Opportunities and Challenges of Using Feynman Diagrams with Upper Secondary Students
Particle physics is an exciting subject for high school students, and there have been various approaches on how to introduce the topic in the classroom. Feynman diagrams (FDs) are an often-used form of representation in particle physics and could play an important role in such an introduction. Howev...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Physics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2624-8174/4/4/85 |
| _version_ | 1797455688089206784 |
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| author | Merten Nikolay Dahlkemper Pascal Klein Andreas Müller Sascha Marc Schmeling Jeff Wiener |
| author_facet | Merten Nikolay Dahlkemper Pascal Klein Andreas Müller Sascha Marc Schmeling Jeff Wiener |
| author_sort | Merten Nikolay Dahlkemper |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Particle physics is an exciting subject for high school students, and there have been various approaches on how to introduce the topic in the classroom. Feynman diagrams (FDs) are an often-used form of representation in particle physics and could play an important role in such an introduction. However, their potential educational value has not yet been investigated. To this end, we interviewed four experts in the field of particle physics education on the opportunities and challenges Feynman diagrams could pose for high school students. We analyzed their answers using a thematic analysis framework, categorizing them into five themes. The results of these interviews show that there are two challenges (FDs elicit and perpetuate inadequate conceptions about particle physics, and FDs can only be treated superficially in school) and three opportunities (FDs can link particle physics and other physics topics in high school education, FDs offer an opportunity for different particle physics topics to be taught, and FDs offer a connection to current research). The results of this expert interview study lead to several suggestions on how to design learning environments that incorporate Feynman diagrams. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:57:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ea87a9f296ea49e1a62d29c75e8dcc86 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2624-8174 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:57:54Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-ea87a9f296ea49e1a62d29c75e8dcc862023-11-24T17:26:36ZengMDPI AGPhysics2624-81742022-10-01441331134710.3390/physics4040085Opportunities and Challenges of Using Feynman Diagrams with Upper Secondary StudentsMerten Nikolay Dahlkemper0Pascal Klein1Andreas Müller2Sascha Marc Schmeling3Jeff Wiener4European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), 1211 Geneva, SwitzerlandPhysics Education Research Section, Faculty of Physics, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, GermanyFaculty of Sciences, Section of Physics and University Institute of Teacher Education (IUFE), University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, SwitzerlandEuropean Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), 1211 Geneva, SwitzerlandEuropean Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), 1211 Geneva, SwitzerlandParticle physics is an exciting subject for high school students, and there have been various approaches on how to introduce the topic in the classroom. Feynman diagrams (FDs) are an often-used form of representation in particle physics and could play an important role in such an introduction. However, their potential educational value has not yet been investigated. To this end, we interviewed four experts in the field of particle physics education on the opportunities and challenges Feynman diagrams could pose for high school students. We analyzed their answers using a thematic analysis framework, categorizing them into five themes. The results of these interviews show that there are two challenges (FDs elicit and perpetuate inadequate conceptions about particle physics, and FDs can only be treated superficially in school) and three opportunities (FDs can link particle physics and other physics topics in high school education, FDs offer an opportunity for different particle physics topics to be taught, and FDs offer a connection to current research). The results of this expert interview study lead to several suggestions on how to design learning environments that incorporate Feynman diagrams.https://www.mdpi.com/2624-8174/4/4/85particle physicsFeynman diagramssecondary educationexpert interviewsdesign-based research |
| spellingShingle | Merten Nikolay Dahlkemper Pascal Klein Andreas Müller Sascha Marc Schmeling Jeff Wiener Opportunities and Challenges of Using Feynman Diagrams with Upper Secondary Students Physics particle physics Feynman diagrams secondary education expert interviews design-based research |
| title | Opportunities and Challenges of Using Feynman Diagrams with Upper Secondary Students |
| title_full | Opportunities and Challenges of Using Feynman Diagrams with Upper Secondary Students |
| title_fullStr | Opportunities and Challenges of Using Feynman Diagrams with Upper Secondary Students |
| title_full_unstemmed | Opportunities and Challenges of Using Feynman Diagrams with Upper Secondary Students |
| title_short | Opportunities and Challenges of Using Feynman Diagrams with Upper Secondary Students |
| title_sort | opportunities and challenges of using feynman diagrams with upper secondary students |
| topic | particle physics Feynman diagrams secondary education expert interviews design-based research |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2624-8174/4/4/85 |
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