research theoretical framework is the Model of Educational Reconstruction and
Design Based Research guides the implementation of the studied proposals by
means of conceptual change analysis of student reasoning. Instruments and methods
are test-in/out, tutorials, and interviews using the standard methods of qualitative
research. Research is carried out in the context of IDIFO Project (Innovation in
Physics Education and Guidance Project led by our research unit) of the National
Plan PLS-Fisica (Plan for improving Scientific degrees—section physics), with a
peer review and cooperation between 20 Italian universities for different physics
education actions and characterized by a strong cooperation between school and
university. It follows different learning outcomes: (1) the physics in research analysis technics; (2) explorative approach to research edge topics; (3) discussion of
crucial/transversal concepts both in classical physics and in modern physics;
(4) foundation of theoretical thinking; (5) contexts for personal involvement in
inquiry base learning to gain critical approach and competences in experimental
physics work. The perspectives in developing proposals are focused in building in
young people: physics identity, physics as a cultural issue, the idea of physical
epistemic nature. Avoiding the reductionism our aim is to offer opportunities to:
(1) experience of quantitative exploration of crucial phenomena (diffraction and
optical spectroscopy), individuating laws, fitting data, and testing basic principal
ideas and results with experimental data; (2) understand the crucial role of classical
physics in modern research techniques (RBS, Resistivity and Hall coefficient measurements), manipulating data and interpretation like in a research laboratory;
(3) focusing on reasoning to conduct a phenomena exploration (superconductivity)
understanding the role of analogies for finding explanations; (4) reflect on physics
meaning of basic concepts in different theories (state, measure, cross section)
revising meanings in classical physics and understanding the different perspectives
of new theories; (5) approach to the new ideas of QM theory: the first step toward a
coherent interpretation with a supporting formalism experiencing aspects, cardinal
concepts, elements peculiar to QM; (6) privilege dynamic aspects in special relativity to revise the concepts of mass and energy and to understand the law E ¼ mc
2 .
The vertical perspective with respect to the curriculum gives us the opportunity to
integrate the different perspectives in different ways so each represents a specific
methodological proposal. The two proposals for cross section and for superconductivity here presented offer a way to identify the different methods.
The implementations with secondary school students evidence positive learning
progression concerning the crucial knots of the treated topics. It suggests to: (a) focus
on the coherence of reasoning to create a reference framework, integrating hand-on
and explorative work, mind-on interpretation of results, by means of real and ideal
experiments and modelling; (b) use iconographic representations as conceptual tool;
(c) use analogies for phenomena interpretation; (d) introduce formalism, using it to
reinterpret explored situations; (e) analyze students’ ideas in the framework of
different interpretative schema; (f) integrate modern physics in classical physics
developing coherent paths of conceptual understanding.
Acknowledgement I express my gratitude for the cooperation in the research work carried out to
the colleagues of my physics education research group and in particular to Lorenzo Santi and
10 Innovation of Curriculum and Frontiers of Fundamental Physics in Secondary. . .
113
Design Based Research guides the implementation of the studied proposals by
means of conceptual change analysis of student reasoning. Instruments and methods
are test-in/out, tutorials, and interviews using the standard methods of qualitative
research. Research is carried out in the context of IDIFO Project (Innovation in
Physics Education and Guidance Project led by our research unit) of the National
Plan PLS-Fisica (Plan for improving Scientific degrees—section physics), with a
peer review and cooperation between 20 Italian universities for different physics
education actions and characterized by a strong cooperation between school and
university. It follows different learning outcomes: (1) the physics in research analysis technics; (2) explorative approach to research edge topics; (3) discussion of
crucial/transversal concepts both in classical physics and in modern physics;
(4) foundation of theoretical thinking; (5) contexts for personal involvement in
inquiry base learning to gain critical approach and competences in experimental
physics work. The perspectives in developing proposals are focused in building in
young people: physics identity, physics as a cultural issue, the idea of physical
epistemic nature. Avoiding the reductionism our aim is to offer opportunities to:
(1) experience of quantitative exploration of crucial phenomena (diffraction and
optical spectroscopy), individuating laws, fitting data, and testing basic principal
ideas and results with experimental data; (2) understand the crucial role of classical
physics in modern research techniques (RBS, Resistivity and Hall coefficient measurements), manipulating data and interpretation like in a research laboratory;
(3) focusing on reasoning to conduct a phenomena exploration (superconductivity)
understanding the role of analogies for finding explanations; (4) reflect on physics
meaning of basic concepts in different theories (state, measure, cross section)
revising meanings in classical physics and understanding the different perspectives
of new theories; (5) approach to the new ideas of QM theory: the first step toward a
coherent interpretation with a supporting formalism experiencing aspects, cardinal
concepts, elements peculiar to QM; (6) privilege dynamic aspects in special relativity to revise the concepts of mass and energy and to understand the law E ¼ mc
2 .
The vertical perspective with respect to the curriculum gives us the opportunity to
integrate the different perspectives in different ways so each represents a specific
methodological proposal. The two proposals for cross section and for superconductivity here presented offer a way to identify the different methods.
The implementations with secondary school students evidence positive learning
progression concerning the crucial knots of the treated topics. It suggests to: (a) focus
on the coherence of reasoning to create a reference framework, integrating hand-on
and explorative work, mind-on interpretation of results, by means of real and ideal
experiments and modelling; (b) use iconographic representations as conceptual tool;
(c) use analogies for phenomena interpretation; (d) introduce formalism, using it to
reinterpret explored situations; (e) analyze students’ ideas in the framework of
different interpretative schema; (f) integrate modern physics in classical physics
developing coherent paths of conceptual understanding.
Acknowledgement I express my gratitude for the cooperation in the research work carried out to
the colleagues of my physics education research group and in particular to Lorenzo Santi and
10 Innovation of Curriculum and Frontiers of Fundamental Physics in Secondary. . .
113