The "International Handbook of Physics Education Research:" Insights, Themes, and Future Directions

The field of physics education research (PER) has been growing and diversifying over the past few decades. New conferences and new journals have emerged, and a brief survey of their contents reveals an intellectually and geographically diverse field of inquiry. More sophisticated methodologies are providing deeper insights into long-studied issues, and cross-pollination with other fields is opening up new avenues of inquiry. Critical reflections on the discipline of physics itself are causing researchers to question long-held traditions concerning not only how we teach, but also what—and who—we teach. In short, no aspect of the experience of students and their teachers is off limits, and we increasingly acknowledge the complex interplay between disciplinary culture, teaching environments and tools, and students’ intellectual, social, and personal development. While growth and diversification represent progress, they also present challenges. It is no longer possible for any individual to be aware of both seminal and pioneering work across PER, and to have a sufficiently deep grasp of methodologies to evaluate the trustworthiness of claims arising from distant areas. In some quarters, there is a feeling that the field is at a crossroads: we might consolidate around a few critical themes or evolve into a set of related sub-disciplines as has been the case with physics itself. Therefore, the moment seems right for scholars to reflect on the past, to synthesize what we have learned, and to look ahead to the future. The International Handbook of Physics Education Research serves as both a mechanism for such a reflection and a record of the results. The three volumes represent an up-to-date and authoritative review that encompasses all of the major strands of research. It is intended to help both newcomers and established researchers appreciate the major findings across all sub-domains, to discern global themes, and to recognize gaps in the literature. It is our hope that the IHPER will serve as a practical resource and contribute to vital conversations about what counts as PER, who counts as a physics education researcher, where we belong, and what, if anything, unifies us as a discipline.