Chapter 10
Innovation of Curriculum and Frontiers
of Fundamental Physics in Secondary
School: Research-Based Proposals
Marisa Michelini
Abstract Conceptual knots in classical physics are often cited as motivation for the
exclusion of modern physics in secondary school, but innovation in secondary
school physics curriculum is a need for many aspects. The new ways of learning
require new methods and active learning able to produce competences and not only
knowledge; the laboratory work has to be integrated in every day school activities, as
well as the contribution of ICT in the teaching/learning process; the new topics
related to the physics of the last century is the main content need. Research is an
urgent need in finding ways for integrating modern physics in vertical perspective in
the curriculum, by means of new active methods to avoid the reductionist attitude to
add not more than notions on special relativity and quantum physics as final topic in
the curriculum in informative or narrative way. Modern physics in secondary school
is a challenge which involves the possibility to transfer to the future generations a
culture in which physics is an integrated part, not a marginal one, involving curricula
innovation in a way that allows the students to manage them in moments of
organized analysis, in everyday life, in social decisions. In the theoretical framework
of the Model of Educational Reconstruction, we developed research-based educational proposals focused on contributions to the practice, developing coherent
learning paths in vertical perspective. Design Based Research integrated with
research and developments of new tools and studies on conceptual change are
carried out to produce learning progression and finding ways to offer opportunities
for understanding and experiencing what physics is, what it deals with, and how it
works in operative way. Empirical data analysis of student reasoning in intervention
modules supports proposed strategies. In this chapter, we present our research
methods, we list the main path proposals prepared and implemented, and we
describe in detail two of them: cross section and phenomenological approach to
the superconductivity.
M. Michelini (*)
Physics Education Research Unit, DMIF, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
e-mail: marisa.michelini@uniud.it
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
B. G. Sidharth et al. (eds.), Fundamental Physics and Physics Education Research,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52923-9_10
101
Innovation of Curriculum and Frontiers
of Fundamental Physics in Secondary
School: Research-Based Proposals
Marisa Michelini
Abstract Conceptual knots in classical physics are often cited as motivation for the
exclusion of modern physics in secondary school, but innovation in secondary
school physics curriculum is a need for many aspects. The new ways of learning
require new methods and active learning able to produce competences and not only
knowledge; the laboratory work has to be integrated in every day school activities, as
well as the contribution of ICT in the teaching/learning process; the new topics
related to the physics of the last century is the main content need. Research is an
urgent need in finding ways for integrating modern physics in vertical perspective in
the curriculum, by means of new active methods to avoid the reductionist attitude to
add not more than notions on special relativity and quantum physics as final topic in
the curriculum in informative or narrative way. Modern physics in secondary school
is a challenge which involves the possibility to transfer to the future generations a
culture in which physics is an integrated part, not a marginal one, involving curricula
innovation in a way that allows the students to manage them in moments of
organized analysis, in everyday life, in social decisions. In the theoretical framework
of the Model of Educational Reconstruction, we developed research-based educational proposals focused on contributions to the practice, developing coherent
learning paths in vertical perspective. Design Based Research integrated with
research and developments of new tools and studies on conceptual change are
carried out to produce learning progression and finding ways to offer opportunities
for understanding and experiencing what physics is, what it deals with, and how it
works in operative way. Empirical data analysis of student reasoning in intervention
modules supports proposed strategies. In this chapter, we present our research
methods, we list the main path proposals prepared and implemented, and we
describe in detail two of them: cross section and phenomenological approach to
the superconductivity.
M. Michelini (*)
Physics Education Research Unit, DMIF, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
e-mail: marisa.michelini@uniud.it
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
B. G. Sidharth et al. (eds.), Fundamental Physics and Physics Education Research,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52923-9_10
101