Design, development, and refinement of a teaching-learning sequence on the electromagnetic properties of materials

Abstract

We describe a process of designing, developing, and gradually refining a teaching-learning sequence (TLS) on electromagnetic properties of materials (EPM). The design of the teaching-learning sequence draws on principles from the frameworks of inquiry-oriented teaching-learning and learning through technological design. Combining these two frameworks was intended to lead to an instructional context that would likely sustain student interest for the extended time that is necessary to attain conceptual understanding of magnetic interactions and electromagnetic phenomena. Also, it was expected to facilitate the development of students’ epistemological awareness regarding the interconnections and distinction between science and technology. The development process involved a series of six implementation-evaluation-revision cycles (two in upper secondary classes in a school setting, two in a science summer club for highschool students, and two in a science content course for pre-service elementary teachers), with a total of 294 participants. In each implementation, we collected data on students’ learning outcomes through various sources, including open-ended assessment tasks and student-constructed artefacts (e.g., technological products and accompanying posters and written reports). After each implementation, we drew not only on the collected data but also on the feedback provided by the teachers, so as to refine the teaching-learning sequence with the intent to enhance its potential to promote its targeted learning objectives. In this study, we illustrate how the empirical data collected during the implementation of the teaching-learning sequence could serve to guide its refinement. We report on particular instances in which the data on student learning outcomes led us to identify specific limitations of the teaching-learning sequence in terms of its facility to promote certain learning objectives and we elaborate on the revisions we undertook so as to address those limitations.