Semiconductor Physics in basic Electronics teaching: First steps of a didactic transposition process

Abstract

This article proposes, as an educational innovation, the introduction of notions of semiconductor physics in the Compulsory Secondary Education, so that students at this stage may acquire a basic knowledge of the physical foundations of electronics. Under the general hypothesis that it is possible to integrate some of these basic notions on the topic into the physics and chemistry class, a series of specific hypotheses that guide the integration are established. These imply the need to knowing the students’ most frequents ideas and learning obstacles regarding the topic, in order to identify the learning demand. Then, a didactic transposition of the semiconductor physics to the said educational stage is proposed, indicating (a) the contents of physics and chemistry curriculum that serve as bridge between the knowledge that the students already have and what they are going to learn, and (b) the didactic treatment of the new contents along with the learning objects.