Wave-particle duality is included in many secondary school and university physics curricula as a concept central to quantum physics. The very term wave-particle duality suggests that a firm grasp of the individual classical concepts of wave and particle is crucial to studying quantum mechanics successfully. This raises the question whether students' mental models of these concepts are sufficiently addressed and developed prior to the teaching of wave-particle duality. We explored Dutch upper secondary school students' mental models of waves and particles using a short questionnaire. It was administered to a total of 147 students from two different groups. One group consisted of secondary school students prior to receiving formal education in introductory quantum mechanics while students from the other group had recently completed the Dutch national curriculum for pre-university education, which includes wave-particle duality. Our findings support the notion that students model classical particles and waves as mutually exclusive phenomena. Mental models of wave-particle duality, which require mixing the two classical models, appear to be only superficially developed. Our findings open avenues for future research on students' mental models of waves and particles as basis for wave-particle duality.

For the start of a secondary school level lesson series on quantum computing, we designed a hands-on modeling activity where students construct a model diamond lattice with a nitrogen vacancy (NV) defect. NV centers find application as qubits and sensitive magnetometers. This activity aims to help students visualize the structure of such NV centers within the diamond lattice, making the subject matter more tangible. The activity has proven to be challenging but feasible. It features both collaborative and competitive elements thereby surely creating an energizing buzz in the classroom.