Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Integrating Science Education Research and History and Philosophy of Science in Developing an Energy Curriculum

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
History, Philosophy and Science Teaching

Part of the book series: Science: Philosophy, History and Education ((SPHE))

Abstract

A curriculum development in science education involves addressing the interpretation of phenomena and the reasons for preferring one interpretation over another. Such considerations are at the focus of science, its history (HS) and its philosophy (PS). Hence, in order to foster a better scientific understanding, a curriculum design should aim at supplying students with the requisite tools to learn from the evolution of scientific ideas and their foundations. Here we discuss how the four pillars: science itself, its history and philosophy, and results from science education research can assist in designing a curriculum. We further demonstrate how these domains were considered in making decisions in the process of designing a curriculum, textbooks and instructional materials for teaching energy at the middle school level (7th & 9th grade levels).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    We named this approach after Joule although he was one of many who contributed to the effort to arrive at a unified concept of energy via experiments (see especially Bevilacqua 2014 and Coopersmith 2015).

  2. 2.

    Recall Lavoisier and Laplace’s calorimetric experiment that showed how processes in animals are energetically (and chemically) similar to a combustion reaction.

  3. 3.

    Although many of these phenomena were not known to Joule , his approach is often used for measuring the heating/cooling they induce.

  4. 4.

    In the literature, energy change is often used as a synonym for energy transformation. Here we use the term solely to describe the change in the value of energy: its increase or decrease.

  5. 5.

    See: Fermi 1936; Quinn 2014, p. 18; Reif 1967, p. 202; Reif 1965, p. 129.

  6. 6.

    Karplus suggested defining operationally the energy of a system relative to a system of ice and water at 0 °C as: “the mass of ice melted as the system comes to equilibrium with a mixture of ice and water”. We consider this as a definition of the change in energy rather than the energy itself, since the result of such a measurement also depends on the relative motion and position of the measured system and the ice-water system.

  7. 7.

    Karplus ‘suggestion has merit in that the change in the ice mass is the only change in an ice-water system, whereas using a thermometer also involves volume changes. However, carrying out a measurement such as that suggested by Karplus is not feasible in most classrooms.

  8. 8.

    With regard to energy, see the comprehensive summary of Michelini and Stefanel (2010).

  9. 9.

    It is not surprising that the Framework (pp. 95,96) calls for the need to have “a common use of language about energy and matter across the disciplines in science instruction” and that “the language of energy needs to be used with care so as not to further establish misconceptions”.

  10. 10.

    Some students say that time can be that common feature. A great idea!

  11. 11.

    We used a simple kitchen thermometer that has a metal “sleeve” with the sensor inserted in it. The sleeve can be regarded as a standard object.

  12. 12.

    These materials were developed, in addition to the authors of the current paper, by Rami Arieli, Amnon Hazan, Ayelet Weizman, Yael Bamberger, Tammy Yechieli, Oren Eckstein, and Roni Mualem.

  13. 13.

    These units are not the only ones used in our system, which is in the middle of shifting from the old curriculum to the new one.

  14. 14.

    We analyzed a video of a falling object.

  15. 15.

    Written by Amnon Hazan and Yael Bamberger, The Science Teaching Department at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.

  16. 16.

    The 9th grade textbook was developed, in addition to the authors of the current paper, by Adi Rosen, Uri Ganiel, and Amnon Hazan.

References

  • Adúriz-Bravo, A., & Izquierdo-Aymerich, M. (2005). Utilising the ‘3P-model’ to characterise the discipline of didactics of science. Science & Education, 14(1), 29–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Angeles, P. A. (1981). Dictionary of philosophy. New York: Harper & Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arons, A. B. (1965). Development of concepts in physics. Reading: Addison-Wesley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arons, A. B. (1999). Development of energy concepts in introductory physics courses. American Journal of Physics, 67, 1063–1067.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bächtold, M., & Guedj, M. (2012). Towards a new strategy for teaching energy based on the history and philosophy of the concept of energy. In Innovative methods for science education: History of science, ICT and inquiry based science teaching (pp. 225–238). Berlin: Frank & Timme.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bächtold, M., & Guedj, M. (2014). Teaching energy informed by the history and epistemology of the concept with implications for teacher education. In M. R. Matthews (Ed.), International handbook of research in history, philosophy and science teaching (pp. 211–243). Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bevilacqua, F. (2014). Energy: Learning from the past. Science & Education, 23(6), 1231–1243.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braithwaite, R. B. (1955). Scientific explanations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bridgman, P. W. (1936). The nature of physical theory. New York: Dover Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bridgman, P. W. (1952). The nature of some of physical concepts. New York: Philosophical Library.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bridgman, P. W. (1964). The nature of a physical theory. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bunge, M. (1963). The myth of simplicity. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bunge, M. (2000). Energy: Between physics and metaphysics. Science & Education, 9(5), 459–463.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chisholm, D. (1992). Some energetic thoughts. Physics Education, 27, 215–220.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, M. R., & Nagel, E. (1939). An Introduction to logic and scientific method. New York: Harcourt.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coopersmith, J. (2015). Energy, the subtle concept: The discovery of Feynman’s blocks from Leibniz to Einstein (Revised ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Copi, I. M., & Cohen, C. (1990). Introduction to logic. New York: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duit, R. (1984). Learning the energy concept in school—Empirical results from the Philippines and West Germany. Physics Education, 19, 59–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duit, R. (1985). In search of an energy concept. In The paper was presented at the conference on: Teaching about energy within the secondary school science curriculum. Leeds: The University of Leeds.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duschl, R. (1985). Science education and philosophy of science, twenty-five years of mutually exclusive development. School Science and Mathematics, 87, 541–555.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duschl, R. (1990). Restructuring science education: The role of theories and their importance. New York: Teachers’ College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duschl, R. (2000). Making the nature of science explicit. In R. Millar, J. Leech, & J. Osborne (Eds.), Improving science education: The contribution of research (pp. 187–206). Philadelphia: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Einstein, A. (1905/1952). On the electrodynamics of moving bodies. In His: The principle of relativity. New York: Dover.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elkana, Y. (2000). Science, philosophy of science and science teaching. Science & Education, 9, 463–485.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ellse, M. (1988). Transferring, not transforming energy. School Science Review, 69, 427–437.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eylon, B., & Hofstein, A. (2015). Curriculum development and change in the sciences. In R. Gunstone (Ed.), Encyclopedia of science education (pp. 258–264). Heidelberg: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Eylon, B-S., & Lehavi, Y. (2014). Position paper: Energy as the language of changes. In: Kaminski, W., & Michelini, M. (Eds.), Proceedings of selected papers of the GIREP-ICPE-MPTL international conference, Reims 2010, France (pp. 789–790). Università degli Studi di Udine, Italy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feigl, H., & Brodbeck, M. (1953). Readings in the philosophy of science. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fermi, E. (1936). Thermodynamics. New York: Dover.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feynman, R. (1964). Feynman’s lectures on physics (Vol. I, pp. 4-1–4-8). Reading: Addison-Wesley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galili, I., & Lehavi, Y. (2006). Definitions of physical concepts: A study of physics teachers’ knowledge and views. International Journal of Science Education, 28(5), 521–541.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert, J. K. (2006). Science education: Science, education, and the formal curriculum (Vol. 1). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldring, H., & Osborne, J. (1994). Students’ difficulties with energy and related concepts. Physics Education, 29, 26–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hecht, E. (2007). Energy and change. The Physics Teacher, 45(2), 88–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hempel, C. G. (1966). Philosophy of natural science. Englewood: Prentice-hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hempel, C. G. (1970). Aspects of scientific explanations. New York: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hestenes, D. (1998). Who needs physics education research!? American Journal of Physics, 66, 465–467.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holton, G. (1985). Introduction to concepts and theories in physical science. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karplus, R. (1981). Educational aspects of the structure of physics. American Journal of Physics, 49(3), 238–241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karplus, R., Pulos, S., & Stage, E. K. (1983). Early adolescents’ proportional reasoning on ‘rate’ problems. Educational studies in Mathematics, 14(3), 219–233.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koponen, I. T., & Mäntylä, T. (2006). Generative role of experiments in physics and in teaching physics: A suggestion for epistemological reconstruction. Science & Education, 15, 31–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kruger, C. (1990). Some primary Teachers’ ideas about energy. Physics Education, 25, 86–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuhn, T. S. (1962/1970). The structure of scientific revolutions. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuhn, T. S. (1977). The essential tension: Selected studies in scientific tradition and change. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Landau, L. D., & Lifshits, E. M. (1960). Mechanics. Oxford: Pergamon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lehavi, Y. (2014). Reproducing joule’s experiment(s) in teaching the concept of energy. In Michelini, M. and Heron, P. (Organizers), Symposium: Teaching and learning the concept of energy from early childhood school through university. In Taşar, M. F. (Ed.) Proceedings of the world conference on physics education 2012, (pp. 491–498). Pegem Akademi, Istanbul, ISBN 978-605-364-658-7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lehavi, Y., & Eylon, B. S. (2014). Teachers’ concept image of energy. In L. Dvořák & V. Koudelková (Eds.), Proceedings of the international conference on physics education: Active learning – In a changing world of new technologies. Prague: MATFYZPRESS publisher/Charles University in Prague. ISBN 978-80-7378-266-5. 492-500.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lehavi, Y., Eylon, B. S., Hazan, A., Bamberger, Y., & Weizman, A. (2014a). Focusing on changes in teaching about energy. In M. F. Taşar (Ed.), Proceedings of the world conference on physics education 2012. Istanbul: Pegem Akademi. ISBN 978-605-364-658-7, 491-497.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lehavi, Y., Eckstien, O., & Rosenzweig, G. (2014b). A simple kit for detecting quantitative changes in energy. In L. Dvořák & V. Koudelková (Eds.), Proceedings of the international conference on physics education: Active learning – In a changing world of new technologies (pp. 1219–1225). Prague: MATFYZPRESS publisher/Charles University in Prague. ISBN 978-80-7378-266-5.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lehavi, Y., Amit Yosovich, A., & Barak, S. (2016). Bringing joule back to school. School Science Review, 97(361), 9–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindsey, B. A., Heron, P. R. L., & Shaffer, P. S. (2009). Student ability to apply the concepts of work and energy to extended systems. American Journal of Physics, 77(11), 999–1009.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lindsey, B. A., Heron, P. R. L., & Shaffer, P. S. (2012). Student understanding of energy: Difficulties related to systems. American Journal of Physics, 80(2), 154–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mak, S. Y., & Young, K. (1987). Misconceptions in the teaching of heat. School Science Review, 68, 464–470.

    Google Scholar 

  • Margenau, H. (1950). The nature of physical reality (pp. 220–244). New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matthews, M. R. (2015). Science teaching: The contribution of history and philosophy of science. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mclldowie, E. (1995). Energy transfer – Where did we go wrong? Physics Education, 30(4), 228–230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michelini, M., & Stefanel, A. (2014). Approaches and learning problems in energy teaching/learning: an overview. In: Kaminski, W., & Michelini, M. (Eds.), Proceedings of selected papers of the GIREP-ICPE-MPTL International Conference , Reims 2010, France, (pp. 779–788) Università degli Studi di Udine, Italy.

    Google Scholar 

  • McDermott, L. C. (1997). Bridging the gap between teaching and Learning: The role of research. In E. F. Redish & J. S. Rigden (Eds.), The changing role of physics departments in modern universities: Proceedings of ICUPE (pp. 139–165). Woodbury: American Institute of Physics.

    Google Scholar 

  • McDermott, L. C., & The Physics Education Group. (1996). Physics by inquiry, Vol. I & II. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Millar, R. (2000). Energy. In D. Sang (Ed.), Teaching secondary physics (pp. 1–43). London: John Murray.

    Google Scholar 

  • Millar, R. (2014). Teaching about energy: From everyday to scientific understandings. School Science Review, 96(354), 45–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Monk, M., & Osborne, J. (1997). Placing the history and philosophy of science on the curriculum: A model for the development of pedagogy. Science Education, 81, 405–424.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore, G. S. M. (1993). General, restricted and misleading forms of the first law of thermodynamics. Physics Education, 28(4), 228–237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Research Council. (2012). A framework for K-12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Committee on a conceptual framework for new K-12 science education standards. Board on Science Education, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Null, W. (2011). Curriculum: From theory to practice. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Pub..

    Google Scholar 

  • Ogborn, J. (1986). Energy and fuel: The meaning of the go of things. School Science Review, 68, 30–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Papadouris, N., Constantinou, P., & Theodora Kyratsi, T. (2008). Students’ use of the energy model to account for changes in physical systems. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 45(4), 444–469.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poincare, H. (1905/1952). Science and hypothesis. New York: Dover.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quinn, H. (2014). A physicist’s musings on teaching about energy. In R. Chen, A. Eisenkraft, D. Fortus, J. Krajcik, J. Nordine, & A. Scheff (Eds.), Teaching and learning of energy in K-12 education (pp. 15–36). London: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Reif, F. (1965). Fundamentals of statistical and thermal physics. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reif, Frederick. “Berkeley physics course.” (1967).

    Google Scholar 

  • Rudolph, J. L. (2000). Reconsidering the `nature of science’ as a curriculum component. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 32(3), 403–419.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwab, J. J. (1964). Structure of the discipline: Meaning and significance. In G. W. Ford & L. Pugno (Eds.), The structure of knowledge and the curriculum (pp. 6–30). Chicago: Rand and McNally.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwab, J. J. (1973). The practical 3: Translation into curriculum. The School Review, 81(4), 501–522.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shapin, S. (1992). Why the public ought to understand science-in-the-making. Public Understanding of Science, 1, 27–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solomon, J. (1982). How children learn about energy—Or: Does the first law come first? School Science Review, 63, 415–422.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stinner, A. (1992). Science textbooks and science teaching: From logic to evidence. Science Education, 76(1), 1–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stylianidou, F., & Ogborn, J. (1999). Teaching about energy in secondary schools: The case of two innovations and Teachers’ transformations of them. In M. Komorek, H. Behrendt, H. Dahncke, R. Duit, W. Gröber, & A. Kross (Eds.), Proceedings of international conference. Dordrecht: Kluwer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Summers, M. K. (1983). Teaching heat - an analysis of misconceptions. School Science Review, 64, 670–676.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swartz, C. (1999). Book report: Survey of high-school physics texts. The Physics Teacher, 37(5), 283–308.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trumper, R. (1998). A longitudinal study of Israeli physics students’ conceptions of energy in pre-service training for high school teachers. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 7, 311–318.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tseitlin, M., & Galili, I. (2005). Physics teaching in the search for its self: From physics as a discipline to physics as a discipline-culture. Science & Education, 14(3–5), 235–261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolter, H. K., & Martin, J. G. (2002). ‘Forms of Energy’, an intermediary language on the road to thermodynamics? Part I. International Journal of Science Education, 24(1), 81–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The David Yellin College of Education, Jerusalem, Israel

    Yaron Lehavi & Bat-Sheva Eylon

  2. The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel

    Yaron Lehavi

Authors
  1. Yaron Lehavi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Bat-Sheva Eylon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yaron Lehavi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Michael R. Matthews

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Lehavi, Y., Eylon, BS. (2018). Integrating Science Education Research and History and Philosophy of Science in Developing an Energy Curriculum. In: Matthews, M. (eds) History, Philosophy and Science Teaching. Science: Philosophy, History and Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62616-1_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62616-1_9

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-62614-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-62616-1

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation