58460 - Physics Education

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student will know: - the main results obtained by Physics Education Research regarding the conceptual, epistemological, linguistic and educational knots related to the teaching and learning of upper secondary school physics topics (e.g. thermodynamics, electromagnetism, relativity, quantum physics); - teaching tools and methodologies developed by Physics Education Research and within the History of Physics, also with respect to the role of the teacher and the teaching choices that can be made; - methods for monitoring and analysing the processes of teaching/learning physics. The student will be able to: - analyse research materials (questionnaires and transcripts of audio- and video- recording) concerning emblematic moments of learning; - use various texts and materials for designing teaching/learning experiences (textbooks, original papers, historical and epistemological texts, research papers in physics education research, popular science books, web-sites, and so on); - analyse innovative proposals for teaching physics at the secondary school level; - apply instructional methodologies and technologies to design teaching paths and experiences in relation to physics topics foreseen by the Italian syllabus for secondary schools.

The course is in Italian and Italian language is needed for examination. 

Course contents

The course will address the following topics:

- Physics Education as research field: the origins, the constructivist paradigm, the research on students' knowledge, models of conceptual change (from the model of Posner, Strike, Henson and Herzog to the coordination classes by A. diSessa);

- The teaching of Special Relativity: students' difficulties on the concepts of event, frame of reference, relativity of simultaneity, proper time, length contraction; Einstein's and Minkowski's approaches compared from an educational perspective; the debate on the concepts of space and time in physics as example of the contribution that history and epistemology can provide to physics teaching/learning;

- The teaching of Thermodynamics: students' difficulties on the concepts of temperature, heat, internal energy, entropy; macroscopic and microscopic approaches compared from an educational perspective; thermodynamics as an example to design inclusive learning environments; the construct of appropriation and orchestration strategies;

- The teaching of Quantum Physics: students' difficulties on the old quantum physics; analysis of results in History and Foundation of Physics and of their “didactical transposition”; interdisciplinary between mathematics and physics; the role of metaphors in teaching/learning quantum physics at the secondary school level.

Texts of different nature (e.g.: sections from school textbooks, research articles, historical-epistemological essays, research materials) will be analysed in order to become familiar with the various aspects of Physics Education: the conceptual/disciplinary, the cognitive, the epistemological, the educational practical ones.

During the course a special attention will be paid to analyze and discuss the following transversal themes:

- gender issues in teaching/learning physics;

- science & society;

and the following transversal competences will be developed:

- critical thinking;

- competences of team-working;

- communication skills.

The course will be in Italian and Italian language is needed for examination.

Readings/Bibliography

Teaching materials will be uploaded on a shared folder and made available on the Moodle platform of the course.

The materials include slides and presentations, research articles and other materials for study (e.g.: tutorials, guides for group activities, research tools, students' protocols, etc.).

The following text is suggested for deeper study of the course topics:

Besson U. (2015), Didattica della fisica, Carocci.

Teaching methods

The course is designed to illustrate a large variety of teaching methods aimed to promote active learning.

Students will experience on themselves: socratic/dialogical lessons (vs. academic lectures), co-construction of arguments, peer-to-peer problem analysis, and group work using various facilitation tools, such as tutorials. 

Since interactive teaching methods will be implemented, attendance at lessons is strongly recommended.

Students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) or temporary/permanent disabilities are advised to contact the University Office responsible in a timely manner (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ). The office will be responsible for proposing any necessary accommodations to the students concerned. These accommodations must be submitted to the instructor for approval at least 15 days in advance, and will be evaluated in light of the learning objectives of the course.

Assessment methods

The exam consists of an oral task divided into two parts.

Part I

- Presentation and discussion of a research article in Physics Education, selected from a list made available. The presentation of the analysis must contain a critical reflection on: i) the research problem addressed; ii) the research method used; iii) results; iv) implications for teaching.

Part II
- Discussion about concepts or topics addressed in the course both from a disciplinary and an educational point of view.

The first part of the exam will assess student's ability to:

1) understand the approach, contents and results of the article (up to 10 points);

2) understand the structure and methodological aspects (up to 10 points);

3) elaborate and reflect critically on the implications of the article (up to 10 points).

The second part of the exam will evaluate:

1) the level of comprehension of a concept or topic addressed during the course (up to 15 points);

2) the ability to analyze such a concept or topic from an educational perspective, that is the ability to recognize what aspects of the concept/topics are problematic for understanding (up to 10 points);

3) the ability to situate the discussion of this theme or concept within a wider cultural and educational perspective and/or within a teaching path (up to 5 points).

The final mark will be the average between the points obtained in the first and in the second part of the exam.

For attending students, there will be ongoing activities of formative assessment, aimed to prepare to the sommative assessment and to develop "feedback literacy" skills.

Students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) or temporary/permanent disabilities are advised to contact the University Office responsible in a timely manner (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ). The office will be responsible for proposing any necessary accommodations to the evaluation forms.

 

Teaching tools

Power-point presentations, educational movies, tools embedded in Virtuale (e.g wooclap or forum).

Office hours

See the website of Olivia Levrini