Examining perceptions of physics among high school students

Abstract

Previous work shows students in secondary education have a negative opinion of physics, yet they struggle to even identify physics concepts. Our major goal is to develop interventions to help students understand what physics is and to recognize the variety of physics careers. This is to remove the stigma from physics and to properly introduce physics to students who may be interested in the field. Furthermore, this project aims to better understand students’ perceptions of physics. This includes perceptions of physics as a field, those who study physics, as well as how physics is used in the “real world.” We are especially interested in how students view jobs in physics, and what opportunities they believe exist for those who study physics. The results of this project will inform the development of the future interventions.