Sonoma State University

The B.S. in Physics Returns to Sonoma State University!

Sonoma State University is proud to re-launch its Bachelor of Science in Physics, featuring a redesigned, student-centered curriculum available beginning Fall 2026. The revised program offers a rigorous physics foundation, small class sizes, close faculty mentorship, and flexible pathways that support timely graduation. Please see our degree programs page for more information.

November 7, 2022

What is Physics Education Research (PER)? Why?

Kevin Nguyen
Sonoma State University

Darwin 103
3:00 PM

Physics Education Research or PER (pronounced P-E-R) was one of the first education research specialties. Physicists have long led the way for high-quality STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. Where did this history come from? And more importantly, why should we care? Spoiler alert, but the one of the quick answers was (and still is) war. With growing global challenges (World War II and the Cold War), the United States faced a rising storm of problems. There were not enough trained scientists and engineers to take on other nations. However, is the motivation for war, national security, and competitiveness enough to spur PER? What might be a new motivation for STEM education research? I end this talk with considerations of equity, social justice, and community as new models for why we should care about PER.