Abstract
This paper discusses some topics that stem from recent contributions made by the History, the Philosophy, and the Didactics of Science. We consider these topics relevant to the introduction of the Special Relativity Theory (SRT) in high school within a contextualized approach. We offer an outline of a teaching–learning sequence dealing with the SRT within this frame of reference. Such a sequence was tried out on a group of high school students in Argentina. The results obtained seem to indicate that the proposal has been effective as regards the motivational aspects and the understanding students gained of some of its concepts.
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Notes
In the introduction of his article “On the electrodynamics of moving bodies” (Annalen der Physik, vol. XVII, pp. 891–921) Einstein says, “Take, for example, the electrodynamic interaction between a magnet and a conductor. The observable phenomenon here depends only on the relative motion of conductor and magnet, whereas the customary view draws a sharp distinction between the two cases in which either the one or the other of the two bodies is in motion. For if the magnet is in motion and the conductor is at rest, and electric field with a definite energy value results in the vicinity of the magnet that produces a current wherever parts of the conductor are located. But if the magnet is at rest while the conductor is moving, no electric field results in the vicinity of the magnet, but rather an electromotive force in the conductor, to which no energy per se corresponds, but which, assuming an equality of relative motion in the two cases, gives rise to electric currents of the same magnitude and the same course as those produced by the electric forces in the former case”.
See, in this regard, a very interesting presentation in Villani’s work (1981–1985), in which this author introduces also the reason why Einstein’s program succeeded in contrast to Lorentz’s, even though at the time there was no empirical evidence for or against one of these theories.
Apart from these points, the “ideas” the SRT generated in the scientific community can be the starting point to analyze the originality of the theory. From the perspective of a physicist such as Feynman (1963) the most relevant ones would be the fact that ideas that have been supported for a long period of time and have been clearly demonstrated could be wrong, the fact that “strange” ideas, such as time dilatation when one is in motion, can not be abandoned a priori, whether one likes it or not, and the fact that it is necessary to notice the symmetry in laws, which is the way in which laws can be transformed and remain the same. This last approach has characterized the research into the physics of particles and fields.
However, it should be made clear that the influences attributed to the SRT in art and other cultural expressions sometimes brought about unfortunate results, to the extent of distorting concepts of key aspects of the SRT, leading to a terminological confusion. “Physical relativity”, a term which has a clear meaning within the context of the theory, was misunderstood as “everything is relative”, that is to say that all points of view on a matter are equally valid and that “truth” or “reality” is the combination of all the views expressed on such phenomenon. This was probably the most serious misunderstanding that the success of the SRT caused outside the field of Physics. Even though you can adopt this epistemological posture, such view does not emerge from the SRT, in which nature laws remain the same regardless of the reference frame used. For this reason, the SRT is universally valid and even more “absolute” than classical Physics.
The two periods of Physics were divided in two different days. One of those days was Monday to which all the national holidays were moved. Therefore, many classes were missed. On the other hand, several activities typically done by students in their senior year (trips, special days) and other institutional ones (teacher training courses) took place on the days assigned to Physics classes.
Both the concept map and the comic strip have been translated from Spanish into English.
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The first author of this work has received financial support from the National Agency of Scientific and Technological Promotion, FONCyT (BID 1728/OC-AR) - PICT - 05 Nº: 34479.
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Arriassecq, I., Greca, I.M. A Teaching–Learning Sequence for the Special Relativity Theory at High School Level Historically and Epistemologically Contextualized. Sci & Educ 21, 827–851 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-010-9231-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-010-9231-5