Abstract This study investigates the effect of active teaching methods on students’ SOLO taxonomy levels in learning static electricity concepts (electric charge, force, and field) among 11th-grade female students, aged 16–17 years, during the 2024–2025 academic year. Using a quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-tests, 30 students were divided into experimental (active teaching) and control (traditional instruction) groups. Researcher-developed assessments with acceptable reliability (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.708–0.743) were used. The 14-session intervention included hands-on experiments, PhET simulations, and collaborative learning activities. MANOVA results showed significant improvements in the experimental group at higher SOLO levels: relational (electric charge), extended abstract (electric force), and multistructural (electric field), with moderate to large effect sizes ( η 2 = 0.15–0.41). Qualitative findings indicated a reduction in common misconceptions, such as misunderstandings about charge transfer and electric fields. Overall, active teaching enhanced higher-order thinking, improved conceptual understanding, and effectively reduced misconceptions in physics learning.
Abstract Evaporation, infiltration and soil-water exchange are governed by fundamental physical principles, yet they are rarely explored experimentally in school physics due to the cost and complexity of professional instrumentation. This article presents a simple, low-cost homemade lysimeter designed to make these processes measurable and pedagogically accessible in a laboratory setting. The device, built from inexpensive materials, allows students to determine precipitation, infiltration, soil-water storage and actual evapotranspiration directly from mass differences. A practical measurement protocol is outlined, suitable for lab sessions. It is illustrated how the resulting data can be analysed to identify first-stage (linear) and second-stage (square-root) evaporation regimes using basic least-squares techniques on a spreadsheet. The activity provides a real-life context for applying concepts of heat transfer, phase change and water balance, while connecting physics learning with sustainability and environmental processes observable in school gardens. The lysimeter offers a versatile tool to support inquiry-based learning, quantitative reasoning and discussions of real-world water-management challenges.
Abstract This paper presents two experimental activities for teaching heat convection to upper-primary and lower-secondary students. The sequence is designed to make the interaction and exchange of warm and cool water masses visible and to support students in constructing an explanatory mechanism. The first activity focuses on the vertical motion of warm and cold water, while the second extends this understanding to the full cyclic pattern of convection currents. Structured according to the predict–observe–explain strategy, the activities link visible fluid motion with temperature differences, density differences, and the cyclic motion of water masses, thereby supporting an explanatory understanding of convection.
Abstract Various methods are used to measure dielectric constant, particularly in pedagogical settings to illustrate the concept of capacitance. This study presents a sequence of three experiments using two types of variable capacitors to investigate the dependence of capacitance on plate area and the medium. In the first experiment, a single-gang variable capacitor was used to determine the dielectric constant of a liquid by comparing capacitance measurements in air and in the liquid medium. The second experiment determined the dielectric constant by measuring the capacitance of capacitors connected in parallel, with a set of capacitors in air and the other immersed in liquid. The third experiment employed a dual-gang variable capacitor, enabling direct and simultaneous capacitance measurements in air and in liquid. The dielectric constants of transformer oil, coconut oil, and castor oil were measured. The results aligned with published values. The experimental setup requires minimal equipment, a variable capacitor and an LCR meter. The concise procedure makes it suitable for instructional laboratory use. Through these experiments, students gain practical insight into the fundamental properties of capacitors and dielectric materials.
Abstract In a recent paper, Ladino and Rondón (2025 Phys. Educ. 60 045026) discuss ‘an interactive simulation tool designed to investigate the dynamics of a Gaussian pulse propagating along two connected strings with different linear densities.’ In its conclusions, the paper states that ‘longitudinal momentum was found to be non-conserved,... this observation suggests [that] an underlying cause... warrants further investigation.’ This paper provides that investigation by showing that Newtonian longitudinal momentum is conserved in the process, but that one needs to take into account the necessary coupling between transverse and longitudinal modes of oscillation to determine that. It is also noted that transverse-longitudinal mode coupling significantly changes the required potential energy density analysis, unless one restricts the analysis to Slinky springs for which purely transverse motion of string points is possible. However, if one restricts the analysis to Slinky springs, purely transverse pulses do not have any Newtonian longitudinal momentum, and this remains the case throughout the whole reflection and transmission across a linear mass density discontinuity process. Consequently, in that case there is no apparent ‘non-conservation of longitudinal momentum’ conundrum to resolve. All results are determined by modelling a taut string as a chain of point masses joined by massless springs obeying Hooke’s law and solving the resulting set of coupled ordinary differential equations numerically. The results are of importance for instructors more generally by revealing the limits of applicability of neglecting longitudinal motion when analysing energy transport around taut strings.
Abstract Laboratory work is central to physics education, yet the design of laboratory instruments, demonstrations, and safety procedures almost universally assumes right-handed operation. This study investigates the disadvantages that left-handed students face in high school physics laboratories through two complementary approaches. First, a handedness survey of 4226 Grade 10–12 students across three public high schools in China revealed that while 9.5% of students were naturally left-handed, over three-quarters had been corrected to write with their right hand, leaving only 2.2% who still used their left hand—a finding that highlights the extent to which cultural correction masks the true scale of the affected population. Second, a measurement experiment using vernier calipers ( N = 583 ) showed that both left-handed and corrected left-handed students exhibited higher error rates (53% and 52%, respectively) than right-handed students (31%), with a Kruskal–Wallis test confirming significant group differences ( H = 11.73 , p = 0.003 ). Video behavioural coding ( N = 51 ) further revealed that left-handed students required longer task completion times (median 165 s vs 118 s) and substantially more frequent re-grasping of the instrument (median 9 vs 2), patterns corroborated by thermal imaging of grip distributions. Importantly, overall academic performance showed no meaningful differences among handedness groups, indicating that the observed laboratory disadvantages are environmentally imposed rather than intrinsic. The paper concludes with practical inclusive teaching strategies, including pre-laboratory handedness audits, body-neutral safety language, positional compensation training, and the use of symmetrically designed instruments as transitional scaffolding.
Abstract A standard experiment in elementary physics is to measure the coefficient of restitution (COR) of a bouncing ball. When dropped vertically on a rigid horizontal surface, the COR is defined as the ratio of the bounce speed to the incident speed. The COR is a measure of the energy loss and depends on the elastic properties of the ball. A simple model is presented to show how the COR of a ball can be calculated in terms of its elastic properties.
Abstract Why do passengers often feel tired after a long trip even when they have only been sitting? This familiar experience can be explained, at least in part, through physics. A seated passenger is not in true mechanical rest during travel, but is subjected to repeated acceleration, oscillatory disturbance, and vibration transmitted through the vehicle and seat. The body therefore remains mechanically active even without deliberate motion. This paper uses passenger tiredness as a context for teaching reference frames, acceleration, vibration, forced motion, and system response in introductory mechanics. To examine how students initially think about this phenomenon, a short exploratory questionnaire was administered to 21 students enrolled in an introductory mechanics course. The results show that students readily recognise the experience but usually describe it in ordinary language such as prolonged sitting, rough roads, shaking, vehicle movement, and lack of sleep. These responses can be translated into mechanics concepts, making the topic a practical bridge from an everyday question to formal physics.
Abstract The acceleration of a pull-back toy car was measured and compared with the measured drive torque applied by the axle. The drive torque was only slightly larger than the opposing torque arising from the static friction force on the wheels. The total work done by the static friction force on the wheels of the car was zero since the work done by the friction force to accelerate the car was equal and opposite the work done by the friction torque. That result differs from the conclusion of many authors that no work is done by the static friction force on the drive wheels of an accelerating car.
Abstract The paper presents a simple experimental method for making a wooden quarter-wave plate for microwaves. In addition to the obvious birefringence of wood, absorption must also be considered when making a suitable wooden sample to serve as a quarter-wave plate for microwaves. Two parameters must be determined to obtain circularly polarised microwaves after linearly polarised microwaves pass through a wooden plate: the thickness of the plate and the orientation of the polarisation of the incident linearly polarised microwaves. Due to microwave absorption in wood, experimentally finding appropriate values for both parameters may be non-trivial and time-consuming. The main advantage of the method presented is that it divides the search for the two parameters into two steps. In each step, only one parameter is determined, making the method straightforward and fairly robust, so it can be used as a laboratory exercise in physics courses at pre-university or university level.
Abstract This research introduces a new approach to studying pitch glide in the traditional Japanese drum kotsuzumi through acoustic analysis and controlled tension release. The approach uses a smartphone camera to record the experiment and frame-by-frame video analysis to obtain timing measurements. A simple automated setup was also developed to examine how changes in membrane tension influence vibration frequency during sound production. The study highlights the educational value of music as a context for learning physics by making the relationship between vibration and sound easier to observe experimentally. Unlike a conventional drum, the kotsuzumi allows pitch glide to be observed when the membranetension is released during vibration. This makes the kotsuzumi a useful educational tool for helping students understand the acoustic behaviour of the membrane.
Abstract This paper presents a low-cost engineering design challenge—the ‘Safe Room’ activity—designed to support the teaching of geometrical optics through an engaging, hands-on, problem-based scenario. Working in teams, participants design and build a laser-based ‘security system’ that must satisfy specific optical constraints (including multiple reflections and at least one refraction) while triggering an alarm when the beam is interrupted. The task combines simple optical components (plane mirrors and a prism) with an Arduino-based sensing system, encouraging planning, prototyping, testing and iterative refinement within an engineering design framework. The activity was implemented with eight pre-service physics teachers during a physics didactics course, allowing them to experience this approach from the learner’s perspective as a model for future classroom practice. Evidence was collected through a post-activity Likert questionnaire, structured observation of group work, and individual SWOT reflections. Results indicate high levels of engagement, mobilisation of key geometrical optics ideas, and positive evaluations of the approach for future teaching use. Observations further indicate that participants enacted core design practices, including systematic planning, iteration and troubleshooting, while also revealing practical implementation challenges such as alignment, mechanical stability and safety routines. The ‘Safe Room’ is therefore proposed as a replicable, low-cost and adaptable engineering design activity that can enrich optics instruction and teacher education. For introductory school contexts, it can be implemented as a progressive sequence comprising reflection-focused and refraction-focused challenges before learners undertake the integrated version.
Abstract The ongoing underachievement of Nigerian secondary school students in Physics has been attributed to the use of teacher-centred instructional strategies among other factors. Therefore, it is essential to explore innovative student-centred approaches that enhance long-term retention of physics concepts. This study examined whether the use of Vee-diagrams or guided-inquiry instruction can significantly improve students’ retention of physics concepts. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design was adopted. The sample comprised 413 students drawn from selected secondary schools. Data were collected using a validated Physics Retention Test (reliability coefficient = 0.89). The data were analysed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc tests. The results revealed a significant effect of instructional strategy on students’ retention, F(2, 410) = 87.96, p < .001, η 2 p = 0.30, indicating a large effect size. Students exposed to Vee-diagram or guided inquiry strategy performed significantly better than those in the control group. However, no significant difference was found between the two experimental groups. In addition, gender had no significant effect on students’ retention. The study concludes that Vee-diagram and guided inquiry significantly enhance students’ retention in physics. It is recommended that physics teachers adopt these strategies to promote meaningful learning and improve long-term retention among students.
Abstract The principle of the lever is one of the oldest in human history. The force applied at one end of a lever (called the effort) results in a force at the other end of the lever in order to lift a load situated there, the weight of which exceeds the size of the effort. Where does the mechanical force which lifts (or otherwise moves) the load come from? An answer to this question is presented.
Abstract Curriculum development for science degrees in higher education is of great relevance to service courses, i.e. courses designed to cater to students majoring in scientific disciplines different from that of the service course. Not only do service courses provide general scientific literacy to future scientists, but (if properly designed) they also address preconceptions around the relevance of a particular science discipline within the broader scientific context. Physics service courses are not exempt from this. A first-year physics course for Earth Sciences majors developed at the University of Johannesburg is described. The course was developed to address the poor performance of the students in the old ‘content-neutral’ general physics service course, and the lack of engagement of students with the content. The content of this fourteen-week course spans topics from vector algebra and two-dimensional mechanics to the properties of solids and fluids. Particular care has been put into enriching each section with relevant examples within the geosciences context, and making links between physics principles and laws to more advanced geoscience subjects. Examples of these include: the relevance of vector addition for the triple-junction stability in plate tectonics; projectile motion to model the effect of volcanic eruptions; Archimedes’ principle and buoyancy at subduction zones; the effects of stress and strain on fossils; and many others. The pedagogical approaches adopted in the teaching of the course are described. These approaches together with the relevance of the course content to students, have tremendously contributed to increasing student performance and the holistic experience of the course. Finally, arguments are proposed to support the claim that the emphasis on relevance of the content is the appropriate answer to address the issues around decolonization of the curriculum within the South African higher education landscape.
Abstract This study reports the design, development, and initial validation of collaborative problem solving based learning materials for dynamic electricity, targeting first-year physics teacher education students. The materials were developed using the ADDIE instructional design model and focus on building students’ systems thinking skills through structured inquiry and peer collaboration. Four expert validators assessed the materials and rated them as highly valid overall, with content and presentation receiving the maximum score and language rated as adequate. Following expert revision, the materials were implemented with 23 students. Learning gains were measured using normalized gain (N-gain), yielding a class average of 0.43, classified as moderate. While no student reached the high-gain category, 82.61% demonstrated moderate improvement and 17.39% showed low improvement. These findings indicate that learning materials based on collaborative problem solving can meaningfully support the development of systems thinking in introductory physics, though sustained implementation over multiple learning cycles is needed to reach higher levels of competency.
Abstract This study presents the biographical book trailer production (BBTP) framework, a theory-based pedagogical model for humanizing physics education through biographical reading, conceptual reconstruction, and multimodal storytelling. BBTP comprises three interrelated components. First, physicist selection is guided by seven interdependent criteria, including curricular alignment, the epistemic and social dimensions of the family resemblance approach (FRA) to the nature of science (NOS), historical and conceptual relevance, and identity and representation, all of which are grounded in the model of educational reconstruction. Second, students are guided through a four-stage production cycle, from biographical immersion to digital production and peer-reviewed presentation, in which historical material functions not only as motivational context but as a resource for reconstructing the conceptual emergence of physics ideas. Third, a five-dimensional, weighted evaluation rubric assesses physics content, the cognitive-epistemic and social-institutional dimensions of NOS independently, narrative design, and creative execution, operationalizing the distinction between surface and deep engagement with physics and NOS. An example centred on Lise Meitner and nuclear fission illustrates the framework’s application while deliberately resisting heroic or lone-genius narratives common to biographical science teaching. BBTP positions students as active interpreters, producers, and critical communicators of scientific knowledge, supporting four interconnected outcomes: enhanced engagement with the cognitive-epistemic and social-institutional dimensions of FRA; strengthened scientific agency and identity; conceptual reconstruction of physics content through historical narrative; and the development of critical science communication literacy. BBTP offers physics educators a flexible, empirically grounded, and assessable approach to integrating the historical, social, and human dimensions of physics into classroom practice.
