Experimentation in Physics Education: Should We Bother

Abstract

The experimental observation of gravitational waves in recent years has generated much excitement. In this instance, the interplay between theory and experiment is intriguing. The groundbreaking Eötvös experiment was undertaken around 1900, followed by Einstein’s prediction. Experimental observations occurred a century later. The question arises, ‘Can such experimental experiences be recreated in university and school laboratory programs’? Various phrases have been coined for such learning experiences, authentic, inquiry, to the practice of physics. Furthermore, the learning experiences are given different names, experiments, practicals and investigations; and in the current, context can be referred to as inquiry-based learning, project-based learning to STEM projects. In whatever form, curricula and pedagogies internationally are aspiring to instil the wonder of science through such pedagogies. But how can we tell if they are effective? And even more fundamentally, what does ‘effective’ mean? It is important to note that there are genuine challenges, from defining effective to, how to measure or evaluate. This paper seeks to provide insights by sharing two decades of research on experimentation in the Australian context. The strength of the work is that it straddles schools and universities, intertwining science disciplines, identifying commonalities and threads, binding the sciences together.