arXiv subjects

Apekshya Ghimire

Publications and source records attributed to Apekshya Ghimire.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

What does it mean to think like a physicist? Insights from physics graduate students

Learning to think like a physicist (LTP) is often cited as a central goal of graduate physics education, yet what this means in practice and the extent to which physics graduate education prepares students to develop LTP and view LTP as valuable to their research and teaching remain unclear. This interview-based study, conducted with seven physics graduate students at one US public research university, explores how students define thinking like a physicist and how their coursework and research experiences correlate with this development. Students emphasized that physics uniquely requires integrating physical and mathematical concepts in ways that go beyond other science disciplines. Our findings show that physics core courses, particularly electricity and magnetism, frequently emphasize mathematical techniques and content coverage at a rapid pace at the expense of deeper conceptual engagement and development of LTP. In contrast, physics elective courses and research experiences were more synergistic with and effective in fostering conceptual understanding, problem-solving skills, and identity development as physicists. Because graduate students simultaneously take core courses, conduct research and teach introductory physics, their perspectives on LTP are particularly valuable in how physics departments may consider transforming their preparation. Their voices highlight how this transformative stage of training can either support or hinder the development of physicist thinking.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2025

Perspectives of Women and Men Students and Faculty on Conceptual and Quantitative Problem-Solving in Physics from Introductory to Graduate Levels

Developing expertise in physics requires appropriate integration and assimilation of physics and mathematics. Instructors and students often describe physics courses in terms of their emphasis on conceptual and quantitative problem-solving. For example, they may argue that a course emphasizes primarily conceptual over quantitative problem-solving or may emphasize equally on both depending on instructional context and assessment design. In this study, we investigated how students and instructors across different levels of physics instruction perceive the roles and development of conceptual and quantitative problem-solving in student learning and expertise development. Using departmental surveys administered at the beginning and end of each semester, we collected both Likert-scale and open-ended responses from students enrolled in introductory, upper-level undergraduate and graduate physics courses. These surveys assessed students' self-perceived skills, preferences and perceptions of instrucots and course emphasis. To complement student perspectives, we conducted interviews with instructors using parallel questions adapted to reflect instructional goals and expectations. Our findings highlight patterns in how students and instructos prioritize conceptual and quantitative problem-solving across course levels, as well as alignment and misalignment between student and instructor perspectives.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2025

Peer Influence on Physics Self-Efficacy and Grades: A comparative study of students in an introductory calculus-based course who typically worked alone or in groups before and during the pandemic

Engaging in meaningful collaborations with peers, both inside and outside the classroom, can greatly enhance students' understanding of physics and other STEM disciplines. We analyzed the characteristics of women and men who typically worked alone versus those who collaborated with peers in a calculus-based introductory physics course comparing pre pandemic traditional in-person classes to Zoom based pandemic classes. We discuss our findings by considering students' prior academic preparation, their physics grades and physics self-efficacy, as well as their perceptions of how effective peer collaboration is for their physics self-efficacy. We also compared our results to the first-semester algebra-based introductory physics course.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2025

Investigating High School and Pre-High School Teachers' Perceptions and Experiences Introducing Quantum Concepts: A Survey of QuanTime and other Quantum-related Activities

This study investigates the experiences of pre-high and high school teachers in implementing QuanTime and other quantum-related activities aiming to promote quantum literacy and introduce foundational quantum concepts to K-12 students. The ultimate goal is to help prepare a diverse future workforce in quantum information science and technology (QIST). Teachers were divided into two groups: pre-high school (grades 4-8) and high school (grades 9-12). We used a survey featuring 12 Likert-scale questions and 14 open-ended responses to assess teachers' perceptions, engagement, and feedback about engaging in QuanTime and other quantum-related activities. Approximately two-thirds of the teachers responding to the survey implemented QuanTime activities in their classes. High school teachers who responded to the survey were most likely to use activities like Wave-Particle Duality and Electron Transitions while pre-high school teachers showed a strong interest in Art & Polarization. Open-ended feedback highlighted the ease of integrating these activities into existing curricula and the minimal preparation required, making them accessible for educators. The positive reception across both groups indicates that QuanTime and other quantum-related activities are valuable tools for early-age quantum education. By engaging students with quantum concepts from a young age, these activities have the potential to spark interest, which may contribute to their future engagement over time. It can inspire a diverse group of students and has the potential to get them interested in future opportunities in the growing field of QIST.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2025

Reflections of quantum educators on strategies to diversify the second quantum revolution

We focus on reflections and suggestions of five college quantum educators from four different institutions (two from same institution) regarding what can be done to diversify the second quantum revolution. They are leading QIST researchers, and very passionate about improving quantum education. The educators were asked about their thoughts on whether the interdisciplinary nature of the field, in which nobody can claim to be an expert in all aspects of QIST, may make it easier to create a better culture from the beginning, supportive of equitable participation of diverse groups unlike physics. This is because disciplines such as physics have an ingrained inequitable culture based on brilliance attribution that is a major impediment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Educators were interviewed on Zoom using a semi-structured think-aloud protocol about various issues related to QIST education including those pertaining to how to diversify the second quantum revolution. Their suggestions can be invaluable and can help other educators adapt and implement strategies to diversify QIST.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2025

How often does unguided peer interaction lead to correct response consensus? An example from Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism

In this research, we investigated the impact of peer collaboration and changes from individual to group performance of graduate students on the Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism (CSEM) without any guidance from the instructor. We define construction of knowledge as a case in which the group answered the question correctly but in the individual administration of the survey before the group work, one member gave the correct answer and the other gave incorrect answer. We find that there was a significant improvement in the performance of students after peer interaction, which was mostly attributed to construction of knowledge. However, students had very few opportunities to co-construct knowledge as there were hardly any situations in which neither student in a group provided a correct answer. We analyzed the effect size for improvement from individual to group scores for each CSEM item to understand the characteristics of these questions that led to productive group interaction. We also compared the group performance of the graduate students to the introductory physics students in a prior study using the CSEM to get insight into the concepts that showed differences for the two groups and those that were challenging for both groups of students before and after collaboration with peers. Our findings can motivate physics instructors to incorporate group interactions both inside and outside of the classroom even without instructor's involvement so that students at all levels can learn from each other and develop a functional understanding of the underlying concepts.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2025

Introductory Physics Students in Algebra-based Courses Who Typically Worked Alone or in Groups: Insights from Gender-Based Analysis before and during COVID-19

Collaboration with peers both inside and outside the classroom can be an invaluable tool for helping students learn physics. We investigated the impact of peer collaboration on learning physics by examining the characteristics of women and men who typically worked alone versus those who typically collaborated with peers in their algebra-based introductory physics course when they took the course before and during the COVID-19 pandemic when the classes were on Zoom. Our findings indicate that, on average, students who worked with peers had higher grades and reported greater peer influence on their physics self-efficacy during the pandemic compared to those who worked alone. We also observed that, for both women and men, a larger percentage of students typically worked in groups before the pandemic, while a greater percentage typically worked alone during the pandemic. We discuss these results in relation to students' prior academic preparation, physics grades, self-efficacy and their perception of the effectiveness of peer collaboration on their physics self-efficacy.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2025

Using Unguided Peer Collaboration to Facilitate Early Educators' Pedagogical Development: An Example from Physics TA Training

Many early career educators, such as teaching assistants (TAs) in college courses, as well as pre-college educators, need help both with content and pedagogical knowledge to effectively help their students learn. One pedagogical approach that has been found effective in prior studies is collaboration with peers. Collaborative learning not only has the potential to help educators develop content knowledge but can also improve their pedagogical knowledge. This study examines the performance of physics graduate students, enrolled in a professional development course for teaching assistants (TAs), on the Magnetism Conceptual Survey, highlighting the impact of peer collaboration on learning both content and pedagogy. Peer interaction significantly improved performance, driven by both construction of knowledge (where the group answered a question correctly but only one member had the correct individual response) and co-construction of knowledge (where the group succeeded despite both members initially answering incorrectly). Beyond improving content understanding, peer collaboration can also foster pedagogical skills by encouraging early educators such as TAs to use peers as learning resources and communicate ideas effectively to support mutual understanding. These dual benefits-enhancing both content mastery and teaching abilities-demonstrate that this approach holds value not only for the professional development of TAs but can also be adapted for pre-college professional development programs to improve teaching and learning outcomes.

physics.ed-ph↗