Quantum Physics Teaching and the Theory of Social Representations: investigating the presence of Quantum Mysticism concepts among high school students in the south of Brazil

Abstract

The present work deals with possibilities for contribution of the Theory of Social Representations (TSR) as a reference for group learning, with techniques and methodologies that are specific to it, to facilitate the teaching of Quantum Physics in High School, allowing to investigate, for example, if students have conceptions linked to Quantum Mysticism. The main objective is to evaluate how this psychosocial theory can be used for the research community in Science Teaching. We present theoretical results, based on an analysis of the TSR and a brief literature review, as well as empirical results from the application of questionnaires in high school (Study 1, N = 291), as well as during the application of a Didactic Module in a classroom with 34 students (Study 2, N = 34). We proceeded with the construction of similarity networks via a software used in Social Psychology (IRAMuTeQ), networks that are graphic representations of a verbal association test, which can give indications of what the Social Representation of students looks like. We conclude that the TSR is relevant for the introduction of Quantum Physics in High School, allowing the formation of an adequate scientific literacy, with emphasis on conceptual learning, in which the TSR is taken as a reference for group learning.