History of Science and Instructional Design: The Case of Electromagnetism

Abstract

This paper deals with two main research questions: a) Can we search for pupils' potential alternative ideas in the history of science and especially in those areas where early scientific ideas were distinct from the current ones? b) Is it possible to overcome pupils' alternative ideas by using experiments in the classroom, based on early experiments carried out by scientists in the past, in order to promote current scientific ideas? In this paper we present a case study in the field of electromagnetism. From the age of Thales up to the 16th century electrostatic and magnetic phenomena were unified in the context of a 'magic' idea and were supposed to be of the same nature. Their differences were pointed out during the 16th century by Gardano and Gilbert and the two fields of science were established: electrostatics and magnetism. From the 17th century up to 1830, scientists dealt with the question whether electricities derived from different sources were of the same nature. During 1832–1833, Faraday successfully carried out a number of experiments in order to compare the ability of various electricities to produce the same effects. The above data from the history of science indicated electrostatic, electrodynamic and magnetic phenomena as a field of research on pupils' and student-teachers' ideas. The research was carried out in three phases: 10 individual in-depth interviews with 10–14-year-old pupils and 19–21-year-old student-teachers, questionnaire distribution to 109 13-year-old pupils and 148 student-teachers, 10 individual in-depth interviews for further clarification of pupils' and student-teachers' reasoning. Research results show that 53% of the student-teachers and 83% of the pupils that were involved in the investigation relate electrostatic with magnetic phenomena, in the same way scientists related these phenomena up to the 16th century. The results also indicate that the lack of common perceptions, commonly observed effects or procedures, leads the research subjects to differentiate electrostatic and electrodynamic phenomena. Our proposition is to provide pupils with: a) electrostatic and magnetic experiments where they can observe the similarities and differences as Gardano and Gilbert listed them and b) electrostatic and electrodynamic tasks, inspired by Faraday's experiments, which provide them with the opportunity to observe the same electric effects produced either by friction or by using a battery or a high-voltage supplier. The trial of these experiments in a number of individual investigations with pupils shows that educational material with strong perceptual features and a design based on certain historical experiments, actually help pupils overcome their alternative ideas.