Physics education and history of physics

The research activity carried out by the group includes studies related to:

• the foundations of contemporary physics (relativity, thermodynamics, quantum physics) and their educational reconstruction;
• approaches for teaching advanced STEM topics (climate change, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies);
• the role of the teaching/learning of physics for the development of future-scaffolding skills;
• the role of history and epistemology in learning physics;
• learning as conceptual change and appropriation;
• interdisciplinary in STEM and, in particular, between physics and mathematics;
• teacher education;
• contemporary museology as a functional element in the design and development of museum itineraries centered on physics

The development of research topics involves the design and testing of innovative teaching materials and the conduct of pilot educational activities at different school levels, both in curricular, extra-curricular, and teacher training contexts. Great attention is paid to the analysis of the data obtained from the various experiments, carried out both with quantitative tools and with qualitative methods.

The group's main research projects are carried out in the context of international collaborations and within national (PLS) and European projects (Erasmus +, Horizon2020).

In 2019, the research group organized in Bologna the ESERA congress, the largest conference in Europe for research in science education (www.esera2019.org).