Improved effectiveness of nuclear physics lessons through targeted development of didactic materials

Introduction

Nuclear physics is a challenging topic for third-grade secondary students because of the abstract concepts, limited prior knowledge in physics and chemistry, the lack of realistic experiments and the complex social context surrounding nuclear technology and applications. In addition, this topic can also be challenging for teachers because teachers often do not have the most up-to-date information from the research and development environment and because not every teacher has had basic physics training. Providing accurate and up-to-date information in a subject-didactic manner in a classroom environment is of prime importance.

Moreover, the nuclear sector in which knowledge about nuclear physics and ionising radiation is necessary is a growing sector. In the (near) future, more well-trained workers will be needed in the broad nuclear sector in Belgium, and by extension in Europe. This sector includes electricity production by existing nuclear power plants, decommissioning of old nuclear facilities, construction of new nuclear facilities, medical applications such as imaging and cancer therapy, scientific research, and government institutions overseeing e.g. nuclear safety or nuclear waste disposal. The foundations for the careers of the workers who will fill crucial jobs in these sectors are already laid in secondary education.

Objectives

The aim of this research project is therefore to evaluate what support can be developed to help the physics teacher convey nuclear physics principles to students in a correct, fun and effective way and to support the teacher in engaging in social debate about nuclear applications.

The first step in this research is to survey physics teachers with different number of years of experience from the field and prospective physics teachers to identify classroom practices and challenges. The content and approach of this survey will be tailored to the target audience to maximise impact. Based on the collected feedback, current educational goals and knowledge from the core physics field, sustainable didactic material will then be developed tailored to the target audience in co-creation with the subject teachers. As a final step in this project, the didactic material will be tested in the real classroom environment and finalised into a ready-to-use and sustainable package.