Speaker
Judith Vandewiere
Description
Planetarium domes offer an immersive representation of the sky based on the celestial sphere model. Although the concept of celestial spheres dates back to antiquity, it remains an important model in astronomy education for explaining celestial motion. Prior research suggests that difficulties in understanding the apparent motion of the Sun and stars may stem from a limited understanding of the celestial sphere itself. Yet, little is known about how students or the general public understand this model. Therefore, we conducted a qualitative interview study to investigate how planetarium visitors understand key properties of the celestial sphere.
| Education level | Age over 18 (excluding teacher education) |
|---|---|
| Physics topic | Astronomy and Astrophysics |
| Research focus | Student conceptions / Preconceptions / Misconceptions |
| Research method | Educational design research (Qualitative research) |