(SGER) Theoretical Frameworks for Conducting Research in Physics Education

Physicists bring a unique perspective to education research. Recently, more and more physics departments are creating tenure-track positions for faculty whose primary research interest is in physics education. This research is task specific and consists of an integrated approach to examining student difficulties and designing instructional strategies and materials to address these difficulties. As a researcher in this field, the P.I. proposes on-site visits to work with the directors of two NSF sponsored education research and development projects. The objectives of these visits are twofold: (1) become more cognizant of current practices in the field of science education and (2) to develop a theoretical framework, based in current theories on learning and teaching, which supports the P.I.\u27s research