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Improving the Quantum Mechanics Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Physics Graduate Students
written by Emily Marshman
Many physics graduate students face the unique challenge of being both students and teachers concurrently. To succeed in these roles, they must develop both physics content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. My research focuses on improving both the content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge of first year graduate students. To improve their content knowledge, I have focused on improving graduate students' conceptual understanding of quantum mechanics covered in upper-level undergraduate courses since our earlier investigations suggest that many graduate students struggle in developing a conceptual understanding of quantum mechanics. Learning tools, such as the Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorials (QuILTs) that I have developed, have been successful in helping graduate students improve their understanding of Dirac notation and single photon behavior in the context of a Mach-Zehnder Interferometer. In addition, I have been involved in enhancing our semester long course professional development course for teaching assistants (TAs) by including research-based activities. In particular, I have been researching the implications of graduate TAs' reflections on the connections between their grading practices and student learning, i.e., the development of introductory physics students' content knowledge and problem-solving, reasoning, and metacognitive skills. This research involves having graduate students grade sample student solutions to introductory physics problems. Afterward, the graduate TAs discuss with each other the pros and cons of different grading rubrics on student learning and formulate a joint grading rubric to grade the problem. The graduate TAs are individually asked to reformulate a rubric and grade problems using the rubric several months after the group activity to assess the impact of the intervention on graduate TAs. In addition to the intervention focusing on grading sample student solutions, graduate TAs are also asked to answer
University: University of Pittsburgh
Academic Department:  Physics & Astronomy
Pages 546
Subjects Levels Resource Types
Education Foundations
- Teacher Characteristics
= Content Knowledge
= Pedagogical Content Knowledge
Education Practices
- Teacher Preparation
Quantum Physics
- General
- Quantum Experiments
- Graduate/Professional
- Professional Development
- Reference Material
= Thesis/Dissertation
Intended Users Formats Ratings
- Researchers
- Educators
- application/pdf
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© 2015 Emily M. Marshman
Keywords:
QuILT, teacher reflection
Record Creator:
Metadata instance created November 11, 2015 by Bruce Mason
Record Updated:
November 11, 2015 by Bruce Mason
Last Update
when Cataloged:
July 13, 2015
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AIP Format
E. Marshman, , University of Pittsburgh, 2015, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13787&DocID=4207).
AJP/PRST-PER
E. Marshman, Improving the Quantum Mechanics Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Physics Graduate Students, University of Pittsburgh, 2015, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13787&DocID=4207>.
APA Format
Marshman, E. (2015, July 13). Improving the Quantum Mechanics Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Physics Graduate Students (University of Pittsburgh, 2015). Retrieved March 29, 2024, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13787&DocID=4207
Chicago Format
Marshman, Emily. "Improving the Quantum Mechanics Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Physics Graduate Students." University of Pittsburgh, 2015. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13787&DocID=4207 (accessed 29 March 2024).
MLA Format
Marshman, Emily. "Improving the Quantum Mechanics Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Physics Graduate Students." 13 July 2015. University of Pittsburgh, 2015. 29 Mar. 2024 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13787&DocID=4207>.
BibTeX Export Format
@phdthesis{ Author = "Emily Marshman", Title = {Improving the Quantum Mechanics Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Physics Graduate Students}, School = {University of Pittsburgh}, Month = {July}, Year = {2015} }
Refer Export Format

%A Emily Marshman %T Improving the Quantum Mechanics Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Physics Graduate Students %D July 13, 2015 %P 546 %I University of Pittsburgh %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13787&DocID=4207 %O Physics & Astronomy %O application/pdf

EndNote Export Format

%0 Thesis %A Marshman, Emily %D July 13, 2015 %T Improving the Quantum Mechanics Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Physics Graduate Students %B Physics & Astronomy %I University of Pittsburgh %P 546 %8 July 13, 2015 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13787&DocID=4207


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