Emerging Research Methods in Physics Education Research

One of the characteristics of Physics Education Research (PER) as a subfield of physics is the diversity of methods used to investigate physics teaching and learning. This presents both challenges and opportunities for researchers as well as the broader PER community. PER certainly uses more qualitative methods than other subfields, and there are not canonical approaches to quantitative data. Advances in technology and methodological innovation are leading to more diverse methodologies in PER as researchers explore new areas. In this talk I will highlight some of these emerging methodologies and how they are being used to address research questions. Further, I will outline some of the challenges we–the PER community–face as a result of using novel methods.