Speaker
Panagiotis Tampakis
(University of Thessaly, Department of Primary Education, Greece)
Description
The barycentre in the Earth–Moon system constitutes a crucial yet conceptually demanding idea for building coherent models of gravitational interaction and for explaining phenomena such as Earth–Moon mutual motion, tides, and satellite trajectories, as well as two-body dynamics more broadly. We report data from the design and implementation of a two-hour learning sequence with 16 pre-service teachers at the University of Thessaly (Greece). Drawing on a teaching experiment with activities, analogical models, and digital simulations, we document persistent alternative conceptions and trace participants’ reasoning across tasks, from initial elicitation to post-instruction reflections, alongside emerging indicators of conceptual change.
| Education level | Pre-service and in-service teacher education |
|---|---|
| Physics topic | Astronomy and Astrophysics |
| Research focus | Student conceptions / Preconceptions / Misconceptions |
| Research method | Educational design research (Qualitative research) |
| Organizing preference criteria | Research focus |
Author
Panagiotis Tampakis
(University of Thessaly, Department of Primary Education, Greece)
Co-author
Mr
Stefanos Asimopoulos
(University of Thessaly)