In the initial phase of studying the fundamentals of electrical engineering, students develop explanation patterns (preconceptions) that are not always correct from a scientific point of view and, above all, often not applicable to other problems. In addition, these preconceptions can present a significant obstacle to learning new contexts, so that they must be recognized and eliminated. This paper introduces the concept of preconceptions and outlines the subject-didactic framework of the research activities of the authors. Subsequently, a set of potential questions for subject-didactic research in the context of preconceptions is presented. Furthermore, the methods used to research preconceptions and answer selected research questions are outlined. An important overarching goal of the article can thus be seen as providing an overview of the possibilities for subject-didactic research that are provided by modern technologies.