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The aim of the paper is to comment on some of the issues that continue to be debated about design research, such as its methodological rigour and the lack of a theoretical framework.. To show that design research over the last decade has established itself as a form of educational research, highlighting the consensus reached in defining its characteristics and epistemic commitments. I show the similarities with the articles published in this journal. It will also describe the main criticisms of design research and the prospects for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article highlights the XXXIX Biennial Meeting of the Royal Spanish Society of Physics, which took place in Donostia/San Sebastián from July 15 to 19, 2024. The event brought together 512 physicists from around the world to discuss advances in research, technology transfer, scientific outreach, and physics education. Prominent experts such as Ursula Keller, Claudio Zeni, Alessandra Buonanno, and Ignacio Cirac participated in the event. [Extracted from the article]

At university introductory physics courses, often problems are solved as a direct application of theory, as if they were exercises. In this paper we present evidence that students tend to solve problems in a superficial manner, without applying fundamental problem-solving strategies such as qualitative analysis or hypothesis making which prevents them from arriving at a correct solution. Using as a point of reference the solving of a problem that is usually regarded as an exercise, we propose some approaches that could serve as guidelines for problem-solving in Physics teaching, and stimulate reflection among students to find solutions, as well as use scientific procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a series of book reviews on astronomy written by Andrés Cassinello. The collection "Astronomy for Laypeople" consists of four volumes that address different aspects of astronomical knowledge throughout history. The first volume, "The Sky Before the Telescope," explores humanity's early discoveries about Earth exploration and the establishment of the first calendars. The second volume, "The Exploration of the Cosmos," focuses on navigation and the development of astronomy to calculate longitude. The third volume, "The Universe and Its Expansion," addresses advances in the model of the universe in the 19th and 20th centuries. The fourth volume, "After the Big Bang," is still in press. In summary, the collection is recommended for those interested in understanding how science and scientists work. [Extracted from the article]

This study examined engineering and physical science students' understanding of the electromagnetic induction (EMI) phenomena. It is assumed that significant knowledge of the EMI theory is a basic prerequisite when students have to think about electromagnetic phenomena. To analyse students' conceptions, we have taken into account the fact that individuals build mental representations to help them understand how a physical system works. Individuals use these representations to explain reality, depending on the context and the contents involved. Therefore, we have designed a questionnaire with an emphasis on explanations and an interview, so as to analyse students' reasoning. We found that most of the students failed to distinguish between macroscopic levels described in terms of fields and microscopic levels described in terms of the actions of fields. It is concluded that although the questionnaire and interviews involved a limited range of phenomena, the identified explanations fall into three main categories that can provide information for curriculum development by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of students' conceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Textbooks are a very important tool in the teaching-learning process and influence important aspects of the process. This paper presents an analysis of the chapter on electromagnetic induction and Faraday's law in 19 textbooks on general physics for first-year university courses for scientists and engineers. This analysis was based on criteria formulated from the theoretical framework of electromagnetic induction in classical physics and students' learning difficulties concerning these concepts. The aim of the work presented here is not to compare a textbook against the ideal book, but rather to try and find a series of explanations, examples, questions, etc that provide evidence on how the topic is presented in relation to the criteria above. It concludes that despite many aspects being covered properly, there are others that deserve greater attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study shows physicists' discussions on the meaning of Faraday's law where situations involving extended conductors or moving contact points are particularly troublesome. We raise questions to test students' difficulties in applying Faraday's lawin motional electromotive force phenomena.We suggest the benefit of analysing these phenomena when teaching Faraday's law in introductory physics courses at university. We are not implying that Faraday's law should be revised, but we do want to set the stage for careful rethinking regarding the meaning and application of each term of the law as it appears in traditional introductory courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of an instructional sequence intended to improve student understanding of Ampere's law among engineering students taking introductory physics. Participating students performed better on qualitative and quantitative test questions about Ampere's law than students in a similar class that devoted the same amount of time to the topic but followed traditional instruction. The results suggest that the strategy employed in the sequence can help students to apply and explain the relation between electrical currents and magnetic fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper describes the design of teaching materials that are used as learning tools in school visits to a science museum. An exhibition on 'A century of the Special Theory of Relativity', in the Kutxaespacio Science Museum, in San Sebastian, Spain, was used to design a visit for first-year engineering students at the university and assess the learning that was achieved. The first part of the paper presents the teaching sequence that was designed to build a bridge between formal teaching and the exhibition visit. The second part analyses the potential of the exhibition and the aforementioned teaching sequence to influence the students' knowledge of three aspects of the Special Theory of Relativity. The results obtained show that the design of the visit, with both pre-visit and follow-up activities, was effective as a means of increasing students' understanding and stimulating their ability to argue scientifically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work we present the design and assessment of a teaching sequence aimed at introducing the principle of energy conservation at post-compulsory secondary school level (16–18 year olds). The proposal is based on the result of research into teaching-learning difficulties and on the analysis of the physics framework. Evidence is shown that this teaching sequence, together with the methodology used in the classroom, may result in students having a better grasp of the principle of energy conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to adapt current subjects to the ECTS credits system, it is necessary to estimate how much time a student has to invest in learning a subject. The Polytechnic Engineering School of the University of the Basque Country has made an initial study to investigate this matter in several subjects. A weekly questionnaire design was used for all the students in the class, supplemented, when necessary, by an individual interview, with student collaboration. The results indicate that the study rhythm and the number of hours are strongly conditioned by the evaluation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visualizing parts, meaning interpreting the views of an object which has been represented in a drawing, is a fundamental skill in engineering. However, learning deficiencies and difficulties have been observed among engineering undergraduates, and there is a high failure rate in drawing courses. In order to determine the origin of these deficiencies, a qualitative design has been developed based on personal interviews. A group of students was interviewed to analyse the solution process they applied to three visualization problems with increasing difficulty. The steps they took were structured and categorized along with the difficulties and deficiencies which were detected. Most of the students affirmed that they did not possess methodology to solve these problems and relied on trial and error and intuition. The results seem to indicate that there are specific difficulties and that it is possible to define a set of skills which guide students through the process of visualizing parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem which we are tackling in this work emerges from three different concerns: the importance of 'learning science 'informally' as part of the school curriculum, the need for scientific literacy and the importance of the social implications of contemporary science. An exhibition was used in the Kutxaespacio Science Museum in San Sebastian on the centenary of the Spatial Theory of Relativity to design a visit for first year Engineering students and assess the learning which is achieved. The first part of the work presents the design which was produced to build bridges between formal teaching and the exhibition visit. The second part analyses the potential of the exhibition and the aforementioned design to influence the student's knowledge regarding three aspects of the Spatial Theory of Relativity. The results obtained demonstrate that the visit design with activities beforehand and afterwards is effective in terms of increasing students' understanding and stimulating their ability to argue scientifically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Se presenta un editorial de la revista que discute sobre la investigación basada en el diseño de secuencias de enseñanza y aprendizaje en el campo de investigación en la educación científica con un enfoque en las intervenciones en el aula en la Enseñanza de las Ciencias, la inclusión de la educación científica en los cursos académicos incluyendo innovaciones educativas y modelos de enseñanza en enseñanza de las ciencias.

Presents a study which examines engineering and physical science students' misconceptions of the nature of magnetic field. Approach taken to analyze students' conception; Analysis of ideas on basic magnetostatic phenomena of students in the first years at university; Details on how students explain the existence of a magnetic field in a zone of space.

Taking into account that students' attitudes and motivations could affect their behavior and learning, the aim of this paper is to analyze those attitudes and motivations toward the learning of physics of high school students (16-18) and university students of several scientific degrees. Data was gathered both at the start and at the end of the 2013/2014 academic year and they provided some conclusions: first, the results indicate that whereas the attitudes of students improved significantly in the first year of the degree in physics and the degree in engineering, those improvements were not enough to provide changes in the motivation of the students. On the other hand, not only does the gender differences persist nowadays, but they are also increased during the academic year regardless of the stage where students are. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the views of science and scientific activity that can be found in chemistry textbooks and heard from teachers when acid–base reactions are introduced to grade 12 and university chemistry students. First, the main macroscopic and microscopic conceptual models are developed. Second, we attempt to show how the existence of views of science in textbooks and of chemistry teachers contributes to an impoverished image of chemistry. A varied design has been elaborated to analyse some epistemological deficiencies in teaching acid–base reactions. Textbooks have been analysed and teachers have been interviewed. The results obtained show that the teaching process does not emphasize the macroscopic presentation of acids and bases. Macroscopic and microscopic conceptual models involved in the explanation of acid–base processes are mixed in textbooks and by teachers. Furthermore, the non‐problematic introduction of concepts, such as the hydrolysis concept, and the linear, cumulative view of acid–base theories (Arrhenius and Brönsted) were detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this work was determine teachers' opinions regarding the goals and objectives of the teaching of science, within the frame of educational reform. We attempt to disclose to what extent educational thinking gives priority to the training of students in the scientific concepts, laws and theories needed in further courses and how this thinking pays less attention to the so-called scientific literacy which is meant to be the main object of the teaching of science according to the designers of the curriculum. To achieve this, we carried out a multiple and convergent experimental design with a number of samples of teachers. We found confirmation that in secondary education, the curricular emphasis of teachers focuses on the preparation for the further study training of students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study the origin and evolution of the meanings of the concepts 'amount of substance' and 'mole' are described. Serious disagreements about these concepts amongst chemistry teachers and the recommendations of the international scientific community are identified. Attention is also drawn to the didactic implications that these epistemological difficulties may have for the teaching of chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has led most people around the world to make a change in their daily activities and has highlighted the need for scientific literacy. However, few studies have presented educational interventions related to preventive measures against COVID-19. In this study, we present a scientific literacy workshop on security measures against COVID-19 with Secondary Education, Upper Secondary Education, BA in Primary Education and Master's Degree in Secondary Teacher Training, with the aim of investigating their conceptions and reasoning about preventive measures against COVID-19. In particular, how information based on scientific evidence can influence decision-making in daily life and the decision to get the vaccine or not. Through a pre-post design, students' ideas and ways of reasoning are investigated in relation to security measures to avoid the spread of COVID-19. The results show that this educational intervention improves students' knowledge about the scientific basis and importance of prevention measures as well as their attitude towards vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Physics Education Research, it is important to study the difficulties in understanding abstract concepts. To develop the understanding of electromagnetism, it is fundamental that students understand the field concept. The study aims to contribute a methodology that combines phenomenography and the theory of registers of semiotic representations to analyze students' difficulties understanding the electric field concept in relation to the conversion between representations. We conducted a study with 64 university students using questionnaires with conversion tasks between three electric field representations: the algebraic notation, the vector field plot, and the electric field lines diagram. We analyzed students' explanations with a phenomenographic approach and the theory of registers of semiotic representations to create the categories. We found that the difficulties of recognition are associated with the magnitude of the electric field, more than its direction. There is good recognition in the conversions between the vector field plot and the algebraic notation. In the conversions that involve electric field lines, there were difficulties of recognition and conversion. As a result of this study, we recommend that the teaching of the electric field concept should focus on the recognition of the electric field characteristics in each representation and the conversion between representations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common way to represent an electric field in a course on electricity and magnetism is with the electric field line diagram. Some literature claims that students have difficulties understanding this representation and relating it to their understanding of the electric field concept. We conducted a study at the introductory level that aims to understand the effect of students' interpretation of electric field line diagrams on their application of the superposition principle for the electric field. The results give some evidence that an incorrect interpretation of the electric field line diagram may hinder the understanding of the superposition principle. Students who understand a vector representation of a field at a position tend to answer a superposition principle question better. We question whether teaching the electric field line representation is productive at the introductory level, and we discuss the need to have a representation that helps students reach a better understanding of the electric field concept and of the superposition principle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relations between work and energy are still a source of teaching-learning problems in the first years of university introductory physics courses since they involve abstract concepts and skills of scientific methodology. Considering the previous studies in the literature, the main objective of this contribution is to identify and document specific difficulties that students show while thinking and reasoning about the relation between work and energy in isolated systems. This research consists in the analysis of answers to a work-energy questionnaire administered to students taking introductory physics courses at the University of the Basque Country (Spain). The results of four questions presented to the students show that, after the instruction, students still have problems calculating the scalar product in the definition of work, and that a good portion of students have difficulties in establishing correct relations between the work done by an external force to the system and the energy variation of the system. At the end, general conclusions of this contribution are established where recommendations are made to the instructor and researcher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the physics concept behind the body mass measurement device (BMMD), the instrument used to measure the weight of an astronaut in a free fall condition. It relates that BMMD applies the mathematical notation of simple harmonic motion, given the variables k for force exerted by a compressed spring and m for the oscillating mass of an astronaut. It identifies a spacecraft orbiting the Earth as an example where astronauts can experience free-fall situations.

The goal of this study is to identify students' difficulties with learning the concepts of electromotive force (emf) and potential difference in the context of transitory currents and resistive direct-current circuits. To investigate these difficulties, we developed a questionnaire based on an analysis of the theoretical and epistemological framework of physics, which was then administered to first-year engineering and physics students at universities in Spain, Colombia, and Belgium. The results of the study show that student difficulties seem to be strongly linked to the absence of an analysis of the energy balance within the circuit and that most university students do not clearly understand the usefulness of and the difference between the concepts of potential difference and emf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]