Insights into teaching quantum mechanics in secondary and lower undergraduate education

Abstract

This study presents a review of the current state of research on teaching quantum mechanics in secondary and lower undergraduate education. A conceptual approach to quantum mechanics is being implemented in more and more introductory physics courses around the world. Because of the differences between the conceptual nature of quantum mechanics and classical physics, research on misconceptions, testing, and teaching strategies for introductory quantum mechanics is needed. For this review, 74 articles were selected and analyzed for the misconceptions, research tools, teaching strategies and multimedia applications investigated. Outcomes were categorized according to their contribution to the various subtopics of quantum mechanics. Analysis shows that students have difficulty relating quantum physics to physical reality. It also shows that the teaching of complex quantum behavior, such as time dependence, superposition and the measurement problem, has barely been investigated for the secondary and lower undergraduate level. At the secondary school level, this review shows a need to investigate student difficulties concerning wave functions and potential wells. Investigation of research tools shows the necessity for the development of assessment tools for secondary and lower undergraduate education, which cover all major topics and are suitable for statistical analysis. Furthermore, this review shows the existence of very diverse ideas concerning teaching strategies for quantum mechanics and a lack of research into which strategies promote understanding. This review underlines the need for more empirical research into student difficulties, teaching strategies, activities and research tools intended for a conceptual approach for quantum mechanics.

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• Quantum Science and Technologies in K-12: Supporting Teachers to Integrate Quantum in STEM Classrooms
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• Challenges in addressing student difficulties with quantum measurement of two-state quantum systems using a multiple-choice question sequence in online and in-person classes
• Seeing quantum effects in experiments
• Student use of a quantum simulation and visualization tool
• Using multiple representations to improve student understanding of quantum states
• Student reasoning about quantum mechanics while working with physical experiments
• Experience gravity in the classroom using the rubber sheet: an educational proposal from the collaboration between University and School
• Exploring the mechanisms of qubit representations and introducing a new category system for visual representations: Results from expert ratings
• A Christmas Story about Quantum Teleportation
• Improving student understanding of quantum measurement in infinite-dimensional Hilbert space using a research-based multiple-choice question sequence
• Modeling and Representing Conceptual Change in the Learning of Successive Theories: The Case of the Classical-Quantum Transition
• Eliminating the Second-Order Time Dependence from the Time Dependent Schrödinger Equation Using Recursive Fourier Transforms
• Advancing Quantum Information Science Pre-College Education: The Case for Learning Sciences Collaboration