Applied physics across generations: Cultivating scientific curiosity through health and energy applications
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53088/penamas.v6i3.3602Keywords:
Medical Physics, Science Education, Healthcare Technology, Student Motivation, Interdisciplinary LearningAbstract
Physics is frequently regarded by students as an abstract and challenging subject, disconnected from everyday experience, which often results in low motivation and limited engagement across different levels of science education. As a continuation of our previous community service program on medical physics education, this second initiative extends the same approach to students at Jaya Plus Montessori School. The program aims to demonstrate that physics is not merely theoretical but plays a vital role in real-world applications, particularly in medicine, including radiology, MRI, CT scans, and radiation therapy for cancer treatment. This study employed a one-group pretest- posttest design conducted through a collaboration between Matana University and the school, involving high school students. The workshop combines a scientific talk on medical physics applications, a session on quantum physics and material science presented by a guest speaker from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), and hands-on physics demonstrations to make learning both contextual and engaging. Students are also introduced to career pathways in medical physics, such as medical physicist, radiographer, radiation therapist, and biomedical engineer, which are often overlooked in favor of more familiar healthcare professions. Pre- and post-tests are used to evaluate changes in students' understanding and interest before and after the activity.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Evelyn Pratami Sinaga, Rizki Budiman, Jonathan P Satya, Grace V Priskila, Josua T Manik, Eddwi H Hasdeo
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