Teaching and learning sequence (TLS) on Electrostatics for middle school: result of a pedagogical support experience
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18877951Keywords:
electrostatics, modeling practices, middle-school teaching, teaching and learning sequence, didactic innovationAbstract
In response to the need to embody the principles of inclusion in science classrooms, we designed a teaching and learning sequence (TLS) on electrostatics for 10-year-old students in the Chilean school system, considering the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), the specialized literature in science education, and the teaching of electrostatics. Through a qualitative analysis of 323 written responses (text and drawings) collected throughout the sequence, a conceptual evolution is evidenced in the use of electrification mechanisms to explain transfer phenomena (increasing from 28% to 68% achievement) and charge redistribution (from 8% to 53% for induction, and from 19% to 82% for polarization). We conclude that the TLS promotes learning around the model of charge distribution and interaction, and that the incorporation of UDL (especially principles 1 and 2) was beneficial by allowing students to work with abstract concepts and offering different ways to access their mental models. We also highlight the capacity to work on electrostatic phenomena from a modeling approach with the diversity of elementary school students, and the need to increase the research available in this area.
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