Exploring Changes in Physics Identity, Metacognition, and Epistemic Cognition: A Mixed-Methods Pre–Post Study with Undergraduate Students

This study explores the co-development of physics identity, metacognitive awareness, and physics-related epistemic cognition in an introductory university physics course using a mixed-methods, pre–post design. The project includes the English adaptation and pilot testing of the Physics-Related Personal Epistemology Questionnaire (PPEQ), alongside established measures of physics identity and metacognitive awareness. Quantitative survey data were collected at the beginning and end of the course to examine construct functioning over time, while semi-structured interviews were conducted with a subset of students to investigate how participants interpreted survey items and articulated their learning strategies and beliefs about physics knowledge. A hybrid deductive–inductive qualitative analysis was used to align interview themes with theoretical constructs and to inform instrument refinement. Together, this work lays methodological groundwork for future research examining identity, metacognition, and epistemic cognition as interconnected dimensions of students' experiences in introductory physics.