Physics education research has a tradition of studying problem solving, exploring themes such as physical intuition and differences between expert and novice problem solvers. However, most of this work has focused on traditional, or well-structured, problems, similar to what might appear in a textbook. Less work has been done with open-ended, or ill-structured, problems, similar to the types of problems students might face in their professional lives. Given the national discourse on educational system reform aligned with 21st century skills, including problem solving, it is critical to provide educational experiences that help students learn to solve all types of problems, including ill-structured problems.
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Students apply for admission to this high school, and all students have a history of academic success prior to admission. As such, the student population is both talented and motivated.
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Even though prior physics course work is not a prerequisite, students may demonstrate informal learning of physics when completing the R Phys application, and those without formal coursework take a physics course concurrently with R Phys.
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Mentors consist of faculty at the school, university faculty, or university graduate students. All mentors have at least a bachelor’s degree in physics, and many have advanced degrees.
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Quoted students had graduated from the school and were in college at the time they gave the quotes.
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2017
American Association of Physics Teachers
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