  Most introductory quantum physics instructors would agree that transitioning
students from classical to quantum thinking is an important learning goal, but
may disagree on whether or how this can be accomplished. Although (and perhaps
because) physicists have long debated the physical interpretation of quantum
theory, many instructors choose to avoid emphasizing interpretive themes; or
they discuss the views of scientists in their classrooms, but do not adequately
attend to student interpretations. In this synthesis and extension of prior
work, we demonstrate: (1) instructors vary in their approaches to teaching
interpretive themes; (2) different instructional approaches have differential
impacts on student thinking; and (3) when student interpretations go
unattended, they often develop their own (sometimes scientifically undesirable)
views. We introduce here a new modern physics curriculum that explicitly
attends to student interpretations, and provide evidence-based arguments that
doing so helps them to develop more consistent interpretations of quantum
phenomena, more sophisticated views of uncertainty, and greater interest in
quantum physics.
