How the investigations of the students' reasoning on waves and the history of physics can help us to develop research-based innovative units for secondary students on the velocity of light?

Laurence Maurines (1) , Arnaud Mayrargue (2)

1 DidaScO - Didactique des Sciences d'Orsay
2 REHSEIS (UMR_7596) - Recherches Epistémologiques et Historiques sur les Sciences Exactes et les Institutions Scientifiques

This paper shows how the similarities between students' conceptions and ancient theories can be used to elaborate innovative pedagogical units. It focuses on a unit dealing with four points revealed or supposed to be difficult for students. They concern the fact that the white light is composed of several “coloured lights”, that the velocity of light is not infinite, is the same for all coloured lights in vacuum, is not changed when light has travelled through a transparent medium. In order to work also on epistemological notions, in particular on the concept of proof and on the limits of models, this unit has been based on texts presenting conflicting theories. It proposes different types of activities and an experimental staging of the texts, when it was possible. Questionnaires are currently distributed in order to collect teachers' viewpoints on this unit. Test and evaluation of this unit are planned.

Mots clés: exact sciences; scientific research; scientific teaching; velocity of light; coloured lights; students' conceptions

Domaines: Histoire, Philosophie et Sociologie des sciences

Laurence Maurines, Arnaud Mayrargue. How the investigations of the students' reasoning on waves and the history of physics can help us to develop research-based innovative units for secondary students on the velocity of light?. 2005. ⟨hal-00385723⟩