Implementing Research-Based Intervention Modules for Teachers of Quantum Mechanics

An experiential program on the foundations of quantum mechanics for final-year high-school students

“…Our educational program is in the line of research of proposals on two-states quantum mechanics [7] and more generally of approaches to quantum physics that use physical optics as a bridging phenomenological context [9,19,20]. Linear polarization of light is the phenomenological context faced in the educational program [12,13,21,22], implementing an inquiry based learning (IBL) strategy [23][24][25].…”

“…Our educational program is in the line of research of proposals on two-states quantum mechanics [7] and more generally of approaches to quantum physics that use physical optics as a bridging phenomenological context [9,19,20]. Linear polarization of light is the phenomenological context faced in the educational program [12,13,21,22], implementing an inquiry based learning (IBL) strategy [23][24][25]. By means of simple experiments, both real and ideal, even in virtual environments, this approach allows students to coherently reconstruct fundamental QM ideas such as the concept of quantum state and superposition, and the related basic mathematical formalism.…”

“…By means of simple experiments, both real and ideal, even in virtual environments, this approach allows students to coherently reconstruct fundamental QM ideas such as the concept of quantum state and superposition, and the related basic mathematical formalism. An integral part of the course are exercises and tutorials [21,22,26] used to support the analysis of the considered experiments: they are analysed after evaluating interpretative hypotheses through peer discussion. The polarization of light is a particularly suitable context for the introduction of fundamental concepts from QM, under different points of view.…”

“…The identification of incompatible properties instead, together with the identity/indistinguishability of quantum particles, leads to the uncertainty principle [12,13]. (c) An iconographic representation helps students to distinguish between property and state, here between eigenvalue and eigenvector, and allows them to construct the vector representation of the quantum state [20][21][22]. (d) In order to set the stage for the formal representation of state and of transition probability, the active role of the measuring apparatus must be analysed in even greater detail.…”

Exploring the effect of a phenomenological teaching-learning sequence on lower secondary school students’ views of light polarisation

“…Studying light polarisation provides students opportunities to understand several related phenomena such as the physics of polarising sunglasses, 3D movies and the stripes on zebras [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. Previous work has used light polarisation to create a framework for inquiry-based learning [15,16] and presented low-cost experiments for classroom practice [17][18][19][20][21][22].…”