Improving students' meaningful learning on the predictive nature of quantum mechanics

Authors

  • Rodolfo Alves De Carvalho Neto Colégio Antônio Vieira, Departamento de Física, Salvador, BA, Brazil
  • Oliver Freire Júnior Universidade Federal da Bahia, Instituto de Física, Salvador, BA, Brazil
  • José Luís P.B. Silva Universidade Federal da Bahia, Instituto de Química, Salvador, BA, Brazil

Keywords:

predictive nature of physical theories, probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics, meaningful learning.

Abstract

This paper deals with research about teaching quantum mechanics to 3rd year high school students and their meaningful learning of its predictive aspect; it is based on the Master’s dissertation of one of the authors (CARVALHO NETO, 2006). While teaching quantum mechanics, we emphasized its predictive and essentially probabilistic nature, based on Niels Bohr’s complementarity interpretation (BOHR, 1958). In this context, we have discussed the possibility of predicting measurement results in well-defined experimental contexts, even for individual events. Interviews with students reveal that they have used quantum mechanical ideas, suggesting their meaningful learning of the essentially probabilistic predictions of quantum mechanics.

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Published

2016-10-16

How to Cite

De Carvalho Neto, R. A., Freire Júnior, O., & Silva, J. L. P. (2016). Improving students’ meaningful learning on the predictive nature of quantum mechanics. Investigations in Science Education, 14(1), 65–81. Retrieved from https://ienci.if.ufrgs.br/index.php/ienci/article/view/410

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 1 (2009): March of 2009

Section

Artigos

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