Are Thomson and Rutherford atomic models correctly introduced in upper secondary school textbooks?

Abstract

It’s accepted that learning will be enhanced if students realize the difficulties that must have been faced when the scientific knowledge was established and how previous conceptions were changed for new ones. A model development based teaching strongly suits that porpoise. In this paper historical and epistemological key ideas, relevant for students understanding of the Thomson and Rutherford atomic models and their evolution, are identified, based on an historical and epistemolo-gical revision of the construction and evolution of Rutherford and Thomson models. These ideas are used to analyse how the unit is introduced in upper secondary school textbooks (16-18 years). Results show that usual teaching is far away from them and that atomic models are deficiently introduced.