There is widespread concern for the situation of school physics regarding recruitment, contents, teaching methods, etc. In this study based on questionnaire and focus group data, we explore how upper secondary pupils and teachers perceive physics as a subject, how they experience physics instruction, and how physics compares to other subjects. Our study shows that pupils find physics interesting, but difficult and work‐intensive; formalistic in nature, but still describing the world and everyday phenomena. Pupils express that “exoti” topics like astrophysics are closer to their life‐world than mechanics etc. Whereas teachers complain about pupils' poor mathematics skills, pupils do not see this as a major problem. Physics instruction is still dominated by traditional content knowledge and seems to attract and reward pupils with this orientation. Pupils have a relatively weak understanding of the central role of experiments in science. Generally, pupils appear conservative in their views on teaching and learning; however, they would like stronger emphasis on qualitative and pupil‐centred approaches. Based on our findings, we suggest that an upper secondary physics education preparing pupils for tomorrow's society should be characterized by variety, both within and among courses, integration of mathematics in the physics courses, more pupil‐centred instruction, and a stronger emphasis on knowledge in context. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 88:683–706, 2004

In this article, we discuss how quantum physics and relativity can be taught in upper secondary school, in ways that promote conceptual understanding and philosophical reflections. We present the ReleQuant project, in which web-based teaching modules have been developed. The modules address competence aims in the Norwegian national curriculum for physics (final year of upper secondary education), which is unique in that it includes general relativity, entangled photons and the epistemological consequences of modern physics. These topics, with their high demands on students' understanding of abstract and counter-intuitive concepts and principles, are challenging for teachers to teach and for students to learn. However, they also provide opportunities to present modern physics in innovative ways that students may find motivating and relevant both in terms of modern technological applications and in terms of contributions to students' intellectual development. Beginning with these challenges and opportunities, we briefly present previous research and theoretical perspectives with relevance to student learning and motivation in modern physics. Based on this, we outline the ReleQuant teaching approach, where students use written and oral language and a collaborative exploration of animations and simulations as part of their learning process. Finally, we present some of the first experiences from classroom tests of the quantum physics modules.

Quantum physics and relativity are demanding for teachers and students, but have the potential for students to experience physics as fascinating and meaningful. Project ReleQuant engaged in educational design research to improve teaching and learning in these topics in Norwegian upper secondary schools. The paper focuses on the first cycle of development of a teaching module on quantum physics and how design principles were developed. We construct the design principles by reviewing relevant research literature and conducting three pilot studies. The process resulted in the following principles for designing the quantum physics teaching module: 1) clarify how quantum physics breaks with classical physics; 2) use simulations of phenomena that cannot be experienced directly; 3) provide students to use written and oral language; 4) address and discuss wave-particle duality and the uncertainty

Calls for renewal of physics education include more varied learning activities and increased focus on qualitative understanding and history and philosophy of science (HPS) aspects. We have studied an innovative approach implementing such features in quantum physics in traditional upper secondary physics classrooms in Norway. Data consists of 11 focus groups with 58 participants from 11 physics classes, collected in 2013-2016 and analyzed thematically. Using the the implied student (Ulriksen, 2009) as an analytical lens, we study the experiences of actual physics students against the student "implied" by the innovative approach. The findings suggest that students struggled where the new approach holds implicit expectations that differ greatly from how students are expected to "do physics" in traditional classrooms. For example, students found it difficult to monitor their performance in the absence of calculations and factual answers.However, students easily adopted visualizations as a new tool for reaching the familiar goal of content knowledge. HPS aspects motivated students, but were not necessarily seen as learning goals in their own right. There is a need for better alignment between learning activities, learning goals and assessment in innovations, and for making implicit expectations explicit so that students know what "doing physics" successfully entails.

In this paper we describe a teaching approach focusing on modelling in physics, emphasizing scientific reasoning based on empirical data and using the notion of multiple representations of physical phenomena as a framework. We describe modelling activities from a project (PHYS 21) and relate some experiences from implementation of the modelling approach in Norwegian upper secondary physics classrooms.