Jordi Solbes

The introduction of modern physics: overcoming a deformed vision of science

In this paper, we try to show initially that modern physics is usually introduced in high school curricula without reference to the difficulties of classical physics, simply juxtaposing the two paradigms or even mixing them up. As a result, serious misconceptions arise. We then present another way of introducing modern physics, based on a constructivist view of science learning, and give some results obtained with the new materials.

Students’ Understanding of the Special Theory of Relativity and Design for a Guided Visit to a Science Museum

The present paper describes the design of teaching materials that are used as learning tools in school visits to a science museum. An exhibition on ‘A century of the Special Theory of Relativity’, in the Kutxaespacio Science Museum, in San Sebastian, Spain, was used to design a visit for first‐year engineering students at the university and assess the learning that was achieved. The first part of the paper presents the teaching sequence that was designed to build a bridge between formal teaching and the exhibition visit. The second part analyses the potential of the exhibition and the aforementioned teaching sequence to influence the students’ knowledge of three aspects of the Special Theory of Relativity. The results obtained show that the design of the visit, with both pre‐visit and follow‐up activities, was effective as a means of increasing students’ understanding and stimulating their ability to argue scientifically.

Aportes a la formación del profesorado constructivista: resultados en dos países

The research has to do with the influence of participation in educational research on the quality of experimental science teachers’ teaching from Argentina and Spain. In order to know these teachers’ educational practice, a three-fold way was used: a questionnaire, a semi-structured interview, and class observation with six sections and 34 items. The research was carried out with 55 teachers from Spain and 23 from Argentine, and showed how, despite the differences both in teachers’ educational background and educational contexts in both countries, intensive didactic training and its implementation through research (whether in dissertations, master final theses, or other researches), favors a teaching practice with a wider constructivist orientation.

Particle Physics in High School: A Diagnose Study

The science learning process improves when the contents are connected to students’ lives. Particle physics has had a great impact in our society in the last years and has changed the theoretical picture about matter fundamental dynamics. Thus, we think that academic contents about matter components and interactions should be updated. With this study we aim to characterize the level of knowledge of high school students about this topic. We built a test with questions about classical atomic models, particle physics, recent discoveries, social implications and students opinions about it. Contrary to our first suspicion, students’ answers show a high variability. They have new physics ideas and show a great interest towards modern concepts. We suggest including an updated view of this topic as part of the curriculum.

Which sciences are taught and in what manner in Early Childhood Education classes? The perception of teachers during initial training

Science teaching is present in curriculums at all levels of education. However, little research has been done into what contents are taught, how they are taught and what the pupils actually learn at the pre-primary stage. In this paper we will study future teachers’ perception of science teaching being carried out in Second Cycle of Childhood Education classrooms (3-4-5 years old). Using their experiences from teaching practice, a number of Pre-school Education degree students have completed a questionnaire, created to understand better the educational reality that we are studying. The results reveal the poor treatment of certain contents and the absence of key activities to learn science at these ages. Lastly, attention is given to teacher training, both initial and in practice.

¿Qué ciencias se enseñan y cómo se hace en las aulas de educación infantil? La visión de los maestros en formación inicial

Science teaching is present in curriculums at all levels of education. However, little research has been done into what contents are taught, how they are taught and what the pupils actually learn at the pre-primary stage. In this paper we will study future teachers’ perception of science teaching being carried out in Second Cycle of Childhood Education classrooms (3-4-5 years old). Using their experiences from teaching practice, a number of Pre-school Education degree students have completed a questionnaire, created to understand better the educational reality that we are studying. The results reveal the poor treatment of certain contents and the absence of key activities to learn science at these ages. Lastly, attention is given to teacher training, both initial and in practice.

Difficulties in learning astronomy in High School

Recebido em 10/5/2012; Aceito em 3/9/2012; Publicado em 1/3/2013El objetivo de este trabajo es conocer las dificultades de aprendizaje de la astronom´ia del alumnado al finalizarla educaci´on secundaria de nuestro pa´is (16 anos)˜ y si la ensenanza˜ las tiene en cuenta. Para ello se ha realizadoun cuestionario a estudiantes y una red de an´alisis de textos, en los que se investigan cuestiones relativas a laastronom´ia de posici´on, la astrof´isica y la cosmolog´ia. Se han aplicado a 113 alumnos que ya hab´ian estudiado eltema y a 14 manuales, respectivamente. Los resultados muestran que el alumnado sigue sin comprender aspectosb´asicos de la astronom´ia, pese a la reiteraci´on en la ensenanza˜ del tema.Palabras-clave: ensenanza-aprendiza˜ je, astronom´ia y astrof´isica, did´actica de la astronom´ia.The aim of this study was to determine the students’ difficulties in astronomy learning at the end of secon-dary education in our country (16 years) and whether the teaching takes them into account. For that reasonit has been made a questionnaire to students and a network text analysis, which investigates issues of positionastronomy, astrophysics and cosmology. These questionnaires have been applied to 113 students who had studiedthe issue and to 14 manuals, respectively. The results show that students still do not understand the basics ofastronomy, despite the repetition in teaching the subject.Keywords: teaching and learning, astronomy & astrophysics, teaching of physics.

Which Reaches the Bottom First

A well-known classroom demonstration involves the rolling of hollow and solid objects down an incline.1 The fact that the objects roll at different rates can be used as a starting point in introducing students to rotational dynamics and rotational kinetic energy. In this paper we describe a simple quantitative version of the demonstration that is suitable for use as a laboratory experiment.