Student centered teaching activities in secondary schools and misconceptions evolution: basic mechanics

Based on constructivism and cognitivism we believe that learning physics in schools can be faced as a process of reshaping students’ mental models about Nature’s behavior. These can correlate with existing physics misconceptions. Aware of the negative consequences of basic cognitive misunderstandings and believing that their correction, implying active and motivated students, should start from first contacts with physics knowledge in lower secondary schools, we asked three schoolteachers to participate on a pilot study with 7th, 8th and 9th graders. This study is specifically designed to promote and coach teachers’ attitudinal changes towards stronger student centered teaching behaviors. We report results obtained during academic year 2017/2018, some qualitative (from teachers diaries and recorded interviews) and a quantitative quasi-experimental study (with pre- and post-tests and control groups) with 9th graders, searching for misconceptions evolution on basic mechanics. The results obtained with 15 out of the 30 questions of the Force Concept Inventory indicate a fairly high average normalized gain for the experimental group. However, this average gain was not uniformly distributed along every FCI question, evidencing some difficulties with Newton’s 3rd law understanding. A recommended approach for its teaching in 2018/2019 produced evidence of deep learning of every tested mechanics concept.