About the Journal

Aims and Scope 

Journal of Ethnophysics (JoE) is a scholarly publication dedicated to advancing research and practices at the intersection of physics and cultural knowledge. This journal provides a platform for researchers, educators, and practitioners to explore how traditional, indigenous, and local expertise intersect with the principles and teaching of physics. Starting Vol 1 No 1 January 2025 edition, this journal emphasizes a special focus on “the integration of ethnophysics and traditional knowledge in understanding, teaching, and applying physics”. JoE aims to support the future indexing process on Scopus. There is currently no Article Processing Charge (APC) for publishing, providing an opportunity for researchers to submit their most relevant work.

In addition to original research articles, the journal features the following special sections:

• Research Qualitative or Quantitative in Ethnophysics: This section explores the study and analysis of physical phenomena within cultural, indigenous, and local contexts. Researchers investigate how traditional knowledge, practices, and beliefs embody physical principles, and how these can be documented, interpreted, or integrated with modern physics. Both qualitative and quantitative studies, including ethnographic fieldwork, experimental validation, and mixed-method research, are welcome. This section emphasizes the understanding and explanation of physics concepts through the lens of cultural and local practices.
• ⁠Physics Edutainment: Focusing on the design, implementation, and evaluation of educational activities that integrate cultural knowledge and physics concepts. This includes learning and teaching strategies inspired by local practices, games, and community-based experiments. Manuscripts exploring psychological, social, cognitive, and affective aspects of learning physics in culturally relevant ways are encouraged. Studies examining the interaction between learners, teachers, and the cultural context, and how these affect conceptual understanding and engagement in physics, are particularly welcome.
• Issue & Trend of Ethnophysics: Consisting of analytical, interpretive, or persuasive essays on contemporary educational, social, or philosophical issues related to ethnophysics. This section aims to foster informed dialogue on how cultural knowledge influences physics education and its implications for curriculum design, pedagogy, and policy. Manuscripts may take the form of literature reviews, bibliometric studies, position papers, opinion essays, or creative commentary, addressing current trends, challenges, and debates in ethnophysics.
• Ethnophysics in Education: This field examines how cultural, social, and identity-related factors influence and are influenced by the teaching and learning of physics. It investigates how learners from diverse cultural backgrounds experience and engage with physics education, how cultural beliefs and identities affect understanding, and how educational approaches can respect, reflect, and leverage cultural diversity. Research in this area ensures that physics education is inclusive, culturally sensitive, and effective in bridging gaps between traditional knowledge and modern science.
• Gamification in Ethnophysics: This section focuses on the design, application, and evaluation of gamified learning strategies that incorporate concepts from ethnophysics. It explores how game elements, mechanics, and digital or physical simulations can enhance motivation, engagement, and conceptual understanding of physics within cultural and local contexts. Research may include studies on serious games, game-based learning, augmented reality games, and role-playing activities that integrate cultural practices and traditional knowledge to create immersive and effective physics learning experiences.

The Journal Editorial Board invites any manuscript addressing a relevant science education topic that employs an established and recognized scholarly approach and also impacts or is generalizable to national and international populations. All manuscripts must provide a thorough review of the literature that establishes the research problem or the issue at hand as well as a thorough conclusion that addresses the implications and limitations of the research or argument.