Learning outcomes

3° Competencies of the organizer and facilitator of learning within an evolving dynamic.

3.a. Master the disciplinary content, its epistemological foundations, its scientific and technological evolution, its didactics, and the methodology of its teaching;

4° Competencies of the reflective practitioner.

4.a. Critically read the results of scientific research in education and didactics, draw inspiration from them for teaching practice, and rely on various disciplines of the human sciences to analyze and act in professional situations;

Goals

At the end of the course unit, the student will be able to:


  • Critically analyze physics curricula and reference frameworks in secondary education (including the common core);
  • Identify the underlying issues of these curricula (values, short-, medium- and long-term objectives, links with higher education, links with other disciplines);
  • Design learning sequences (including lesson plans, as well as the research and selection of resources adapted to specific constraints);
  • Implement and critically evaluate teaching–learning approaches to physics drawn from textbooks or other sources;
  • Identify the main difficulties encountered by students in learning physics and propose appropriate didactical solutions;
  • Analyze evidence of physics teaching practices in secondary schools (e.g. video analysis);
  • Apply the concepts and theoretical frameworks introduced in the course unit Introduction to Subject Didactics;
  • Design didactical differentiation strategies appropriate for learning physics;
  • Develop assessment tools for learning in physics.


Content

Definition of the discipline physics and its place within the natural sciences;

Exploration of physics/science curricula and reference frameworks in secondary education in the FWB (French-speaking Community of Belgium), including the common core;

Analysis of challenging concepts to teach and presentation of appropriate didactical approaches;

Identification of students’ spontaneous conceptions;

Experimental approaches to the teaching of physics;

Assessment of learning in physics;

Didactical study of electric circuits: current, voltage, power, and resistance;

Didactical study of fluids: specific mass, density, pressure, Archimedes’ principle, and gas transformations;

Didactical study of energy: kinetic energy, potential energy, work and power, conservation of mechanical energy;

Didactical study of optics: propagation of light, reflection and refraction, formation of real and virtual images.

Table of contents

1 – Physics: an epistemological and historical approach

2 – Analysis of physics curricula and reference frameworks in secondary education

3 – Presentation, implementation, and critical evaluation of specific learning objectives, including teaching–learning approaches

4 – Reflection on assessment methods for student learning

Teaching methods

Lectures

Group discussions

Workshops for the production of didactical equipment

Group work

Assessment method

Written exam: 50% of the final grade

Didactics assignment (preparation of a micro-teaching sequence): 30% of the final grade

Practical work: 20% of the final grade

Sources, references and any support material

Astoli, J-P; Develay, M. (2017), Didactique des sciences. Paris: PUF. 

Ben-Dov, Y. (1995), Invitation à la physique. Paris: Sueil. 

Cosnefroy, L. (2011), L'apprentissage autorégulé. Grenoble : PUG. 

Einstein, A.; Infeld, L. (1983), L'évolution des idées en physique. Paris: Flamarion. 

Fourez, G. (1994), Alphabétisation scientifique et technique: essai sur les finalités de l'enseignement des sciences. Bruxelles : De Boeck. 

Hewitt, P. (2020), Physique Conceptuelle. Bruxelles : De Boeck Supérieur. 

Maingain, A.; Dufour, B. (2002), Approches didactiques de l'interdisciplinarité. Bruxelles : De Boeck. 

Viennot, L. (1996), Raisonner en physique. Bruxelles : De Boeck. 

PhET : disponible sur https://phet.colorado.edu/ 

Language of instruction

French