[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Instructional labs: Improving traditions and new directions.] We present the pedagogical design and implementation of "ESSENCe": Experimental problem solving using Staging, Scaffolding, Embedded information sources, iNstruments, and Collaboration. Research in experimental physics requires…

The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges for practical teaching within the sciences. While many instructors adopted innovative alternatives to conventional practicals, many relied on digital approaches that did not give students hands-on experience. In this study we evaluate the use of 'at home' practical kits used in first year physics…

Modeling, which is the process of constructing, testing, and refining models, is an important skill in experimental physics, and thus a learning goal of many physics laboratory classes. One promising approach to help students develop modeling skills is to incorporate multiweek student-designed projects into lab courses. In order to assess the…

This study addresses the measurement of high school students' epistemic knowledge associated with scientific experimentation (EKSE) which concerns "how" scientific experimentation generates knowledge and "why" that knowledge is justified. Based on philosophical, educational standards, and literature analyses, an EKSE construct…

This article explains how the project-based lab (PJB-Lab) trains critical thinking skills, creative thinking skills, communication skills and collaboration skills (4C Skills) and produces two project products from the application of the fluid concept, namely the application of Archimedes' law on submarine projects and the application of…

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is the metacognitive aspect of learning that goes beyond learning content and skills. With SRL, students are aware of their content understanding and learning progress and use advanced thinking skills to create goals and improve their academic achievement. In this action research, SRL strategies were integrated into…

Physics education researchers have called for a shift from traditional laboratory (lab) instruction to labs that focus on the development of experimental skills. Although research has demonstrated the efficacy of such reformed labs, much work remains to determine what these labs can and should teach students and how best to achieve these goals.…

This book promotes the effective implementation and development of critical analysis in physics. It focuses on explanatory texts concerning subjects typically dealt with in secondary or higher education and addressed in an academic or popular context. It highlights the general difficulties and obstacles inherent in teaching physics and shows how…

Rapid developments in educational technology show its impacts on classes. One of the recent trends in science education is virtual laboratory environments. The goal of this study is to reveal the effects of inquiry-based hands-on and virtual laboratory environments on pre-service science teachers' inquiry skills. A quasi-experimental research…

Computational thinking (CT) skills are essential with the rapid advancement of technology. Developing CT attitudes in students is also required for improving CT skills. On the other hand, science process skills are also emphasized in high school physics classes. This study aims to design and implement collaborative modeling-based learning for high…

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between students' metacognitive learning, critical thinking, scientific process skills, and academic achievements after the "Cell and Divisions" and "Force and Energy" units which have been processed according to different teaching methods. Furthermore, in this study, it…

Due to the coronavirus lockdown, home experiments were devised for our first-year physics lab course. In this practitioner contribution we elaborate on the guided inquiries that were set up. Students could carry out the experiments with standard tools available at home, including sensors mobile phones are equipped with. Various design principles…

Learning to use math in science is a non-trivial task. It involves many different skills (not usually taught in a math class) that help blend physical knowledge with mathematical symbology. One of these is the idea of quantification--that physical quantities can be assigned specific numbers (with a unit). A second is to develop an intuition for…

This study examined the effects of school location on secondary school students' academic achievement in Physics based on the 5E learning cycle. The design of the study was a non-randomized pre-test, post-test control group quasi-experimental design. The population of the study was 66,345. Two hundred and forty-three students were sampled from six…

Physics lab courses are integral parts of an undergraduate physics education, and offer a variety of opportunities for learning. Many of these opportunities center around a common learning goal in introductory physics lab courses: measurement uncertainty. Accordingly, when the stand-alone introductory lab course at the University of Colorado…