category tend to fluctuate from year to year. Based on the findings of this research, teachers’ perceptions of diagram usage in the Theory of Gas Kinetics material have three main themes: diagrams are important as learning aids to make lessons more interesting and to represent the identity of science, especially physics; the use of diagrams depends on teachers’ needs; and diagrams help students understand the text and present physics concepts more specifically.

СИСТЕМНИЙ ПІДХІД ДО РОЗВИТКУ В УЧНІВ ПАТРІОТИЧНИХ ПЕРЕКОНАНЬ У ХОДІ РЕАЛІЗАЦІЇ ЗАВДАНЬ ОСВІТНЬОГО ПРОЦЕСУ З ФІЗИКИ

The article is devoted to the consideration of the possibilities of implementing a particularly relevant today’s educational task – the formation of patriotic beliefs in students during the study of physics. It is emphasized that the situation in our country has confirmed with specific examples how patriotic beliefs can become an obstacle for internal and external threats to the country’s security, which puts the education of patriotism in the first place among educational tasks. The fallacy of the opinion, according to which the education of a sense of patriotism is the task of teachers of subjects of humanitarian and social cycles, is noted. It has been proven that the content of subjects of the natural cycle also provides significant opportunities for the formation of a patriotic position, and in this context physics is the first among these subjects. It was established that an import ant role is played by the physics textbook, if the modeling of the educatio nal material in it is carried out on the basis of a systematic approach to acquaint students with facts related to the history of the development of physics in Ukraine, the stages of physical research, and the scientific output of outstanding Ukrainian physicists. It is shown that methodological approaches to modeling and structuring of educational material aimed at forming patriotic beliefs in students in physics textbooks by are scientifically based and pedagogically effective. M.I. Shut, M.T. Martynyuk, L.Yu. Blagodarenko, which have a pronounced patriotic orientation.

Deep Symbolic Regression for Physics Guided by Units Constraints: Toward the Automated Discovery of Physical Laws

Symbolic regression (SR) is the study of algorithms that automate the search for analytic expressions that fit data. While recent advances in deep learning have generated renewed interest in such approaches, the development of SR methods has not been focused on physics, where we have important additional constraints due to the units associated with our data. Here we present Φ-SO, a physical symbolic optimization framework for recovering analytical symbolic expressions from physics data using deep reinforcement learning techniques by learning units constraints. Our system is built, from the ground up, to propose solutions where the physical units are consistent by construction. This is useful not only in eliminating physically impossible solutions but also because the grammatical rules of dimensional analysis enormously restrict the freedom of the equation generator, thus vastly improving performance. The algorithm can be used to fit noiseless data, which can be useful, for instance, when attempting to derive an analytical property of a physical model, and it can also be used to obtain analytical approximations of noisy data. We test our machinery on a standard benchmark of equations from the Feynman Lectures on Physics and other physics textbooks, achieving state-of-the-art performance in the presence of noise (exceeding 0.1%) and show that it is robust even in the presence of substantial (10%) noise. We showcase its abilities on a panel of examples from astrophysics.

Some Interesting Facts About Planck’s Law of Blackbody Radiation

Introductory textbooks of Modern and Thermal Physics discuss the Planck radiation law as a backbone of the blackbody radiation spectrum. This law is used to explain the intensity of blackbody radiation as a function of either frequency or wavelength at a given temperature. In the introductory coursework, the Planck’s formula is also used to study other blackbody radiation laws such as Stefans–Boltzmann law, Wien’s Displacement law, Rayleigh–Jeans Law and Wien’s Distribution law. In this work, we highlight some interesting facts related to the total energy density, photon number density and average energy of photon of blackbody radiation. The main objective of this work is to focus on the lesser known features associated with physics of blackbody radiation. We believe that these simple analytic calculations may give very useful and interesting information about the Planck radiation law to the undergraduate students.

La introducción de la Física cuántica en España: libros de texto, panorama general y relación con la Filosofía (1930-1960)

In this article, we have addressed the early stages of quantum physics in Spain, specifically, between the years 1930 and 1960. We have relied on David Kaiser’s thesis on the weight of philosophy in quantum physics textbooks in the United States (Quantum legacies, chap. 8, 2020) and we have made a first approximation for the Spanish case. To have a better understanding of the editorial, intellectual and cultural context, we have created and analysed a database from the REBIUN university catalogue, which has offered us a panoramic view of the works published at the time, as well as their places of origin, languages, publishers, and evolutions. Then, we have analysed the treatment of philosophical aspects in some relevant Spanish textbooks. We have concluded a particular evolution in the Spanish case, conditioned by its economic, social, and political context, with a tendency to interpret quantum physics from a national-catholic dogma and to escape from mathematical complexity. We have also seen a great influence from the English-speaking sphere and an enormous importance from the Latin American publishing system in the dissemination of works in Spanish. The results call for us to carry out studies in greater depth.

Analysis of Grade X Physics Textbooks on the Basic Measurement Material from the Nature of Science Perspective

Issues related to the quality of textbooks are often a topic of discussion in science. However, in various education systems, some textbooks have effectively incorporated the nature of science, while others are still lacking in this aspect. It is well-known that the nature of science serves as a crucial foundation that should be applied in science education, especially in physics. This is because the nature of science plays a role as the basis to guide a more holistic learning approach and an exploratory process in understanding knowledge about the natural world. Hence, a study was conducted to analyze physics textbooks to analyze the percentage of nature of science content and describe the proportion of nature of science aspects in high school physics textbooks. The research employed a mixed methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative research. The quantitative research section involved the development of the theory, including observations and data collection for accuracy. The quantitative research portion explained how to obtain percentage data for the ten aspects of the nature of science under investigation. The study results showed that the textbook published by Grafindo, referred to as Book B, presented the most aspects of the nature of science compared to the other two textbooks. Quotations in Book B were presented explicitly, although some quotations were presented implicitly. Books A and C were found to be less inclusive of the nature of science aspects in the measurement material. The proportion of the appearance of the nature of science in Book A was 33%, in Book B, it was 53%, and in Book C, it was 27%. Overall, all three evaluated textbooks explicitly conveyed aspects of the nature of science. The implications of this research highlight the importance of incorporating the nature of science aspects in science learning materials to enhance understanding of the nature of science, as the nature of science is a complex concept and serves as a fundamental foundation for studying science.

Modeling Approach in Particle Physics

Modeling is the heart of theory and the basis of the scientific approach. Modeling is an important tool in particle physics to represent, explain and introduce invisible entities to the scientific world. In the same vein, it contributes to the development of students' skills such as thinking, researching, understanding, questioning and predicting. Therefore, emphasis is placed on models and modeling in the field of physics. In the research, high school physics curriculums and textbooks were scrutinized to determine the status of the modeling approach in the field of particle physics in our country. At the end of the research, three learning outcomes related to modeling were identified, and in 30 learning outcomes, students were asked to give mathematical models and examine them. In only two learning outcomes related to particle physics, students were asked to explain models. In the examined MEB 12th grade high school and science high school physics textbooks, the modeling approach was not mentioned at all and very few activities were given. At the end of the research, it was suggested that in order to teach particle physics effectively, the modeling approach should be emphasized in high school physics curricula and textbooks, the number of modeling outcomes should be increased, methods that will improve students' scientific process skills should be applied, and the type and quantity of modeling activities should be increased.

초등학교 체육교과 세계민속무용 영역 내용 분석

Objectives The primary objective of this study is to investigate the significance of cultural education within the domain of world folk dance as integrated into primary school physical education curricula. Methods The study applied open coding, axial coding and selective coding techniques rooted in grounded theory principles. The analysis encompassed eight distinct primary school physical education textbooks tailored for fifth-grade students, specifically focusing on the segment dedicated to folk expression through world folk dance. The research involved categorizing content by the countries of origin, dance types, and specific dance composi-tions, encompassing a comprehensive scope of 20 nations and 38 distinct dance works featured in these textbooks. This analysis aimed to delve into the realm of folk expression while concurrently examining its relation-ship with cultural education, with a particular focus on discerning patterns and characteristics within the realm of folk dance. Through the autoethnography as a qualitative methodology, this study connects the concepts of dia-spora and cultural hybridity. It explores diaspora space appeared in diaspora festivals and the world festivals that include folk dances. Results The analysis of primary school physical education textbooks reveals three fundamental aspects of cultural education such as cultural identity, cultural diversity and cultural hybridity within the context of world folk dance. First, Cultural Identity: World folk dance serves as a conduit for students to connect with and express their cultural heritage. It provides a platform for celebrating one’s cultural identity through physical movement. Second, Cultural Diversity: The inclusion of folk dances from diverse nations exposes students to the rich tapestry of global cultures. This exposure fosters an appreciation for the diversity of human traditions, promoting tolerance and understanding. Finally, Cultural Hybridity: Some folk dances exhibit characteristics of cultural hybridity, where di-verse cultural influences merge to create unique dance forms. This aspect underscores the dynamic nature of culture and the interconnectedness of different societies. Conclusions The study highlights the significance of world folk dance in primary school physical education curric-ula, particularly for fifth-grade students. World folk dance serves as a valuable tool for enhancing students’ non-verbal expressive abilities through physical movements, simultaneously deepening their comprehension of diverse cultural perspectives. By framing world folk dance as an integral facet of culture, the research encourages educators to provide optimal opportunities for students to engage in meaningful expression activities within the realm of cultural education. The integration of world folk dance into primary school physical education curricula enriches students’ cultural experiences and aligns with broader goals such as cultural identity, cultural diversity and cultural hybridity.

Methodology of interdisciplinary connections of physics and mathematics in primary school when solving physical problems

Relevance. The relevance of the research is due to the need to develop a methodology for implementing interdisciplinary connections of physics and mathematics in primary school when solving physical problems, as well as a detailed study of various aspects of interdisciplinary connections.Purpose. This article is aimed at conducting an analysis to identify the implementation factors of interdisciplinary connections of physics and mathematics in primary school when solving physical problems, as well as drawing up methodological recommendations aimed at implementing the methodology of interdisciplinary education among schoolchildren and students.Methodology. The methods include system analysis, logical analysis, comparative method, synthesis and deduction methods, and classification method.Results. The study of interdisciplinary connections of physics and mathematics in primary school when solving physical problems, as well practical methods, require a number of research methods that allow studying the implementation of interdisciplinary connections in the most thorough way. The article presents the analysis results, reveals the implementation of interdisciplinary connections of physics and mathematics in the primary school when solving physical problems, and compiles methodological recommendations aimed at implementing the methodology of interdisciplinary education of schoolchildren and students.Conclusions. The materials of the article are of practical value for teachers and students of pedagogical universities, school teachers of physics and mathematics, authors of physics textbooks for secondary school students.