Preface

This conference was co-hosted by the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP) and the School of Physics, University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) jointly with The International Commission on Physics Education (C14) of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP). The conference was held at the Misty Hills Hotel and Conference Centre, Johannesburg located close to the Cradle of Humankind, a World Heritage Site and within reach of the famous Pilanesberg National Park. It is the first time that this conference has come to Africa. The main objective of the International Conference on Physics Education was to attract physics educators, postgraduate students, teachers, researchers and policy makers working in physics educational research and in physics education. Delegates from schools, colleges, universities and governments from all parts of the world participated in the conference. Teacher development and postgraduate students were key areas of the conference. The conference enabled participants to share and exchange scientific information views and experiences on important issues in Physics Education. The main theme of the conference was: “Physics Education for Development: a focus on context”, with a number of subthemes, divided into the following tracks: Track A: Physics at University Track B: Physics at Primary and Secondary School Level Track C: Curriculum - Design, Development and Delivery Track D: Teaching and Learning of Physics Concepts Track E: Teaching and Learning of Laboratory based Physics Track F: ICT and Multimedia Revolution in Physics Education Track G: Assessment and Evaluation of Teaching and Learning in Physics Track H: Teacher Education and Training in Physics Track I: Physics and Interdisciplinary Issues Track J: Physics in an Informal and Non-Formal Environment Track K: International Networks and Collaboration in Physics Education The scientific program featured a diverse range of international high-level presentations consisting of plenary talks, parallel oral and poster sessions, teacher workshops/symposia and sessions for Women in Physics. Deena Naidoo and Doug Clerk