Research based teaching approach in introductory physics curses at university: seven years of experience and results

Abstract

The objective of this work is to present the results of an educational innovation in first year physics based on a oriented research teaching approach. This model has been presented in different previous works and is based on the idea that learning and teaching of sciences can be developed as a process of (re)constructing knowledge in a context which is inspired by scientific research and guided by the teaching staff. This innovation has been done in two Engineering Schools in the University of the Basque Country. The results from several years of didactic innovation are presented and compared with those obtained from the usual teaching style in the same Schools. The innovation provides evidence that a teaching method which encompasses concepts, procedures and attitudes can produce better results in learning physics in the first year at university.