Network science in PER and the growing diversity of applications

Network science offers PER new ways to examine learning environments, including analysis of student interaction patterns and structures of conceptual and attitudinal data. In this talk, I will outline the theoretical perspectives that underlie network-based methods and discuss how these assumptions shape the kinds of research questions they can address. I will then present an overview of the different applications of network analysis in PER, including social networks and network models of conceptual inventories, to illustrate the methodological diversity and the insights each approach affords. The second half of the talk will focus on Network Analysis for Likert-Style Surveys (NALS), a method developed by myself and Dr. Justyna Zwolak that uses network representations of survey responses to reveal structural relationships between survey items. I will highlight key analytical choices, describe what NALS can uncover about students’ beliefs and experiences, and outline opportunities for methodological extension and broader application. Together, these examples illustrate how network science can expand the PER methodological landscape and support new ways of understanding learning and student experiences.