ID:
500601
Duration (hours):
48
CFU:
6
SSD:
DIDATTICA E STORIA DELLA FISICA
Year:
2025
Overview
Date/time interval
Secondo Semestre (02/03/2026 - 05/06/2026)
Syllabus
Course Objectives
The course provides an introduction to physics teaching, both as a contribution to the training of future high school teachers, and as training for research in the field of scientific education. Concerning the first item, the goal is to provide future teachers with the tools to interpret student difficulties, critically evaluate textbooks, and design efficient teaching-learning sequences. Regarding the second item, themes and methods of educational research in physics teaching will be illustrated, from the dawn of the discipline to modern developments.
Course Prerequisites
Good knowledge of classical physics, as provided by Bachelor degree courses. Basic knowledge of modern physics.
Teaching Methods
Lectures. In addition students will be proposed research based concept inventories on the different areas of the discipline, and rapid response mini-tests during lectures (using students’ smartphones). These tasks will not be part of the evaluation for the final grade.
Assessment Methods
The final test will consist of an oral examination lasting about 45 minutes, in which the student will be asked to discuss the topics covered in the course. Students will be required to display good working knowledge of specific student difficulties and misconceptions related to the different subfields of physics, and of their interpretations in terms of possible reasoning patterns and alternative mental models. The specific teaching-learning sequences presented in the course will also be discussed (path on thermodynamics based on a microscopic approach - geometric approach to special relativity - Feynman path approach to quantum physics), and finally, the students will be required to analyse the main theoretical reference frameworks of physics education, regarding conceptual change models, inquiry-based teaching, pedagogical content knowledge.
Thus, the exam content will cover the Physics Education areas treated in the course; it is however unavoidable that the discussion may sometimes drift towards the disciplinary topics (physical concepts) themselves, on which a reasonably complete knowledge is expected, at least at the level at which such topics are dealt with in secondary school.
Thus, the exam content will cover the Physics Education areas treated in the course; it is however unavoidable that the discussion may sometimes drift towards the disciplinary topics (physical concepts) themselves, on which a reasonably complete knowledge is expected, at least at the level at which such topics are dealt with in secondary school.
Texts
Besson U. - Didattica della fisica – Carocci (2015) - Besson U., Malgieri M. - Insegnare la fisica moderna – Carocci (2018)
Contents
A brief history of the beginnings of the discipline. Studies of the '70s and '80s on students' learning of mechanics and the development of the Force Concept Inventory. Models of conceptual change: the analogy between learning and the historical development of the discipline (model of Posner et al.); the framework theory model (Vosniadou et al.); the model based on the organization into “coordination classes” of phenomenological primitives or p-prims (DiSessa). – Central issues appearing in the teaching of the main areas of classical physics (mechanics, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, optics) and modern physics (special relativity and quantum mechanics): student difficulties, educational reconstructions, teaching strategies. In depth presentation of two approaches: the geometric approach to special relativity (Taylor-Wheeler) and the Feynman sum over paths approach to quantum physics.
The problem of teaching physics as a discipline endowed with internal consistency: the points of view of Hammer and Viennot. The Knowledge Integration paradigm for testing the degree of coherence in students' disciplinary ideas. The formation of teachers; the PCK (Pedagogical Content Knowledge) model and its meaning for the formation of physics teachers. The concept of formative evaluation and its application in the teaching of physics. Physics education in the laboratory: the historical debate on the guided/less guided laboratory. Recent directions on teaching in the lab: from the POE (Predict-Observe-Explain) to Etkina's ISLE (Investigative Science Learning Environment) model. Developing critical thinking in physics through problem-based learning. Gender issues in the teaching-learning of physics and STEM disciplines.
The problem of teaching physics as a discipline endowed with internal consistency: the points of view of Hammer and Viennot. The Knowledge Integration paradigm for testing the degree of coherence in students' disciplinary ideas. The formation of teachers; the PCK (Pedagogical Content Knowledge) model and its meaning for the formation of physics teachers. The concept of formative evaluation and its application in the teaching of physics. Physics education in the laboratory: the historical debate on the guided/less guided laboratory. Recent directions on teaching in the lab: from the POE (Predict-Observe-Explain) to Etkina's ISLE (Investigative Science Learning Environment) model. Developing critical thinking in physics through problem-based learning. Gender issues in the teaching-learning of physics and STEM disciplines.
Course Language
Italian
Degrees
Degrees (2)
PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Master’s Degree
2 years
SCIENZE FISICHE
Master’s Degree
2 years
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