On Dragon and Turkeys: Physics for Future Citizens

Too often teachers describe physics solely as a technical discipline, which contributes concretely to changing our material world. In a society where prejudices and superstitions still play an important, sometimes tragic, role, there is much more to emphasise about physics. A physics teacher should...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSchool science review Vol. 91; no. 337; pp. 93 - 96
Main Author Colletti, Leonardo
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Association for Science Education 01.06.2010
Subjects
Foreign Countries
Hands on Science
High School Students
Italy
Physics
Scientific Attitudes
Scientific Methodology
Scientists
Story Telling
Italy
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Summary:Too often teachers describe physics solely as a technical discipline, which contributes concretely to changing our material world. In a society where prejudices and superstitions still play an important, sometimes tragic, role, there is much more to emphasise about physics. A physics teacher should introduce high school students to physics by illustrating its intellectually honest learning path, rather than by highlighting its technological implications. This learning path is based on an interplay of creativity and empirical evidence that guarantees intersubjectivity, openness and correction of mistakes. In order to communicate these ideas, a reference to short moral stories is suggested. For its fundamentally truth-oriented and testable character, science (which physics is the master of) should serve as a moral paradigm for society, not less than it serves as a technology-booster, because of its empirical nature.
ISSN:0036-6811