Welcome to PER-Central

Welcome to PER-Central, a collection of information and resources for physics education research. Here you will find articles, theses and dissertations, research groups, curricular material, and news and events that are of interest to the PER Community. Click here to find out more about PER-Central.

Upcoming PER Events

Physics Education Research Conference 2008

The Physics Education Research Conference (PERC) provides an opportunity for those in the field of physics education research and allied fields to share their research, obtain feedback, explore diverse perspectives and discuss issues relevant to the community.  Various session formats afford the opportunity for maximum interaction. The focus at PERC is on feedback and discussion with others engaged in physics education research, rather than on dissemination.

AAPT 2008 Summer Meeting

Physics from the Ground Up

Call for Submissions: Papers on Teacher Preparation

Contributions are solicited for a forthcoming book on the preparation and professional development of teachers of physics and physical science.  The book, to be published jointly by the American Physical Society and American Association of Physics Teachers, will include new reports reflecting cutting-edge research and practice, as well as reprints of previously published seminal papers.  Printed copies will be distributed to chairs of all physics departments in the United States.  The book will also be freely available online.

Reviews in Physics Education Research

Over the past two decades, the PER community has not only learned a great deal about how learning occurs in calculus-based university physics classes, it has also developed a number of effective instructional environments.

Here is an example of a review article that helps to bridge research and practice, bringing the results of research and development projects to the instructional community:

Peer Instruction: Engaging Students One-on-One, All At Once
by C. H. Crouch, J. Watkins, A. P. Fagen, and E. Mazur.

Find more articles that help to bridge research and practice in Reviews in PER, Volume 1: Research-Based Reform of University Physics.

PER Programs

Take a look at our map of Physics Education Research (PER) programs to browse the different PER groups and their research.

Browse the Educational Materials

Basic Research Achievement Alternative Conceptions Assessment of Students Behavior Cognition Communication Learning Theory Research Design & Methodology Societal Issues Student Characteristics Student Populations Teacher Characteristics Teacher Content Knowledge		Applied Research Active Learning Careers Classroom Management Course Goals Curriculum Development Instructional Material Design Pedagogy Professional Development School Improvement Teacher Preparation Technology
By Topic: Astronomy, Classical Mechanics, Electricity & Magnetism, General Physics, Modern Physics, Optics, Oscillations & Waves, Other Sciences, Quantum Physics, Thermodynamics & Statistical Mechanics

New Resources in PER-Central

May 29	Modeling Discourse Management Compared to Other Classroom Management Styles in University Physics
Nov 25	What Factors Really Influence Shifts in Students' Attitudes and Expectations in an Introductory Physics Course?
Nov 25	Cultivating Problem Solving Skills via a New Problem Categorization Scheme
Nov 25	Designing an Energy Assessment to Evaluate Student Understanding of Energy Topics