Sonia Krapas

From scientists' and inventors' minds to some scientific and technological products: relationships between theories, models, mental models and conceptions

The concepts of model and mental model have had an increasing role in science education literature. The nature of mental models is a well developed issue in psychology and some researchers have borrowed psychological theories to carry out research in science education. Despite considering this route as a fruitful one, we argue for the need of theoretical work on mental models within the field of science education. Our approach starts with consensus but vague definitions of model and mental model and aims at improving these notions by considering the relationships between both models & theories and mental models & conceptions. The former relationship is examined in the light of both the Kuhnian concept of models as an element of paradigms and the notion proposed by Nersessian of models as a working device for building theories. The latter is developed by means of two case-studies derived from the history of science and technology. These are Galileos observation of the Moon and the development of aeroplane...

A model‐based approach to science exhibition evaluation: A case study in a Brazilian astronomy museum

A models and modelling approach was adopted to investigate the educational potential of a science museum exhibition. It focused on patterns of relationship between the teaching models proposed by designers and students models in regard to four exhibits concerning astronomical cycles. Student’s models were elicited by interviewing 21 pupils selected from among those who showed a change of their models between pre‐visit and post‐visit questionnaires. Four patterns of relationship were identified, ranging from low to high degrees of convergence between designers and students. Exhibits designed by fragmenting the phenomena (analytical approach) tend to promote less convergent patterns than exhibits that maintain the complexity of the phenomena (synthetic approach). We argue that the two approaches are complementary: without synthetic models visitors find it difficult to identify the phenomenon addressed by analytical models, while the latter may bring to visitors’ attention aspects that otherwise might be hidden by the complexity of synthetic models.

Prego voador: um desafio para estudantes de eletromagnetismo

In this work we present a low cost didactic experiment - designed by a student in a course for undergraduate students of Physics at Universidade Federal Fluminense. The emphasis of the experiment is on the study of the unexpected motion of ferromagnetic materials under the action of magnetic fields produced by a solenoid. The experiment is described in details, including the material, the steps and procedures. The attempts for explanation for such movements are presented in the discussion. This paper aims to provide teachers with some ideas of how to sustain a discussion with their students.

O CONCEITO DE CAMPO: POLISSEMIA NOS MANUAIS, SIGNIFICADOS NA FÍSICA DO PASSADO E DA ATUALIDADE

This paper aims at: evidencing the polissemic character of the term field within High School textbooks; studying its meanings in historical texts; showing that the roots of such meaning variety are found in both past and present days. Considering as reference the current theoretical mark of Physics and historical texts, seven secondary education manuals were analyzed. When appropriate, such manuals were compared to those found in old education and undergraduate textbooks. Meaning differences could be pointed out, both implicitly and explicitly. Such meanings are: space; vector; something that propagates itself and supports energy propagation; space curvature; energy resevoir; it interacts with particles and mediates their interaction; it fills space. Partly, this polissemy can be credited to the concealed form of introducing Modern Physics in manuals. An attempt is made to understand this introduction in face of Chevallards didactic transposition.

RACIOCÍNIO HIPOTÉTICO-DEDUTIVO RELATIVO À FLUTUAÇÃO

O objetivo do trabalho e estudar as estrategias adotadas frente a tarefa de escolha de hipoteses relativa ao fenomeno de flutuacao. Os datos foram obtidos a partir de entrevistas com criancas e de questionarios com adultos. Na analise dos resultados foram contempladas as relacoes das estrategias com a idade, com a forma e com o conteudo das hipoteses. A precocidade da estrategia de falseamento correto foi atribuida a diferencas nos procedimentos mentais utilizados por criancas e adultos. Tratamentos estatisticos dos dados confirmam alguma relacao entre as estrategias e a forma e o conteudo das hipoteses. Sao apontadas contribuicoes para o ensino de ciencias.