Clarifying Quantum Mechanics: The Importance of Formalization in Education

The degree to which curricula can be understood depends on how they are defined and presented. If features of the content itself are not well-defined, or if the content is presented in a vague or misleading manner, then this places limitations on conceptual understanding. Such curricula lack a degree of formalization. Formalization is the process of translating an unclear idea into a precise, well-defined concept or mathematical structure. This has applications in physics and physics education. Quantum mechanics is notoriously difficult to understand, especially with its departure from classical intuition, but we argue that a lack of formalization in quantum models and curricula is a major source of that confusion. Formalization in this context is compared with other conceptual difficulties such as quantum indeterminacy and philosophical interpretations of quantum mechanics. Recommendations are offered for physics educators and future research.