Addressing misconceptions in university physics: A review and experiences from quantum physics educators

Abstract

Students often enter physics classrooms with deeply ingrained misconceptions stemming from everyday experiences. These misconceptions challenge educators, as students often resist information that conflicts with their preconceptions. The first aim of this manuscript is to summarize the existing literature on misconceptions in university physics, reviewing misconceptions' sources, diagnoses, and remediation strategies. Most of this literature has concentrated on classical physics. However, quantum physics poses unique challenges because its concepts are removed from everyday experiences. This signals the need to ask how well existing strategies for addressing misconceptions apply to quantum physics. This is underscored by the recent surge of people from diverse backgrounds entering quantum physics because of the growing significance of quantum technologies. To help answer this question, we conducted in-depth interviews with quantum physics instructors at the University of Waterloo who have collectively taught over 100 quantum physics courses. These interviews explored common misconceptions in quantum physics, their origins, and effective instructional techniques to address them. We highlight specific misconceptions, such as misunderstanding of entanglement and spin, and successful teaching strategies, including ``misconception-trap quizzes.'' We integrate insights from the literature review with our interview data to provide an overview of current best practices in addressing physics misconceptions. Furthermore, we identify key research questions that warrant further exploration, such as the efficacy of multi-tier tests in quantum physics and developing a cohesive quantum curriculum. This paper aims to inform educators and curriculum developers, offering practical recommendations and setting a research agenda to improve conceptual understanding in classical and quantum physics.