0000000000139968
AUTHOR
Jenaro Guisasola
Learning the electric field concept as oriented research activity
This work is grounded in a constructivistic conception of the learning of science, more particularly on the model known as teaching–learning as oriented research. In accordance with this theoretical basis we have developed an empirical research project to investigate the teaching of electrostatics in high schools. The designs developed have enabled us to assess the learning achieved by the students from conceptual, procedural, and attitudinal stances. According to our findings we can say that the materials developed and the way we have worked with them have contributed to more significant learning and favored a more positive attitude toward the subject. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed…
Influencia de la formación y la investigación didáctica del profesorado de ciencias sobre su práctica docente
Este trabajo analiza las relaciones entre la formación, la investigación en didáctica y la práctica docente del profesorado de ciencias de secundaria. La muestra no probabilística está formada por 55 profesores de secundaria. La metodología elegida es de tipo mixto (cuantitativo-cualitativo) y utiliza tres instrumentos complementarios: un cuestionario, un protocolo de observación en el aula y una entrevista. Los resultados de los cuestionarios muestran dos tipos de formación en didáctica de las ciencias: activa y estándar. Las observaciones y las entrevistas ponen de manifiesto la existencia de dos tipologías docentes con grandes diferencias entre ellas en lo referente a estrategias de ense…
THE LEARNING AND TEACHING OF THE CONCEPTS AMOUNT OF SUBSTANCE AND MOLE: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
The importance of the concepts of ’amount of substance’ and ’mole’ is supported by the abundance in the last decade of research papers on the problem of the teaching and learning of these concepts. The present study attempts a review of the relevant bibliography, including recent investigations on both the difficulties of learning these concepts and the didactic alternatives that are provided from different perspectives. The literature reviewed shows that students have great difficulty in handling the above concepts. In addition, a clear discrepancy exists between what is assumed as correct by the scientific community and the thinking of educators. Finally, strategies for the teaching of th…
Difficulties in learning the concept of electric field
This article analyzes students' main difficulties in learning the concept of the electric field. To carry out this analysis we have supposed that the historical study of the main qualitative leaps that have taken place in the construction of the theory of field may help to diagnose such difficulties. Thus, we have made a brief description of the main conceptual profiles within which electric interactions can be interpreted (Coulombian and Maxwellian) and examined to what extent they are used by students in sixth form and in university. To achieve this we have devised and applied an open question questionnaire and personal. The results obtained showed that most students, even university stud…
How are the Concepts and Theories of Acid–Base Reactions Presented? Chemistry in Textbooks and as Presented by Teachers
This paper investigates the views of science and scientific activity that can be found in chemistry textbooks and heard from teachers when acid–base reactions are introduced to grade 12 and university chemistry students. First, the main macroscopic and microscopic conceptual models are developed. Second, we attempt to show how the existence of views of science in textbooks and of chemistry teachers contributes to an impoverished image of chemistry. A varied design has been elaborated to analyse some epistemological deficiencies in teaching acid–base reactions. Textbooks have been analysed and teachers have been interviewed. The results obtained show that the teaching process does not emphas…
Elementary electrostatic phenomena: Historical hindrances and students’ difficulties1
Abstract Categories of explanation for electrostatic phenomena derived from a brief historical survey are used to interpret the responses of students aged 17 to 21 to questionnaire items describing five experimental situations. Most of the students’ interpretations of electrostatic phenomena used ideas about the electric nature of matter that recalled pre‐Newtonian explanations.
Teaching of energy issues: A debate proposal for a global reorientatiom
The growing awareness of serious difficulties in the learning of energy issues has produced a great deal of research, most of which is focused on specific conceptual aspects. In our opinion, the difficulties pointed out in the literature are interrelated and connected to other aspects (conceptual as well as procedural and axiological), which are not sufficiently taken into account in previous research. This paper aims to carry out a global analysis in order to avoid the more limited approaches that deal only with individual aspects. From this global analysis we have outlined 24 propositions that are put forward for debate to lay the foundations for a profound reorientation of the teaching o…
Students' Understanding of the Special Theory of Relativity and Design for a Guided Visit to a Science Museum
International audience; This paper describes the design of teaching materials that are used as learning tools in school visits to a science museum. An exhibition on the 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 which was achieved. The first part of the paper presents the teaching sequence which 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 aspect…
What Factors have an Influence on A Quality Teaching Practice in Sciences?
Abstract This paper aims to know to what extent in-service teachers who have not participated in science teaching training courses neither have performed any research in this field develop a quality teaching practice and what factors have influenced to achieve it. Questionnaires and non-participating observation protocols about the classroom work have been used as well as semi-structured interviews with a sample of teachers to obtain data. These instruments try to characterize the teaching action and determine what factors and in which degrees have influenced the performance of a quality science teaching activity.
Different approaches to research and innovation in physics education at college and university
Abstract In this article we report a Symposium organized by GTG-Physics Education Research at University (PERU) with different proposals that includes innovative educational approaches and research on problems of teaching-learning physics at university. In the second section, two research projects are described on teaching specific curriculum topics that present special difficulties for students. In the next section the third project on a work experience in the laboratory that takes into account the characteristics of scientific work, is presented. Finally, the fourth project presents a way to investigate the types of student reasoning. In the discussion, the importance of research projects…
¿Podemos mejorar la enseñanza de la resolución de problemas de lápiz y papel en las aulas de Física y Química?
<span>La enseñanza de las ciencias en el nivel universitario y preuniversitario está actualmente en un proceso de desarrollo y cambio en todo el mundo (Tiberghien et al., 1998; Gil Pérez y Vilches, 1999). Éste se debe, en parte, a las evidencias aportadas por la investigación sobre el fracaso generalizado de buena parte del alumnado en el aprendizaje de las ciencias, y también a las demandas planteadas por la sociedad a una educación que debería favorecer una alfabetización científica del ciudadano de este nuevo milenio (AAAS, 1989), y una preparación para la nuevas necesidades de los puestos de trabajo en un contexto caracterizado por una disminución de las tareas rutinarias (paulati…
Teaching energy conservation as a unifying principle in physics
In this work we present the design and assessment of a teaching sequence aimed at introducing the principle of energy conservation at post-compulsory secondary school level (16-18 year olds). The proposal is based on the result of research into teaching-learning difficulties and on the analysis of the physics framework. Evidence is shown that this teaching sequence, together with the methodology used in the classroom, may result in students having a better grasp of the principle of energy conservation. Keywords Physics education · Energy conceptions · Teaching activities
Diseño e implementación de una secuencia de enseñanza para introducir los conceptos de sustancia y compuesto químico
Este estudio propone la implementación de una secuencia didáctica para facilitar el aprendizaje de los conceptos de sustancia, sustancia simple y compuesto en educación secundaria. Para su elaboración se ha partido del análisis histórico y las concepciones alternativas más frecuentes de los estudiantes respecto a estos conceptos. Su evaluación se ha realizado mediante un estudio comparativo entre grupos de alumnos que la han utilizado en clase y grupos que han seguido un método de enseñanza tradicional. Los resultados muestran que la selección de contenidos y las estrategias utilizadas en una secuencia de enseñanza de orientación constructivista ofrece a los estudiantes mayor capacidad de a…