Physics teaching and visual deficiency: learning activities about the concept of acceleration of gravity

Abstract

In this paper we present the analysis of two physics teaching activities that were developed for and applied in a group of visually impaired students. The content of the activities was focused on the concept of gravitational acceleration. In the first activity the concept was explored by means of the movement of an object in an inclined plane; in the second, it was explored through the movement of a metallic disk inside a tube. Both experimental setting emitted audible signals. In this sense, all the “observational” practice were based in the audible perception of the gravitational phenomena, which permitted discussion among the students, in small groups, and a debate aiming at a general conclusion. The analysis of the data was based in a category labeled “comprehension”, which illuminated some attitudes of the students throughout the experiments such as: the sharing of ideas, the defense and arguing of meanings, and the reconstruction of meanings. As conclusions we can say that the activities were valuable for motivating the students and for giving to them some background for: (1) performing experiments; (2) observing a phenomena through an audible via; (3) collecting and analyzing data related to the variation of speed; (4) sharing, arguing and reformulating hypothesis during the discussions.