Abstract
[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Qualitative Methods in PER: A Critical Examination.] Within physics education research (PER), resource theory has proven to be a useful framework for investigating knowledge and learning and informing instructional design. To analyze learning over longer timescales and across cases, PER scholars must first identify and describe the resources activated within and across physics contexts and domains. Despite its importance, a reliable method for identifying resources has not been clearly outlined. This paper presents guidelines for the design of research aimed at identifying knowledge resources. We begin by describing the origin, assumptions, and utility of resource theory. We then introduce methods of data collection and analysis. We end with a discussion of validity and reliability, drawing connections with general principles of qualitative research. With this work, we hope to promote coordination among the many PER scholars who utilize resource theory and to invite new scholars to join in its application and development.
- Received 30 January 2023
- Accepted 11 July 2023
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.19.020119
Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.
Published by the American Physical Society
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
Collections
This article appears in the following collection:
Qualitative Methods in PER: A Critical Examination
Physics Education Research (PER) uses various research methods classified under qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. These approaches help researchers understand physics education phenomena and advance our efforts to produce better PER.
