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Exploring Students’ Perceived Difficulties of Learning Physics
DAMCHO WANGCHUK, DUMCHO WANGDI, SONAM TSHOMO & JAMPEL
ZANGMO
Abstract
This study investigated grade 9-12 students’ perceived difficulties in learning physics and how
they addressed them. 124 (48 male and 76 female) students studying in one of the higher
secondary schools in Bhutan participated in the study. The data initially gathered through a
survey was subsequently consolidated with the individual interview to establish in-depth
findings. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The key findings revealed
that the students’ perceptions of their difficulty in learning physics were associated with
student, curriculum, and subject-related factors. Strategies used by the students to address these
difficulties in learning physics is also explained. Implications for future research to investigate
comparable challenges in other disciplines using multi-methods are also offered.
Keywords: Physics, perception, difficulty, secondary school
Introduction
Understanding the modern world and its technological achievements requires an understanding
of physics (Baran, 2016). Despite its importance, physics is the least preferred science
discipline among students (Erinosho, 2013). Various studies have been conducted to examine
what makes physics challenging for students to learn (e.g., Checkley, 2010; Erinosho, 2013;
Ornek et al., 2008).
Generally, students regard physics as an abstract and cognitively challenging subject.
Physics is considered an abstract subject due to the lack of a colloquial meaning to connect it
to ordinary real-life experiences (Bouchée et al., 2022). It is considered a less descriptive and
more quantitative subject (Owen et al., 2008) which requires mathematical skills to solve
physics problems (Bouchée et al., 2022; Ogunleye, 2009). Students have difficulty with the
nature of the subject because of the high workload compared to other subjects, and they must
engage with several representations, such as experiments, equations and calculations, graphs,
and conceptual explanations, and also transform data, such as flipping between graphical and
numerical representations (Angell et al., 2004; Erinosho, 2013). Physics is a cumulative subject
such that if the initial concept is not clear, subsequent material will be difficult to understand
(Ornek et al., 2008).
Students’ negative attitudes are typically associated with more traditional approaches
to science instruction (Deslauriers et al., 2019). Teaching physics through an interdisciplinary
manner and constructivist approaches may help students boost self-esteem (Deslauriers et al.,
2019; Saka, 2011). Ogunleye (2009) stated that the most significant component in learning
physics is fostering necessary abilities through laboratory practice. Learning interest in physics
will be boosted by good instructional software designed with the knowledge of applicable ideas
(Esquembre, 2002; Saka, 2011). Physics learning activities at school are found dull when
students could not perceive the benefit of the work necessary to study physics (Saleh, 2014).
A student's curiosity and motivation influence their decision to study physics. The
mismatch between conceptual issues discussed in class and the questions on tests, and the lack
of physics conceptual background results in students having less confidence and motivation
causing failure in learning physics (Ornek et al., 2008). In an attempt to determine whether the
perception of difficulty in physics is accurate, a study by Lavonen et al. (2007) found that
students' perceptions of difficulty in physics were influenced by their friends and family. The
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results of a study conducted by Checkley (2010) also suggested that peers can influence
students' views of the subject matter.
Due to the challenging nature of physics, students taking interest in learning physics are
plummeting. For example, in the United States and Europe, the number of students pursuing
scientific knowledge has decreased, creating worries about their economic future and scientific
literacy in society (Trumper, 2006). The fundamental difficulty facing the education industry
is how to raise the number of students who achieve the desired learning outcomes in line with
global market demands. This looks to be particularly serious for physics, which plays a critical
role in research and industry (Ekici, 2016).
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2020) articulates that the
emphasis should be on academic success and comprehensive student well-being. It is critical
to understand why students struggle in physics otherwise, students, teachers, and stakeholders
would exist in different worlds. As suggested by Ornek et al. (2008), to understand what
students think and how they approach physics, teachers or relevant organisations must conduct
research to determine how to reach their students and assist them in grasping physics concepts.
Several studies suggested that teachers play a vital role in learning physics interestingly.
For instance, according to Erinosho (2013) and Ornek et al. (2008), while learning physics,
students should be given the chance to participate in regular problem-solving sessions. Basic
mathematical notions that are beneficial and important for understanding physics may also
need to be incorporated by curriculum developers and science teachers. Trumper (2006)
suggested that content relevance needs to be scrutinised based on interest, requirement, and
applicability rather than making the content too vast.
Considering the changing dynamics, the Bhutanese science curriculum is reformed to
incorporate broader aspects of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
educational approach. The science curriculum is divided into five key stages, ranging from pre-
primary to grade 12. From pre-primary till grade 8, students study integrated science. From
grades 9 to 12, students learn science as separate disciplines of biology, chemistry, and physics.
In Bhutan, students have demonstrated poor performance in physics during the high-stake
examinations conducted by the Bhutan Council for School Examinations and Assessment
(BCSEA), the assessment agency in Bhutan. As physics teachers at higher secondary schools
for more than a half-decade, we have witnessed students consistently performing low in physics
as compared to the other science disciplines such as chemistry and biology. Although the
importance of science education is identified in the national policy and curriculum documents
(Department of Curriculum and Professional Department, 2022), research on the poor
performance of students in physics is limited. At the time of doing this study, no study in
Bhutan explored students’ perceived difficulties in learning physics. Our study fills the gap in
literature by investigating grade 9-12 students’ perceived difficulties in learning physics.
Research Questions
This study was guided by two research questions:
1. What are the reasons for students to perceive physics as a difficult subject?
2. How are perceived difficulties of learning physics addressed by the students?
Methodology
In this section, we discuss the study context and the research strategy (i.e. case study) applied
to our study. Data collection and analysis process are also included in this section.
Study Context
The study was conducted in one of the higher secondary schools located in western Bhutan. It
is a day school with grades 7 to 12. The large co-educational school caters to over 1000 students
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annually with a class size of 25-30 students. Although the COVID-19 pandemic challenged the
schools to hold online lessons, regular classroom instruction resumed in the school at the time
the data was collected.
Case Study
Case study was employed as a research strategy since the purpose of this research was to
identify the phenomena under investigation by conducting an in-depth examination (Cresswell,
2013; Stake, 1995). After the administration of the survey questionnaire, individual interviews
were conducted to consolidate the findings by doing detailed investigation.
Students of grades 9-12 studying in one of the higher secondary schools in western
Bhutan constituted a single bounded case (Cresswell, 2007). Since case selection is one of the
characteristic features of a case study (Crowe et al., 2011; Stake, 1995), this study was drawn
on Stake’s (1995) recommendation of choosing willing and accessible participants. After being
informed of the potential merits and demerits of the study, only students who voluntarily agreed
to participate in the study were included. A convenience sampling method was used to draw
the sample who were easily communicated and accessible (Etikan et al., 2016). The study
initially engaged 208 students (117 female and 91 male). Students who responded that physics
was an easy science subject were omitted from the study after the survey questionnaire was
administered because the major goal of the study was to identify students who perceived
physics as a challenging science subject. As a result, we focused on 124 students (48 male and
76 female) who reported that studying physics was challenging for them.
Data Source
The data were collected in two stages. The first stage was carried out using an online survey
questionnaire from 15-28 August 2022. The data obtained from the survey questionnaire was
divided into two sections, A and B. The participants’ background knowledge was covered in
section A and the students’ perceptions of physics were included in section B. The items
included in the questionnaire were prepared based on relevant literature to address the research
objectives, which specifically focused on identifying students’ perspectives on difficulties in
learning physics and strategies used for overcoming them. The survey form included the
following questions:
1. How do you describe physics as a subject?
2. Why do you think physics is a difficult subject?
3. How do you manage or overcome the difficulties you face in learning physics?
The second stage of data collection involved an online interview with 20 students. Based on
the initial code from the first-stage data, the researchers created interview guidelines and
collected more information from the individuals through an interview which was conducted
from September 6 - 15, 2022, for a maximum of 30 minutes. A minimum of 2 students were
interviewed every day depending on their convenience and availability. Each participant was
guaranteed confidentiality and referred to using a pseudonym.
Data Analysis
Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data (Braun & Clarke, 2021) by interpreting
the repeated patterns in the data set. The inductive approach enabled the researchers to identify
themes that were expressed from the perspectives of the participants to answer research
questions. The data analysis commenced with coding and grouping of the data obtained from
the surveys and interviews followed by a discussion of all the codes and categorisations, as
well as the possibilities of integrating codes to simplify the meaning. Based on their patterns,
the coded data were separated into themes. Initial codes linked to the research topic were
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included in themes, and those lacking adequate data or being too variable were eliminated.
Thematic maps were drawn to examine various approaches to combine the codes. Verbatim
quotations were used (Corden & Sainsbury, 2006) to represent the interview data because direct
quotations serve the readers to fully immerse themselves in the context while also capturing
the opinions of the participants and reflecting the statements in their own words (Patton, 2002).
The interview subjects were represented by identifiers (e.g., P1 for Participant 1) both for
convenience and to protect the participants’ anonymity. In the sections that follow, themes
generated to answer Research Questions 1 and 2 are presented.
Findings
The findings are presented under three major themes: (1) students’ perceptions of physics; (2)
students’ perceived difficulties in learning physics, and (3) addressing perceived difficulties in
learning physics by the students. Some of the themes are further categorised into sub-themes.
Survey data were presented in percentages and tables while verbatim interview data is used to
present qualitative data.
Theme 1: Students’ Perceptions of Physics
The summary of data obtained from the survey questionnaire is shown in Table 1. 40.4 percent
(N=84) of students reported that physics was easy while 59.6 percent (N=124) indicated
physics as a difficult science subject. Students who perceived physics as a difficult subject were
identified when they reported physics as challenging, tough, confusing, and puzzling. Labels
such as comfortable, enjoyable, interesting, engaging, and stimulating used by the students
suggested that physics was easy for students. The analysis of this summary helped this study
to focus on the students who perceived physics as a difficult subject, thereby enabling
researchers to answer Research Question 1.
Table 1
Students’ Perceptions of Physics as a Subject
Grade
Gender
Students’ perception of Physics
Total
Easy % (f)
Difficult % (f)
9
Male
36.4 (12)
63.6 (21)
33
Female
37.8 (17)
62.2 (28)
45
10
Male
44.4 (12)
55.6 (15)
27
Female
35.9 (14)
64.1 (25)
39
11
Male
37.5 (3)
62.5 (5)
8
Female
20.0 (1)
80.0 (4)
5
12
Male
69.5 (16)
30.5 (7)
23
Female
32.1 (9)
67.9 (19)
28
Total
40.4 (84)
59.6 (124)
208
Theme 2: Students’ Perceived Difficulties in Learning Physics
The reasons stated by the students were classified into 3 sub-themes: (1) student-related
reasons, (2) curriculum-related reasons, and (3) subject-related reasons. Each is detailed in turn
below.
Student-related Reasons
Student-related reasons in the context of this study refer to the factors that influence the study’s
outcome through student conduct and attitudes. In this section, 3 factors namely motivation,
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fundamentals of physics concepts, and community influence constitute student-related variables
by describing the data obtained from students.
Motivation: Lack of motivation was identified as one reason for students’ failure to understand
physics. Reasons such as a lack of desire to learn physics, low self-esteem, and a high level of
stress indicated a lack of motivation to learn physics as expressed by P2:
I dislike physics because I cannot achieve the grades that my parents and teachers
expected of me.
Fundamentals of Physics Concepts (e.g., mathematical skills): Knowing the fundamental
concepts of physics was acknowledged as a vital necessity to understand larger concepts (e.g.,
theories) in physics. Students stated the need for basic mathematical skills to understand and
solve complex physics problems. For instance, P9 expressed that:
To have a good foundation in the subject of physics, the basics are required, thus I
always confront a lot of challenges owing to a lack of the basics.
Similarly, P6 too expressed that “Physics is full of numerical issues, and I dislike physics
since I am bad in mathematics”.
Community Influence: The influence of community (e.g., senior science students) has impacted
students’ perceived difficulty in physics. Students who have already attended physics as their
major have been instilled with the fear that physics is the most difficult science subject and that
they should not study science as reported by P1:
My seniors and my parents said to me that physics is a difficult subject where we
cannot score good marks, therefore I focus on other subjects more than science as
I am sure that I can obtain just a passing mark in science from biology and chemistry
only.
Curriculum-related Reasons
Curriculum-related reasons are factors that impact students’ performance based on the subject’s
curriculum type. For example, a lack of resources, real-life applications, and teaching pedagogy
accounted for students’ difficulty in learning physics. In this section, we present 3 pieces of
evidence to illustrate curriculum-related reasons.
Resources of Learning: Resources in the school that discourages students from learning physics
include not having adequate supplementary books, laboratory paraphernalia, reliable internet
connectivity, and computers. This is supported by P12 when he expressed:
Our school lacks the necessary resources. Most of the physics books in the libraries
are out of date, and some equipment mentioned in the textbook is not there in the
physics lab. We also don’t have good internet to search for information ourselves.
Real-life Connection: Students find it challenging to link and apply physics concepts in their
day-to-day activities. Some of the concepts learned in the class are irrelevant in a real-life
situation as voiced by one of the participants that “some ideas used to teach physics are not
relevant to the Bhutanese setting and were difficult to apply in practice” (P20).
Teacher and Pedagogy: Students' perceived difficulty in learning physics is also determined
by teachers and how they teach. Teacher-centred teaching, teachers’ inability to provide
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examples based on local contexts, and provide information additional to the one provided in
the textbook influences how students perceive physics. For example, P18 opined that “my
teacher’s low voice and monotonous teaching style made me lose interest in learning physics”.
The above view was echoed by P19 when he expressed “with less practical the subject becomes
unenjoyable, and I become fatigued to learn”.
Subject-related Reasons
Subject-related reasons refer to those variables that impact students' learning due to the nature
of the subject. Students often cite physics as being cumulative, difficult and abstract. Subject-
related reasons are often attributed to factors such as the need to master a multitude of concepts,
the use of technical terminology, and the requirement for a strong foundation in mathematics.
Four factors namely cumulative nature, abstract nature, multiple things to learn, and
computation skills illustrate students’ perceived difficulties associated with the nature of
physics.
Cumulative Nature: Students regarded physics as cumulative. Some of the students suggested
the cumulative nature of physics included learning similar concepts in different grades.This is
evidenced in the student’s utterance:
If we skip any lessons in between, it is quite tough to catch up with the remaining
portion because it is so closely linked (P13).
A similar view was echoed by P16:
I discovered that most physics theories remain consistent throughout classes,
although they become more advanced as we proceed to the next grade.
Abstract Nature: Learning physics is associated with understanding things that cannot be easily
touched or seen. The abstract nature of physics was indicated by students as hypothetical,
imaginative, and theoretical. For example, P7 expressed:
Sometimes I get the impression that we are studying something that is not
genuine. For example, we are learning about gravitational pull, yet we cannot see
it, making it difficult to grasp the idea.
Similar views were shared by P18 “some ideas in physics are irrational, ridiculous, and
speculative, making them abstract”.
Multiple Things to Learn: Students also reported that there are too many things to understand
in physics. For example, P17 asserted:
It contains several theories, graphical representations, computations, and an experiment
that are not provided at the same time in other topics, making physics extremely
difficult to understand as expressed by.
Similar concerns were also shared by P20:
Physics is challenging because there are so many formulae, computations, experiments,
graphs, and explanations that give us headaches.
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Computation Skills: A huge proportion of numerical problems, formulae and equations, and
things to compute demonstrate that mastering physics needs a strong mathematical foundation.
This is evident when P6 asserted that:
Physics is full of mathematics and learning physics without a fundamental
mathematical background is quite difficult.
Theme 3: Addressing Perceived Difficulties in Learning Physics
Although 59.6% (N=124) of the participants believe physics is a challenging subject, they have
addressed those learning difficulties. Data obtained from the interview protocol indicated that
students’ addressed these difficulties with the support of their friends who were good in
physics, by accessing educational websites, and devoting extra time. Students are motivated to
learn physics because they appreciate the stories of advancements in physics as expressed by
P15 that “I try to appreciate the significance of physics all the time, which makes me want to
learn advanced physics”.
For some students, their future goals of becoming an engineer constantly stimulate them
to concentrate on learning physics as a part to achieve their goals. This is evidenced in P1 when
she expressed “because I want to be an engineer and physics is a mandatory subject, I work
hard to learn although it is a difficult subject”.
Learning physics requires constant revision and practice due to which students devote
extra time. This is evident when P13 stated, “I usually devote more time to learning physics
than to other subjects”. In addition, instead of memorising the concepts, students learned to
connect the concepts they studied in the class to real situations as expressed by P9:
Memorisation does not work at all, and I always try to relate concepts by citing
examples which are familiar to me which makes the concept easier to understand.
In learning concepts that required mathematical knowledge, students also referred to
mathematics textbooks to understand the connection and application of mathematics. For
instance, P16 expressed:
Some numerical problems in physics required mathematics theorems like the
Pythagorean Theorem and I always try to link the concept in a similar situation in both
subjects to help me to understand more.
Taking notes and focusing on the key concepts was another strategy used by the students as
voiced by P6: “Rather than mixing everything, I always write down the significant notes and
focus on the core principles”. In the school, support from both teachers and their peers is often
sought as mentioned by P4 that “I always initiate the discussion with my teacher and even
among my friends whenever we encounter something difficult to understand”. At home,
support from family and relatives is also pursued as evidenced in P3’s statement “I always ask
for help from my brother first and if he cannot help, then I ask my teacher”.
Discussion
This study investigated students’ perceived difficulties in learning physics and how they
addressed them. The findings revealed that students perceive physics as abstract, complex, and
content-heavy, causing them to think of it as a difficult subject. Similar claims of students’
finding difficulty in learning physics are also revealed in other contexts (Erinosho, 2013; Ornek
et al., 2008). In Erinsho’s (2013) study that involved 830 final-grade science students and 52
physics teachers, 58 percent of students indicated physics as a difficult subject. The nature of
the subject, factors related to teachers and teaching, and curriculum were regarded as reasons
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for the difficulty. Ornek et al. (2008) found out that students’ difficulties in learning physics
were associated with factors related to students, course, and the nature of physics which
corresponds to student-related reasons, curriculum-related reasons, and subject-related reasons
from our study.
Understanding students’ perceived difficulties in learning physics was helpful for this
study in addressing Research Question 1- What are the reasons for students perceive physics
as a difficult subject? The analyses of interview transcripts consolidated with in-depth data on
students’ difficulties that were associated with difficult topics, lack of background knowledge,
resources for learning, and need for mathematical skills. Some of the findings (e.g., motivation)
that caused students to perceive physics as difficult suggest that it may be associated with
students’ low performance in examinations and assessments. Ornek et al. (2008) support this
notion that lack of interest and motivation is a major barrier to success in physics. Student’s
perceptions of the difficulty of physics were also influenced by their circle of community.
Lavonen et al. (2007) contend family and friends as potential variables that influence how
students feel about a subject. Another factor that accounts for students’ perceived difficulty in
learning physics is the limited application of theories in real-life situations. Bouchée et al.
(2022) assert that some of the theories' lack of common usage renders physics abstract for
students. From the curriculum perspective, one approach to facilitating maximising real-life
application of physics content is the inclusion of local ideas wherever possible in the
curriculum materials. At the school and classroom level, outdoor education (e.g., visiting parks,
and hydropower stations) to connect the concepts learned inside the classroom can be
encouraged. Traditional approach to teaching where there are no or minimal practical lessons
was reported as one factor linked to students’ perceived difficulty in learning physics. Learning
physics through experiments inside the science laboratory enables students to derive practical
skills of hands-on learning and fosters the practice of learning by doing. There is evidence of
students’ perspectives being influenced by the views of the community (e.g., senior science
students). When students have poor perspectives, it generates negative interest in learning
physics (Trumper, 2006).
Research Question 2 - How are perceived difficulties of learning physics addressed by
the students? was attended by examining how students used various strategies to mitigate those
challenges. One intriguing finding of this study is that some students’ motivation to learn
physics despite perceiving it as difficult is sparked by their future aspirations. Saleh (2014)
concurs that students put forth a great deal of effort to excel in physics because they understand
the importance of continuing higher education in science-related fields. Checkley (2010)
acknowledged that future considerations have a considerable impact on students’ decision to
enrol in physics. Consequently, it is imperative to provide students with a clear career education
that may enable them to choose a vocation that matches their interests.
Although very little time is allotted for physics teaching (3 periods per week), students
managed to learn multiple things. To get through the complexity of the material, students
devoted extra time to study physics. Taking notes and focusing on the key concepts was another
method the students used to overcome comparable difficulties. Students have put the effort into
relating the ideas they learned in class to actual situations instead of memorising them. Similar
assertions are made in Erinosho’s (2013) study, which indicated that instead of memorising,
strategies for enhancing students' assimilation of the material should be used to promote
interest in learning physics.
This study also found that students use mathematics textbooks to understand the
connection and application of mathematics when studying physics, which require mathematical
expertise. Such findings are useful to inform both physics and mathematics teachers to
understand the importance of relating the formula and concepts that are accessible in both
physics and mathematics. Students will benefit from cross-curricular pedagogies by applying
problem-solving skills in mathematics across physics topics (Deslauriers et al., 2019). Students
in our study also considered seeking assistance from peers and teachers at school, as well as
seeking support from family members at home as one the ways to address these difficulties.
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Students seeking help and support from family members may demonstrate approachability,
which enables students to address their difficulties in learning physics. Such situations have
broader ramifications for parents and families who assume responsibility for a student’s social
and cognitive development.
Conclusion
This study examined grade 9-12 students’ perceived difficulties in learning physics. Most of
the students considered physics as a difficult subject citing reasons associated with students,
curriculum, and the nature of the subject. Although students think of physics as a difficult
subject, they have employed several ways to address the learning difficulties. Approaches such
as discussing the contents with their peers, learning from educational websites, and spending
additional time to learn solving numerical questions were applied by students to address the
perceived difficulties.
To address students' learning difficulties in physics and make the subject enjoyable,
studies such as this are crucial to understand why they have trouble with the subject in the first
place. Based on the findings, it is suggestive that there are reasons (e.g., curriculum-related and
subject-related reasons) that are beyond the control of students, making them perceive physics
as difficult. Relevant stakeholders, policymakers, curriculum developers, and teachers may
seek additional approaches to include local ideas to minimise students’ perceived difficulties.
Learning content needs to be carefully examined based on relevance, necessity, and the
learner’s interests. Physics instruction should include suitable remedial exercises to help
students fill in any gaps in their mathematical and problem-solving abilities. If students can
plan and carry out the strategies for answering questions, physics is found to be enjoyable for
them (Erinosho, 2013).
Teachers must comprehend students’ desires to tailor their lesson activities. Future
researchers can use other techniques to investigate reasons for students to perceive physics as
a difficult subject and how they address those issues as the findings of this study are limited in
generalisability. Our findings suggest that initiating a similar study to understand the
difficulties of students in other disciplines is imperative. This may be conducted using multi-
method approaches, applying different conceptual and theoretical frameworks, or investigating
in association with other influential variables (e.g., culture, motivation). In summary, the
findings of this exploratory study extend the literature on students’ perceived difficulties in
learning physics and serve as the foundation for future studies.
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____________________
About the Authors
DAMCHO WANGCHUK is a Physics teacher at Bajothang Higher Secondary School,
Wangduephodrang, Bhutan. He obtained his Postgraduate in Education from the University
of Fukui, Japan and a Bachelor’s Degree in Education (Secondary Science) from Samtse of
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College of Education, Bhutan. As an emerging researcher, he is interested in exploring the
field of teaching and learning.
DUMCHO WANGDI has Bachelor’s Degree in Education (Secondary Science) from
Samtse College of Education, Bhutan and Master of Science in Science and Technology
Education from Mahidol University, Thailand. Currently, he is pursuing PhD at Queensland
University of Technology, Australia. Prior to his doctoral journey, he taught physics and
general science for middle and secondary level for more than a decade.
SONAM TSHOMO has MSc in Physics from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia and
B.Ed in Secondary science from Samtse College of Education, Royal University of Bhutan.
She has taught physics in the middle and higher secondary schools in Bhutan.
JAMPEL ZANGMO graduated from Samtse College of Education, Bhutan. She has
experience in teaching science in middle secondary school for almost 10 years. She is
interested in exploring the impact of teaching and learning methodologies.