  This study presents a review of the current state of research on teaching
quantum mechanics in secondary and lower undergraduate education. A conceptual
approach to quantum mechanics is being implemented in more and more
introductory physics courses around the world. Because of the differences
between the conceptual nature of quantum mechanics and classical physics,
research on misconceptions, testing, and teaching strategies for introductory
quantum mechanics is needed. For this review, 74 articles were selected and
analyzed for the misconceptions, research tools, teaching strategies and
multimedia applications investigated. Outcomes were categorized according to
their contribution to the various subtopics of quantum mechanics. Analysis
shows that students have difficulty relating quantum physics to physical
reality. It also shows that the teaching of complex quantum behavior, such as
time dependence, superposition and the measurement problem, has barely been
investigated for the secondary and lower undergraduate level. At the secondary
school level, this review shows a need to investigate student difficulties
concerning wave functions and potential wells. Investigation of research tools
shows the necessity for the development of assessment tools for secondary and
lower undergraduate education, which cover all major topics and are suitable
for statistical analysis. Furthermore, this review shows the existence of very
diverse ideas concerning teaching strategies for quantum mechanics and a lack
of research into which strategies promote understanding. This review underlines
the need for more empirical research into student difficulties, teaching
strategies, activities and research tools intended for a conceptual approach
for quantum mechanics.
