Teaching and Learning Physics Effectively in Challenging Times

Sergej Faletic holds a degree in physics education and a Ph.D. in physics. He is an assistant professor at the University of Ljubljana Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, specializing in physics education since 2006. His research focuses on teaching and learning quantum mechanics at the pre-university level and designing effective laboratory and project work. He is a key figure in the GIREP thematic group on quantum mechanics education. He has contributed to projects developing scientific competencies and integrating the International Young Physicists' Tournament into curricula. He primarily educates high-school physics teachers and communicates physics topics, with over ten years of active participation in GIREP conferences and related activities.

Jerneja Pavlin, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of Physics Education at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education, Slovenia. Her research explores various physics and science teaching methods, including outdoor education, 3D sub-microscopic representations, didactic games, inquiry-based learning, and peer instruction. She also focuses on scientific literacy and integrating contemporary science into physics education. She participates in multiple research projects, such as NA-MA POTI, AR Physics, movement-dance stories, connectedness with nature, and organizing early school-aged students' free time with digital technologies.

Lessons from Experience.- Inquiry for Meaningful Learning.- What is Difficult in Learning Physics and What We Can Do About it: The Case of Wave Optics.- Students' Embodied Interactions During Collaborative Learning Activities in Physics.- General Aspects of Effective Teaching and Learning.- Connecting Research in Physics Education, Curriculum Decisions and Teaching Practices.- The Human-Centered Design Framework as a Means of Bridging the Research-Practice Gap.- Improving the Effectiveness of Physics Teaching.- Exploring the Relationships Between Undergraduate and High School Students' Self-Efficacy, Engagement, and Attitudes Towards Physics.- The Role of Domain-Specific Growth Mindset (Implicit Theories) at the Beginning of STEM University Studies: Comparing New and Old Measures.- Experience-Based Teaching and Learning.- Teaching Physics in a Swimming Pool.- Analysis and Evaluation of Inquiry-Based Tasks in Digital Learning Scenarios.- Evaluation of the Effectiveness of an Introductory Mechanics Laboratory with Arduino and Smartphone.- Diagnosing the Cognitive Source of Students' Difficulties within the Physics-Mathematics Interplay Context.- Identification of the Factors Influencing Game-Based Learning in a Game "The Tournament of of J. C. Maxwell".- Contemporary and Complex Topics.- Introducing Quantum Physics with Low-Cost Quantitative Experiments.- Contributions from Pilot Projects in Quantum Technology Education as Support Action to Quantum Flagship.- Addressing Complexity in Primary School Through Basic Physics and Metaphorical Narrative: Learning Circuits.- Analysing the Storyline Approach's Competence-Developing Potential for Climate Change in Science Education.- Teacher Education.- The Interplay of Curricular Knowledge and Perceived Agency of Pre-Service Physics Teachers in Vienna and Tokyo.- Examining Differences in Teacher Self-Efficacy for In-Field versus Out-of-Field Teachers of Physics.- How Do Teachers Interpret and Respond to Students' Explanations?.- Utilizing Physics Teachers' Epistemological and Pedagogical Conceptions to Develop a Research Instrument for Training Programs.