Recent research emphasizes the need for a more sustained interaction of schools with universities and research institutions. For example, informal after-school programs integrated into the school curriculum can provide opportunities for meaningful interaction with researchers in active learning settings. At the physics department of University of…

Nuclear energy produces low carbon, safe and reliable electricity so is it now time for the UK to invest in this proven technology or are the misplaced perceptions regarding its safety, cost and the quantities of radioactive waste produced causing us to overlook nuclear as a major component of our electricity mix? This paper discusses these issues…

Multi-authoring has been gaining popularity since the foundation of academic publishers. Today we observe a global trend in favor of multi-authoring. On the other hand, in certain domains, such as CERN collaborations in physics, multi-authoring has a different connotation than other domains. The number of co-authors may be above 5000, an all-time…

Matter can be described and explained in a number of ways, using models of increasing complexity depending on the intended audience. Under the current National Curriculum for England, the kinetic theory of matter is taught to 11- and 12-year-olds in secondary schools to explain the structure of solids, liquids and gases and their behaviour when…

Radiation, radiation detection and radiation protection are topics in physics and its applications which generate a wide interest in the public. This interest is either generated through medical procedures, applications of nuclear energy or nuclear accidents. The technical nature of these topics usually means that they are not well covered in the…

The Billotron is a device designed and built by the LPC Caen to illustrate the methods with which physicists are able to study the basic structure of matter, in particular the nucleus of the atom.

Raising awareness about sustainability is an urgent need and as such education for sustainability has gained relevancy for the last decades. It is acknowledged that science education can work as an important context for educating for sustainability. The goal of the present paper is to describe a role-playing activity about the construction of a…

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident is a topic of current media and public interest. It provides a means to motivate students to understand the fission process and the barriers that have been designed to prevent the release of fission products to the environment following a major nuclear power reactor accident. The Fukushima Daiichi accident…

The nuclear disaster that was triggered by the Japanese earthquake and the following tsunami of March 11, 2011, continues to be the subject of a great deal of news coverage. The tsunami caused severe damage to the nuclear power reactors at Fukushima Daiichi, and this led to the escape of unknown quantities of radioactive material from the damaged…

Nuclear science has uses and applications that are relevant and crucial for world peace and sustainable development, so knowledge of its basic concepts and topics should constitute an integral part of civic scientific literacy. We have used two newspaper articles that deal with uses of nuclear science that are directly relevant to life, society,…

Laboratory experiments develop students' skills in dealing with laboratory instruments and physical processes with the objective of reinforcing the understanding of the investigated subject. In nuclear engineering, where research reactors play a vital role in the practical education of students, the high cost and long construction time of research…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of scientific arguments developed by pre-service physics teachers. Sample: The participants were 171 pre-service physics teachers recruited from two universities: 86 from University A and 85 from University B. Design and method: Participants were prompted to develop a written argument to…

This article presents the results of a comparative study of two groups of learners--group 1 (25 non-science students) and group 2 (25 A-level physics students). It explores the extent to which their feelings and emotions in conjunction with their knowledge about nuclear energy impacts and influences their views and feelings about the use of…

Energy policies are under review everywhere, as the world tries to meet targets for reducing climate change despite continuing population growth. A major change in energy patterns is needed, with the critical period for transition predictably happening when young people currently at school are in their middle years of their lives. This article…

This module brings together in a panel discussion opposing views and supporting data on the first Philippine nuclear power plant in Morong, Bataan. It extends the discussion of issues and ideas about nuclear power in the dialogue "Go Nuclear" (which should be read before starting this panel discussion). The module deals with the…