Topics of Physics Education and Connections to Other Sciences

Abstract

The contributions of research presented in Physics Education are genuinely necessary for content and quality of physics teacher education and for developing new lessons based on research. Teaching and learning in a subject, physics in this case, can only be successful if it is informed by research in the respective areas of educational activities. Nevertheless, to improve the quality of physics teaching and learning from kindergarten to university, many references to other disciplines are needed. This chapter of Physics Education brings teaching and research of physics education in line with academic physics, psychology and pedagogy to enable student teachers of physics and in-service teachers to understand research findings and provide them with opportunities to transfer theoretical approaches and empirical results to their own practices. Physics Education is about research, teaching physics and learning physics and lesson design on all levels of the respective educational systems. Therefore, the area of research, teaching and developing learning environments covers not only processes of teaching and learning in pre-schools, all kind of schools, universities and state-dependent seminars but also non-school institutions such as museums, science centres or learning laboratories.