Dr. Thacker does physics education research in the following areas:

1. Students' understanding of physics concepts in courses taught by non-traditional methods compared to students' understanding of physics concepts in courses taught traditionally
2. Students' qualitative and quantitative understanding of topics taught in modern physics and quantum mechanics
3. Students' qualitative and quantitative understanding of physics topics taught in the introductory algebra-based physics course.

She is presently exploring students understanding of topics in modern physics and quantum mechanics both from a viewpoint of students' conceptions and by analyzing cognitive structures (from fundamental conceptual primitives, to the combination of those into larger cognitive structures) and researching students' understanding of topics, such as fluids, taught in the introductory algebra-based physics course.