Exploring How Learners Leverage Knowledge Resources from Classical Physics in Learning Quantum Mechanics

This research explores how learners leverage existing knowledge resources – including those from classical physics– to develop a quantum intuition: to think “quantumly.”  Prior research has predominantly focused on identifying misconceptions and often overlooks prior knowledge as an asset to learning.  Although QM challenges are well documented, the relevant prior knowledge used to facilitate successful QM learning is less emphasized. Using a resources theory perspective, we examine: What knowledge resources from classical physics do learners bring to QM learning?  We collected interviews with 10 undergraduate physics majors that focused on their experiences in QM classes and their views on learning QM. We then implemented five paired undergraduate interviews that tackled classical analogies for QM concepts connected to the square well. Results identified learners as drawing on classical knowledge as a strategy for making sense of QM—thinking quantumly. Results also captured patterns across the analogies: Using energy as a proxy to explain a QM concept, using time evolution to compare systems, examining boundary conditions, and connecting to real-life experiences. Forefronting knowledge resources is important for developing instructional strategies that support learning to think “quantumly.”