Schrödinger: Journal of Physics Education

Low-Cost Light Sensor-Based Physics Experiments: Enhancing Students’ Experimental Skills

2026-03-01T05:23:32+07:00

Purpose of the study: The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of a simple light sensor-based experiment in improving students’ experimental skills in physics learning, particularly in the topic of optics, among eleventh-grade vocational high school students.

Methodology: This study used a quantitative experimental method with a one-group design. The tools included a simple light sensor based on an LDR, breadboard, resistors, LED, buzzer, and multimeter. Data were collected through observation sheets, product assessment, and student response questionnaires. Data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics software.

Main Findings: Students’ experimental skills reached a high level with a mean score of 81.61, significantly exceeding the Minimum Completeness Criteria score of 75 (p < 0.05). All students successfully completed the simple light sensor experiment. Skill indicators showed an overall average of 86.67. Student responses to the media and learning process were very positive, with mean percentages of 87.07% and 86.90%, while product evaluation by teachers and observers reached 100%.

Novelty/Originality of this study: This study provides new empirical evidence on the effectiveness of low-cost, simple light sensor (light dependent resistor)-based experiments in real vocational classrooms, focusing on direct measurement of students’ science process skills. It advances existing knowledge by demonstrating that affordable, hands-on experimental media can significantly enhance practical skills and learning engagement in physics education contexts with limited laboratory resources.

How Temperature Shapes Diode Performance: An Experimental Study on Rectifier, Avalanche, and Zener Diodes

2026-03-01T12:29:54+07:00

Purpose of the study: The purpose of this study is to experimentally analyze the effect of temperature on the internal resistance of rectifier, avalanche, and Zener diodes by measuring their current–voltage characteristics across different operating temperatures.

Methodology: This study employed an experimental method using two digital multimeters (Sanwa CD800a), a K-type thermocouple (Omega), a DC power supply (GW Instek GPS-3030), an aluminum container, and an electric heater. Data were recorded manually and analyzed using Microsoft Excel for I–V plotting and temperature coefficient calculations.

Main Findings: The rectifier, avalanche, and Zener diodes exhibited distinct I–V characteristics and temperature-dependent behavior. Maximum forward currents were 264.8 mA (rectifier), 299.4 mA (avalanche), and 37.25 mA (Zener). Temperature coefficients showed negative values for avalanche diodes and positive values for Zener diodes. Internal resistance increased with temperature for all diodes, with rectifier Rd ranging from 0.185 Ω to 0.2 Ω, avalanche Rd from 0.233 Ω to 0.25 Ω, and Zener Rd from 0.1 Ω to 0.125 Ω.

Novelty/Originality of this study: This study presents a novel experimental comparison of rectifier, avalanche, and Zener diodes by simultaneously evaluating internal resistance and temperature resistivity coefficients under identical thermal conditions. The results provide new empirical insights into diode-specific thermal behavior, advancing current knowledge on temperature-sensitive performance in practical electronic applications.

Quantum Learning Boosts Higher-Order Thinking: Enhancing Critical Thinking and Written Argumentation in Secondary Physics

2026-03-01T12:31:15+07:00

Learning method on critical thinking skills and written argumentation skills of high school students simultaneously in physics learning, to determine whether this student-centered approach is effective in improving higher-order thinking skills in secondary education.

Methodology: This study employed a quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group pretest–posttest design at Kandrian Secondary School. Purposive sampling was used to select 60 eleventh-grade students divided into experimental and control groups. Instruments included essay tests based on Facione’s Delphi Report and Toulmin’s Argumentation Pattern (TAP), assessed using analytic rubrics. Data were analyzed using SPSS through N-gain, Kolmogorov–Smirnov, Levene’s Test, independent and paired samples t-tests, and Cohen’s d.

Main Findings: The experimental group demonstrated significantly higher improvements in critical thinking and written argumentation skills compared to the control group. N-gain scores were in the moderate category for the experimental class and low for the control class. Independent samples t-test results showed significant differences (p < 0.05), while paired samples t-tests confirmed significant pretest–posttest gains. Cohen’s d indicated a large effect size of Quantum Learning on both competencies.

Novelty/Originality of this study: This study is novel in empirically examining the simultaneous impact of Quantum Learning on both critical thinking and written argumentation skills at the senior high school level. It integrates cognitive and argumentative competencies within a single instructional intervention, advancing existing knowledge by providing combined evidence of effectiveness in a resource-limited secondary education context.

Rethinking Work and Energy: A Cross-Context Phenomenological Inquiry in Physics Classrooms

2026-03-01T12:32:52+07:00

Purpose of the study: This study aims to explore and analyze the lived experiences of students and teachers in learning the work and energy topic using a phenomenological approach across Indonesian and Malaysian contexts, in order to understand how conceptual understanding is constructed within different pedagogical and socio-cultural settings.

Methodology: This study employed a qualitative phenomenological design with purposive sampling. Data were collected using validated in-depth interview guidelines (content validity index = 0.81), classroom observations, and document analysis. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed through phenomenological procedures (horizontalization, coding, thematic clustering, textural–structural description, cross-case analysis) with triangulation, member checking, audit trail, and researcher reflexivity.

Main Findings: Students in both Indonesia and Malaysia predominantly experienced work–energy learning as formula-based and computational. Conceptual understanding was fragmented, with weak causal integration between work, kinetic energy, potential energy, and conservation principles. Procedural competence exceeded qualitative reasoning ability. Mathematical ability strongly influenced confidence and performance. Pedagogical practices in both contexts emphasized numerical problem-solving, reinforcing algorithmic thinking over reflective and conceptually integrated understanding.

Novelty/Originality of this study: This study introduces a cross-context phenomenological analysis of work–energy learning in Indonesia and Malaysia, moving beyond diagnostic measurement of misconceptions toward exploring students’ and teachers’ lived experiences. It advances existing knowledge by revealing how pedagogical structures and socio-cultural classroom dynamics systematically shape computational-dominant understanding, offering a deeper interpretive framework for conceptual reform in physics education.

Radiation Safety Evaluation: Leakage and Dose Rate Distribution of a Laboratory X-Ray System

2026-03-01T20:27:27+07:00

Purpose of the study: This study aims to measure and analyze potential radiation leakage and dose rate distribution around the Phywe X-ray unit in an educational physics laboratory using a survey meter, in order to evaluate safety conditions and support improved radiation protection for users.

Methodology: This study employed a PHYWE X-ray Unit, survey meter (Geiger-Müller type), tape measure (Stanley 5 m), and digital stopwatch (Casio HS-3V). The method included literature review, experimental multi-point radiation leak measurement, repeated exposure timing, and dose rate mapping. Data were processed using Microsoft Excel for tabulation and graphical analysis.

Main Findings: Radiation intensity was 0 µSv/h at most measurement points. Detectable values occurred at 200 cm (261.12 µSv/h) and 300 cm (67.32 µSv/h), showing decreasing intensity with increasing distance. Dose rates were 36.72 µSv/h at 150 cm and 276.42 µSv/h at 650 cm. Results indicate dominant low exposure levels with variations influenced by distance, scattering, shielding, and measurement geometry.

Novelty/Originality of this study: This study provides systematic multi-point radiation leakage mapping of an educational-scale Phywe X-ray unit in a non-clinical laboratory setting. It generates empirical dose distribution data rarely reported for teaching laboratories, verifies inverse square behavior under real conditions, and reveals deviations caused by scattering and shielding, thereby advancing practical radiation safety knowledge beyond clinical-focused studies.