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Faculty Disagreement about the Teaching of Quantum Mechanics
written by Michael Dubson, Steve Goldhaber, Steven J. Pollock, and Katherine Perkins
To guide research-based transformation of upper-division physics classes, it is useful to identify learning goals that are broadly supported by the faculty. Our efforts to transform our junior-level E&M course have revealed a broad faculty consensus on the content of the course, if not the pedagogical approach. In contrast, we find a range of opinions on both the content and the pedagogy in junior-level QM. We surveyed 27 faculty about their approaches to teaching QM, and reviewed 20 quantum textbooks. Although there is broad agreement on the list and order of topics (Schrödinger equation to matrix methods and spin), we find substantial disagreement in several pedagogical aspects, including (1) the importance of presenting QM on an axiomatic basis (i.e. the postulates); (2) the treatment of measurement in QM (in particular, the collapse of the wave function); and (3) the physical interpretation of the wave function (matter wave vs. information wave vs. something else).
Physics Education Research Conference 2009
Part of the PER Conference series
Ann Arbor, Michigan: July 29-30, 2009
Volume 1179, Pages 137-140
Subjects Levels Resource Types
Education Foundations
- Sample Population
= Instructor: Faculty
Education Practices
- Curriculum Development
= Course
= Course Goals
- Pedagogy
= Instructional Issues
Quantum Physics
- General
- Graduate/Professional
- Upper Undergraduate
- Reference Material
= Research study
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- application/pdf
- non-digital
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Mirror:
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3266697
Access Rights:
Free access and
Available for purchase
A preprint of the work is available. A hard copy of the PERC 2009 proceedings is also available.
Restriction:
© 2009 American Institute of Physics
DOI:
10.1063/1.3266697
NSF Number:
0737118
PACSs:
01.40.-d
01.40.Fk
01.40.gb
01.40.G-
03.65.-w
Keywords:
PERC 2009, curriculum reform, curriculum reform, electricity and magnetism, faculty survey, faculty survey, pedagogy, quantum mechanics, quantum mechanics textbooks, upper-division quantum mechanics
Record Cloner:
Metadata instance created October 3, 2009 by Alea Smith
Record Updated:
May 28, 2011 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update
when Cataloged:
November 11, 2009
Other Collections:

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Record Link
AIP Format
M. Dubson, S. Goldhaber, S. Pollock, and K. Perkins, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2009, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 2009, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9450&DocID=1341).
AJP/PRST-PER
M. Dubson, S. Goldhaber, S. Pollock, and K. Perkins, Faculty Disagreement about the Teaching of Quantum Mechanics, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2009, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 2009, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9450&DocID=1341>.
APA Format
Dubson, M., Goldhaber, S., Pollock, S., & Perkins, K. (2009, July 29-30). Faculty Disagreement about the Teaching of Quantum Mechanics. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2009, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9450&DocID=1341
Chicago Format
Dubson, M, S. Goldhaber, S. Pollock, and K. Perkins. "Faculty Disagreement about the Teaching of Quantum Mechanics." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2009, Ann Arbor, Michigan, July 29-30, 2009. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9450&DocID=1341 (accessed 25 April 2024).
MLA Format
Dubson, Michael, Steve Goldhaber, Steven Pollock, and Katherine Perkins. "Faculty Disagreement about the Teaching of Quantum Mechanics." Physics Education Research Conference 2009. Ann Arbor, Michigan: 2009. 137-140 Vol. 1179 of PER Conference. 25 Apr. 2024 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9450&DocID=1341>.
BibTeX Export Format
@inproceedings{ Author = "Michael Dubson and Steve Goldhaber and Steven Pollock and Katherine Perkins", Title = {Faculty Disagreement about the Teaching of Quantum Mechanics}, BookTitle = {Physics Education Research Conference 2009}, Pages = {137-140}, Address = {Ann Arbor, Michigan}, Series = {PER Conference}, Volume = {1179}, Month = {July 29-30}, Year = {2009} }
Refer Export Format

%A Michael Dubson %A Steve Goldhaber %A Steven Pollock %A Katherine Perkins %T Faculty Disagreement about the Teaching of Quantum Mechanics %S PER Conference %V 1179 %D July 29-30 2009 %P 137-140 %C Ann Arbor, Michigan %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9450&DocID=1341 %O Physics Education Research Conference 2009 %O July 29-30 %O application/pdf

EndNote Export Format

%0 Conference Proceedings %A Dubson, Michael %A Goldhaber, Steve %A Pollock, Steven %A Perkins, Katherine %D July 29-30 2009 %T Faculty Disagreement about the Teaching of Quantum Mechanics %B Physics Education Research Conference 2009 %C Ann Arbor, Michigan %V 1179 %P 137-140 %S PER Conference %8 July 29-30 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9450&DocID=1341


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