Planning teaching from a learning perspective: an analysis of didactic approaches in the introduction to thermal physics

Abstract

This paper presents a review of teaching approaches in introductory courses about Thermal Physics. As the approaches are based and reported by research it was possible to contrast elements considered by science educators in designing teaching activities. Research based teaching sequences must consider not only the structure of knowledge to be taught, but also students ways of reasoning about these contents and the dynamism of learning processes in classroom settings. In conclusion, we assert that an attention to learning processes brings, necessarily, to reduce the rigor and fidelity with the established scientific knowledge.