Gabriel Dias De Carvalho Junior is a multi-skilled academic who brings unique expertise to the field of physics didactics. Originally from Brazil, Gabriel began his training in his native country, before specializing in educational sciences with a master's degree and then a doctorate in physics didactics.

After a post-doctoral internship in Geneva, focusing on cognitive psychology, Gabriel dedicated 18 years of his career to teaching physics at secondary level in Brazil. He has constantly reflected on essential questions such as "How can we raise the level of learning in physics?" and "What are the learning difficulties encountered by students?"

From 2008 to 2022, he worked at the Federal Institute of Education in Minas Gerais as a professor of cognitive psychology, learning assessment, physics didactics, as well as science epistemology. This institute stands out for its innovative approach, offering secondary education, technical training and university courses up to master's and doctorate level, all in the same establishment.

Arrived at UNamur in 2022, Gabriel is now a key player in the training of new physics teachers. He teaches didactics and epistemology courses, supervises internships and offers an elective course in comparative didactics in science and mathematics, as well as an introductory didactics course. In his work at UNamur, he explores experimental challenges, combining his research with his skills in educational science.

Cours de didactique avec Gabriel Dias

His interest in conceptualization and learning translates into pedagogical methods where physics is used as a backdrop to create challenges and puzzles designed to enrich conceptual understanding. He also supervises a PhD student, Sara Lahlali, whose work focuses on learning practices using generative artificial intelligences.

Gabriel is a member of the Institut de Recherches en Didactiques et Education de l'UNamur (IRDENA). He is also part of an international group in which he collaborates with researchers from prestigious universities such as Université de Paris Cité, Université de Lyon, Université d'Itajuba in Brazil and Université du Québec à Trois Rivières. This group is interested in conceptual field theories in physics education and strives to build long-term collaborations to disseminate these ideas.

In parallel, Gabriel has just begun a collaboration with a research team at the University of Geneva on issues of physics didactics.

Passionate about inclusivity, Gabriel has developed innovative projects in Brazil aimed at designing equipment and tools to support people with learning difficulties. For example, he has worked on creating models to help blind subjects learn the principles of optics in a tangible way. He is looking to establish partnerships with ASBLs and other organizations tackling specific issues to better understand learning needs and develop adapted resources.

His international experience and commitment to promoting innovative pedagogical approaches make him an asset to the University of Namur and its students.