Quantum science in a nutshell: fostering students' functional understanding of models

Fostering students' understanding of models is a challenge. However, in particular for learning quantum physics an elaborate understanding of models is required. We investigated activities to foster students' functional thinking about (quantum) models in a synchronous online course. The results of an evaluation study (N = 59) showed that the participants improved in their quantum physical thinking about photons and had slightly improved their understanding of physics models in general. A correlation analysis indicates that there are no significant correlations between the students' general understanding of models in physics and their functional understanding of quantum models. Implications of our findings for both teaching and future research with regard to quantum physics education are discussed

Quantum science in a nutshell: fostering students' functional understanding of models

Fostering students' understanding of models is a challenge. However, in particular for learning quantum physics an elaborate understanding of models is required. We investigated activities to foster students' functional thinking about (quantum) models in a synchronous online course. The results of an evaluation study (N = 59) showed that the participants improved in their quantum physical thinking about photons and had slightly improved their understanding of physics models in general. A correlation analysis indicates that there are no significant correlations between the students' general understanding of models in physics and their functional understanding of quantum models. Implications of our findings for both teaching and future research with regard to quantum physics education are discussed.</p

The core of secondary level quantum education: a multi-stakeholder perspective

Quantum physics (QP) education at the secondary school level is still in its infancy. Not only is there ongoing discussion about how to teach this subject, but there is also a lack of coherence in the selection of concepts to be taught, both across countries and over time. To contribute to this discussion, we investigated the perspectives of high school teachers, university-level physics educators, and physics education researchers regarding the essential concepts in QP and the corresponding illustrations that should be introduced at the secondary school level. We examined the prominence of different key concepts and illustrations, as well as the level of consensus among the various professional groups. Our analysis revealed that certain key concepts are universally valued across all professional groups, while others are specific to particular groups. Additionally, we explored the relationships between these key concepts and their corresponding illustrations. Overall, our study offers valuable insights into the perspectives of different stakeholders, emphasizing the essential concepts and visualizations that should be considered when designing and implementing the teaching of QP at the secondary school level

Contributions from Pilot Projects in Quantum Technology Education as Support Action to Quantum Flagship

The GIREP community on teaching and learning quantum physics and the Education section of the Quantum flagship project of the European Union (QTEdu) have brought together different stakeholders in the field of teaching quantum physics on all levels, including outreach. The goal of QTEdu is to pave the way for the training of the future quantum workforce. To this end, it is necessary to understand the needs of the quantum technology (QT) field, make the general public aware of the existence and importance of QT, and introduce quantum physics already in high school, so that high school students can choose QT as their field of study and career. Finally, new university courses need to be established to support emerging specific profiles such as a quantum engineer. In this symposium, four QTEdu pilot projects were brought together to demonstrate how their complementary approaches have worked towards realising the above goals

The core of secondary level quantum education: a multi-stakeholder perspective

Quantum physics (QP) education at the secondary school level is still in its infancy. Not only is there ongoing discussion about how to teach this subject, but there is also a lack of coherence in the selection of concepts to be taught, both across countries and over time. To contribute to this discussion, we investigated the perspectives of N = 39 high school teachers, university-level physics educators, and physics education researchers regarding the essential concepts in QP and the corresponding illustrations that should be introduced at the secondary school level. We examined the prominence of different key concepts and illustrations, as well as the level of consensus among the various professional groups. Our analysis revealed that certain key concepts are universally valued across all professional groups, while others are specific to particular groups. Additionally, we explored the relationships between these key concepts and their corresponding illustrations. Overall, our study offers valuable insights into the perspectives of different stakeholders, emphasizing the essential concepts and visualizations that should be considered whe

The core of secondary level quantum education: a multi-stakeholder perspective

Quantum physics (QP) education at the secondary school level is still in its infancy. Not only is there ongoing discussion about how to teach this subject, but there is also a lack of coherence in the selection of concepts to be taught, both across countries and over time. To contribute to this discussion, we investigated the perspectives of N=39high school teachers, university-level physics educators, and physics education researchers regarding the essential concepts in QP and the corresponding illustrations that should be introduced at the secondary school level. We examined the prominence of different key concepts and illustrations, as well as the level of consensus among the various professional groups. Our analysis revealed that certain key concepts are universally valued across all professional groups, while others are specific to particular groups. Additionally, we explored the relationships between these key concepts and their corresponding illustrations. Overall, our study offers valuable insights into the perspectives of different stakeholders, emphasizing the essential concepts and visualizations that should be considered when designing and implementing the teaching of QP at the secondary school level

The Parts and Parcel: A Collegiality Model for Teacher Disciplinary Professional Learning Communities

While teachers' Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) have been extensively studied, discipline-specific PLCs (DPLCs) have received less attention. In particular, the importance of subject matter and its connection to other community dimensions is underrepresented in current PLC research. To explore this, we conducted two independent studies focusing on DPLCs. Study 1 examined physics teacher DPLCs, using participant observations and an analysis of teachers’ community characteristics based on a literature review. Study 2 focused on science and technology teacher DPLCs, employing interviews and passive observation, which were analyzed through content analysis. Remarkably, both studies produced strikingly similar findings, which we synthesized into a comprehensive model encompassing five dimensions: the structural dimension, reflecting the tangible and logical organization of the community; the content dimension, emphasizing the discipline-specific focus of the DPLC; the common production dimension, showcasing the joint enterprise activities and products of the DPLC; the social-affective dimension, addressing the social, emotional, and value-based aspects that establish a sense of community; and the meta-community dimension, exploring the relationships between the DPLC and its broader environment. Each dimension operates in two directions: inward—the effect of the community on the individual, and outward—the effect of the individual teacher on the community. We discuss how the interactions between these dimensions shape the character of DPLCs and influence teacher development. Additionally, we highlight the significance of this unified model for DPLC leaders, researchers, and policymakers in teacher development

The Parts and Parcel: A Collegiality Model for Teacher Disciplinary Professional Learning Communities

While teachers&rsquo; professional learning communities (PLCs) have been extensively studied, discipline-specific PLCs (DPLCs) have received less attention, particularly regarding the subject matter&rsquo;s role and its connection to other community dimensions. To explore this, we conducted two independent studies on DPLCs. Study 1 examined physics teacher DPLCs, using participant observations and literature-based analysis. Study 2 investigated science and technology teacher DPLCs through interviews and passive observation, which was analyzed through content analysis. Both studies yielded remarkably similar findings, leading to a synthesized model encompassing five dimensions: the structural dimension, reflecting the community&rsquo;s tangible and logical organization; the content dimension, emphasizing the discipline-specific focus of the DPLC; the common production dimension, showcasing joint enterprise activities and products of the DPLC; the social-affective dimension, addressing social, emotional, and value-based aspects that establish a sense of community; and the meta-community dimension, exploring the DPLC&rsquo;s relationships with its broader environment. These dimensions operate bidirectionally: inward&mdash;the effect of the community on the individual, and outward&mdash;the effect of the individual teacher on the community. We discuss how interactions between these dimensions shape DPLCs and influence teacher development. Additionally, we highlight the significance of this unified model for DPLC leaders, researchers, and policymakers in teacher development