Consistent and Inconsistent Pupils' Reasoning about Intensive Quantities: The Case of Density and Pressure

In this research we investigate whether the categorisation of physical quantities into intensive and extensive, according to scientific knowledge, is perceivable and understood by pupils aged 12–15 years. For this purpose we administered written questionnaires to 300 pupils, comprising four tasks for each intensive quantity: density and pressure. The tasks investigate whether pupils realise that intensive quantities do not depend on the amount of the system they refer to and the factors affecting pupils' reasoning and their consistency when studying phenomena involving fluids at rest or in transition. The analysis of responses led us to identify three models of consistent pupils' reasoning. It was also observed that a significant percentage of the pupils provide inconsistent answers, that is, they change their reasoning across tasks and use alternatives to scientific reasoning, influenced by phenomenological features of the tasks. According to our results we propose a number of recommendations, such as the introduction of intermediate teaching/learning steps to be followed as well as suitable experiments to be used towards the acquisition of the scientific model for density and pressure.     

The Use of Drama in Science Education: The Case of “Blegdamsvej Faust”

This is a study of the structure of ‘The Blegdamsvej Faust’ and its relation to Goethe's classical play Faust. The ‘Blegdamsvej Faust’, a play written and performed by Bohr's students in 1932, is inspired by the very rapid development of Physics in those turbulent years. A struggle is made to promote the odd idea of a weightless particle. Moreover, this study lays emphasis on the fact that new ideas of Physical Sciences become more accessible, comprehensible and familiar through dramatization. For scenario-vehicles one may use as a basis plays from the classical repertoire or write something new. Several hints are given in this article.     

A Historical Approach to the Teaching of the Linear Propagation of Light, Shadows and Pinhole Cameras

In this paper are presented the views of Al Haytham and his predecessors on the shadows, the rectilinear propagation of rays and the images produced by pinholes. Al Haytham had given erroneous views on the distribution of light in the shadows. Educational applications of these are presented. These applications concern: (a) Simple experiments (b) Software. These applications give an opportunity for a first presentation of some notions of photometry even to the primary level of education. Another important use of the history of science is the explanation by Al Haytham of the ‘camera obscura’. This application is done both ways: through an experimental setup and through the use of special software.     

Exploring students’ strategies in area conservation geometrical tasks

The aim of this study is to investigate the strategies employed by advanced high school and university students working on six tasks concerning comparison and conservation of area. Special care has been taken in the test design so that the problems could be dealt with using a variety of solution methods. Written responses and in-depth interviews with 21 12th graders and university students of mathematics provided the empirical data. The results show that the majority of the participants either did not prefer or had difficulties employing adequately formal reasoning. Visualization factors seem to exert considerable influence. Moreover, many students confuse congruence with area equivalence.     

Organised Military Sports of the Hellenic Armed Forces for the Period 1948–1968

The year 1948, as a starting point both of this study and of the organised military sport for Greece, was particularly hectic, since the newly liberated country was embroiled in the Civil War while, simultaneously, it was trying to reconstitute itself. The next two decades were marked by the foundation and the activities of the Higher Coordinating Committee for Sport in the Armed Forces (Anotera Syntonistiki Epitropi Athlitismou Enoplon Dynameon – A.S.E.A.E.D.). This Committee organised and materialised the first steps of the newly established organised sports activities of the Hellenic Armed Forces and evolved as a result, into the Supreme Council for Sport in the Armed Forces (Anotato Symvoulio Athlitismou Enoplon Dynameon) in year 1968. Due to the lack of specific and thorough research on the topic during this era, the purpose of this study was to identify references and the original sources (archives both of the A.S.E.A.E.D. and of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff) and to highlight and reveal the activities of organised Greek military sport, in the organisational field, and the Hellenic Armed Forces' participation in international sports tournaments.     

The Use of History and Philosophy of Science as a Core for a Socioconstructivist Teaching Approach of the Concept of Energy in Primary Education

The present study should be thought as a socioconstructivist teaching approach (a teaching model) for the concept of energy in primary education. It contains important and crucial aspects of the History and Philosophy of Natural Sciences, introduces the concept of energy using the macroscopic framework of thermodynamics, takes into consideration learners’ alternative ideas or frameworks relating to energy, takes advantage of the causal and the unifying characters of energy, which have been founded on the historiographical analysis of this concept, uses energy chains as visual representations for the deep understanding of it, uses visual grammar of Kress and van Leeuwen to design energy chains and introduces a teaching methodology for this concept.     

In-service and prospective teachers’ conceptions of creativity

Teachers play a crucial role in the development of primary school students’ creative potential in either a positive or a negative way. This paper aims to draw attention to in-service and prospective teachers’ conceptions of creativity and answer three main research questions: “What are the teachers’ conceptions and implicit theories of creativity in general?”, “What are the teachers’ conceptions and implicit theories of creativity in the context of primary education?”, and “How well-trained and equipped do teachers feel to play their key role in the development of students’ creative potential?” A self-report questionnaire was used as an instrument to gather qualitative and quantitative data from 132 Greek in-service and prospective teachers. According to the selected quantitative data we present in this study, the majority of the participants reported that the facilitation of students’ creativity is included in the teachers’ role, but they (teachers themselves) do not feel well-trained and confident enough to realise this particular expectation. The authors conclude that further research is needed in order to: (i) reveal more on teachers’ conceptions on creativity and (ii) understand and classify teachers’ particular needs to facilitate the creative potential of primary school students.