Laboratory activities in engineering education: a proposal for learning electrical conduction phenomena

Abstract

This paper summarizes the contributions of a previous educational research in scientific and technological careers. The research field is related to the redefinition of experimental education and the role of the laboratory in the basic Physics education of engineers. A systemic model of Science learning where conceptual, methodological, epistemological and attitudinal aspects are interrelated is adopted. The proposal is structured around cycles of group activities in the laboratory context, for progressive construction of scientific knowledge. It addresses the content of electrical conduction and the models that describe and explain experimental results. The methodology integrates experimental and theoretical work. The students develop activities in small groups, guided and coordinated by the teacher. Students’ difficulties are faced by adopting a recursive teaching dynamic that allows us to reviewaspects unlearned or incorrectly processed. The results achieved, assessed through group reports and individual tests are satisfactory and they show the fertility of the theoretical learning framework for directing education towards conceptual and skills development, needed in the formation of an engineering student.