The interpretation of the tides phenomenon as a focus for the design of a didactic proposal

Abstract

A didactic sequence designed to facilitate the understanding of the tides phenomenon and involve participants in modeling processes is presented. This involves the construction, revision and reconstruction of models, as well as reflection on their nature and their role in the teaching of science. The objective of this article is to describe and characterize said sequence, as well as its implementation in the classroom. This one follows the guidelines set by design based research: preparatory stage, two-cycle implantation stage, and retrospective study. The results of the preparatory study reaffirmed the difficulties in teaching and learning this topic: the teachers in the interviews showed its complexity in different areas, the analysis of the textbooks detected possible written and visual improvements, and the previous questionnaires identified in the students' initial ideas were far removed from the school science model. Regarding implementation, the proposed progression trajectory turned out to be appropriate, as was the organization of activities within the framework of modeling. In addition, improvements were obtained in the results of the second implementation cycle. Finally, the retrospective analysis involved the realization of two main types of changes in the initial sequence and detected a progression in the models of most of the students.