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UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST
FACULTY OF PHYSICS Guest
2024-11-23 18:08 |
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Conference: Bucharest University Faculty of Physics 2022 Meeting
Section: Theoretical Physics and Applied Mathematics
Title:
Typical misconceptions in Quantum Mechanics learning process: a comparative study between physics and mathematics students
Authors:
Andreea POPESCU-CRUGLIC, Maria-Beatrice OPREA, Andreea CROITORU, Roxana ZUS, Virgil BARAN
*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest
E-mail
andreeacruglic@gmail.com, roxana.zus@fizica.unibuc.ro
Keywords:
typical misconceptions, teaching of quantum mechanics
Abstract:
Despite the many decades in which Quantum Mechanics (QM) has played a central role in the education of a physicist, it is still challenging academics in finding the most appropriate methods and approaches to introduce the principles and concepts that lay at the base of this fascinating field.
Therefore, we are actively looking forward to finding better and better solutions, trying different approaches and also studying their impact on student’s understanding and abilities after taking the QM course.
In order to understand the efficiency of the teaching methods and the difficulties encountered by the students, we have implemented a survey for the University of Bucharest Physics students, in their second year of study, and also for the Mathematics students choosing QM as an optional discipline. Two different questionnaires were designed and applied, one before the introductory lectures on QM and the second one, at the end of the lecture series.
The first questionnaire aimed to identify preconceptions regarding some of the QM concepts. It was also intended to provide a realistic and clear view of students' abilities to use the mathematical apparatus needed to study QM and to discover any gaps and needs for improvement so that the course and seminar teachers may address those needs.
The second questionnaire intended to verify if and which of the initial misconceptions were cleared for the students attending the lecture and to single out some common mistakes the students still make, testing their ability to put into use the studied concepts.
Besides the comparative study between the physics and mathematics students, we have also analyzed the results of the second survey in relation to some previous generations of students.
References:
[1] E. Marshman, C. Singh; “Framework for understanding the patterns of student difficulties in quantum mechanics”; Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 11, 020119 (2015)
[2] M. Michelini, G. Zuccarini; “University students' reasoning on physical information encoded in quantum state at a point in time" (2015) DOI:10.1119/perc.2014.pr.043
[3] C. Singh, E. Marshman; “Review of student difficulties in upper-level quantum mechanics”, Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 11, 020117 (2015)
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