Abstract
This paper summarises research presented in the symposium organised by the Groupe International de Recherche sur l’Enseignment de la Physique (GIREP) on content-focused research and research-based instruction. A specific topic area, electromagnetism, was chosen to provide focus and continuity. The interpretative ideas developed by physicists to account for electromagnetic phenomena and the mathematical formalism used to represent these ideas make the subject ideal for exploring issues in learning and teaching that include the impact of students’ prior real-world experiences, their understanding of the nature of the interpretative process and their ability to relate formalism to phenomena. Electromagnetism also offers the opportunity to explore the relationships between macroscopic and microscopic models, as well as the ‘field’ concept. Thus the research findings presented have implications that go beyond the nominal content of electricity and magnetism. The symposium addressed learning among primary, secondary and university students pursuing careers as engineers or scientists and pre-service teachers. The themes include the study of conceptual knots related to the content, the implications for teacher training and the persistence of difficulties at the university level. Instructional approaches motivated by research findings were discussed. Researchers from Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United States presented results from their own investigations. As shown in this paper, the perspectives vary with regard to research questions, methods, interpretative frameworks and the role of specific research findings in driving educational innovation.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Backhaus, U. (1993). Energietransport durch elektrische Ströme und elektromagnetische Felder. Magdeburg: Westarp.
Ball, D. L., & Cohen, D. K. (1999). Developing practice, developing practitioners: Toward a practice theory of professional education. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Brown, D. E., & Hammer, D. (2008). Conceptual change in physics. In S. Vosniadou (Ed.), International handbook of research on conceptual change (pp. 127–154). New York: Routledge.
Challapalli, S. R. C. P., Michelini, M., & Vercellati, S. (2014). Informal learning in CLOE Labs to build the basic conceptual knowledge of magnetic phenomena. In M. F. Taşar (Ed.), Proceedings of The WCPE 2012. Ankara: Pegem Akademi. ISBN 978-605-364-658-7.
Costantinou, C. (2010, July). Design based research, ESERA Summer School, Udine. From http://www.fisica.uniud.it/URDF/Esera2010/lecture1.pdf
diSessa, A. A. (2004). Meta-representation: Native competence and targets for instruction. Cognition and Instruction, 22(3), 293–331.
Driver, R., & Erickson, G. (1983). Theories-in-action: Some theoretical and empirical issues in the study of students’ conceptual frameworks in science. Studies in Science Education, 10, 37–60.
Flemish Ministry of Education. (2012). Onderwijsspiegel 2012 [Brochure] (2012, Dutch). Retrieved June 8, 2013, from http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/overzichten/onderwijsspiegel.htm
Flemish Ministry of Education. (2013). Inspectorate’s school reports. Retrieved June 5, 2013, from http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/doorlichtingsverslagen/
Gilbert, J. K., Boulter, C., & Rutherford, M. (1998). Models in explanations. International Journal of Science Education, 20(1), 83–97.
Guisasola, J., Furio, C., & Ceberio, M. J. (2008). Science education based on developing guided research. In Science education in focus (pp. 173–201). New York: Nova.
Guisasola, J., Zubimendi, L., & Zuza, K. (2010). How much have students learned? Research-based teaching on electrical capacitance. Physics Review Special Topics Physics Education Research, 6, 020102.
Hajer, M., & Meestringa, T. (2004). Handboek Taalgericht Vakonderwijs. Bussum: Coutinho.
Hajer, M., & Meestringa, T. (2009). Handboek taalgericht vakonderwijs (2nd ed.). Bussum: Coutinho.
Hartlapp, M. (2012). Energiestromdichten in elektrischen Bauelementen. Thesis. TU Dresden.
Hazelton, R. L. C., Stetzer, M. R., Heron, P. R. L., & Shaffer, P. S. (2013). Investigating student ability to apply basic electrostatics concepts to conductors. AIP Conference Proceedings, 1513, 166–169.
Heron, P. R. L. (2004). Empirical investigations of learning. Part I: Examining and Interpreting Student Thinking. In: E. F. Redish, & M. Vicentini (Eds.), Proceedings of the international school of physics “Enrico Fermi,” (Course CLVI, July 2003, pp. 341–363). Varenna: Italian Physical Society.
Hmelo-Silver, C. E. (2004). Problem-based learning: What and how do students learn? Educational Psychology Review, 16(3), 235–266.
Krey, O. (2012). Die Rolle der Mathematik in der Physik. Berlin: Logos.
Magnusson, S., Krajcik, J., & Borko, H. (1999). Nature, sources, and development of pedagogical content knowledge for science teaching. In: J. Gess-Newsome, & N. G. Lederman (Eds.), Examining pedagogical content knowledge: The construct and its implications for science education (pp. 95–132). Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic.
McDermott, L. C. (1990). In: Gardner et al. (Eds.), Toward a scientific practice of science education (pp. 3–30). L. Erlbaum & Associates
Michelini, M., & Vercellati, S. (2012). Pupils explore magnetic and electromagnetic phenomena in CLOE labs. Latin American Journal of Physics Education, 6(I), 10–15.
Michelini M., & Vercellati S., (2013). Magnetic field flux in understanding electromagnetism. 12th international conference APLIMAT 2013, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Bratislava.
Ogborn, J. (1997). Constructivist metaphors of science learning. Science and Education. 6, 121–133.
Pietrocola, M. (2008). Mathematics as structural language of physical thought. In: M. Vicentini, & E. Sassi (Eds.), Connecting research in physics education with teacher education (Vol. 2). International Commission of Physics Education.
Psillos, D., Kariotoglou, P., Tselfes, V., Hatzikraniotis, E., & Kallery, M. (Eds.). (2010). Science education research in the knowledge-based society. Amsterdam: Kluwer Academic Press.
Rogers, C. R. (1969). Freedom to learn. Columbus: Merrill Publishing Company.
Scaife, T. M., & Heckler, A. F. (2010). Students’ understanding of the direction of the magnetic force on a charge particle. American Journal of Physics, 78(8), 869–876.
Uhden, O., Karam, R., Pietrocola, M., & Pospiech, G. (2012). Modelling mathematical reasoning in physics education. Science and Education, 21(4), 485–506.
von Aufschnaiter, C., & von Aufschnaiter, S. (2003). Theoretical framework and empirical evidence on students’ cognitive processes in three dimensions of content, complexity, and time. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 40(7), 616–648.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Guisasola, J. et al. (2016). Content-Focused Research for Innovation in Teaching/Learning Electromagnetism: Approaches from GIREP Community. In: Papadouris, N., Hadjigeorgiou, A., Constantinou, C. (eds) Insights from Research in Science Teaching and Learning. Contributions from Science Education Research, vol 2. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20074-3_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20074-3_7
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-20073-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-20074-3
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)