Effect of an introductory quantum physics course using experiments with heralded photons on preuniversity students’ conceptions about quantum physics

We conducted a quasiexperimental study in order to investigate the effect of a teaching concept on quantum physics based on coincidence and correlation experiments with heralded photons on preuniversity students’ conceptions of quantum physics (experimental group, N=150). We compare the results with...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Philipp Bitzenbauer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Physical Society 2021-07-01
Series:Physical Review Physics Education Research
Online Access:http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.17.020103
Description
Summary:We conducted a quasiexperimental study in order to investigate the effect of a teaching concept on quantum physics based on coincidence and correlation experiments with heralded photons on preuniversity students’ conceptions of quantum physics (experimental group, N=150). We compare the results with the traditional curriculum’s effect (control group, N=130) at German secondary schools using a questionnaire to assess students’ conceptions of quantum physics adapted from the literature. The results show that students introduced to quantum physics using the quantum optics concept acquire conceptions of quantum physics that are significantly less influenced by classical mechanistic and deterministic conceptions than those of the control group. In more detail, correlation and principal component analysis results indicate that the conceptions acquired by experimental group students are more consistent than those of the control group students.
ISSN:2469-9896