What content and which cognitive-linguistic skills are used by primary and secondary school teachers when teaching astronomy

Abstract

373 learning activities and 104 assessment questions directed to the study of the astronomy in Obligatory Education, provided by 14 teachers (7 from primary education and 7 from secondary education), are analyzed. This analysis aims to elucidate, which conceptual aspects and which cognitive-linguistic skills are included in the activities. Results show that teachers tend to prioritize the study of the most complex aspects such as the Earth and the space. Regarding the cognitive-linguistic skills, teachers tend to demand theoretical models’ descriptions. Furthermore, an unbalance between these skills and the study of astronomic issues is observed. Didactic recommendations derived from our results are proposed.