Conveners
Parallel oral presentations [ASTRO]: O425
- There are no conveners in this block
Parallel oral presentations [ASTRO]: O528
- Panagiotis Tampakis (University of Thessaly, Department of Primary Education, Greece)
Parallel oral presentations [ASTRO]: O849
- ELVIRA GUTIERREZ JIMENEZ (UPV/EHU)
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Ms Maria Ioannidou (Physics Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece)07/07/2026, 13:30Astronomy and Astrophysics education (ASTRO)Oral presentation
Despite Astronomy’s potential to raise students’ interest in science and cultivate their scientific literacy, this subject is largely overlooked in the secondary-level curriculum of Greece. This study presents the design and pilot implementation of the first version of a teaching–learning sequence (TLS-1) on stellar evolution targeting upper secondary students. The pilot implementation of...
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Philipp Lindenau (Deutsches Zentrum für Astrophysik)07/07/2026, 13:50Astronomy and Astrophysics education (ASTRO)Oral presentation
We report on two pilot workshops in which secondary school students engaged in hands on radio astronomy by constructing their own low cost telescope and measuring the 21-cm hydrogen line. Complementary experiments across the electromagnetic and acoustic spectrum supported conceptual understanding. Evaluation with 23 students informed iterative refinements following a design based research...
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Judith Vandewiere07/07/2026, 14:10Astronomy and Astrophysics education (ASTRO)Oral presentation
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...
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Stephen Gammell (Dublin City University)07/07/2026, 17:00Astronomy and Astrophysics education (ASTRO)Oral presentation
Earth and space form an important part of most primary-level and secondary level science curricula and yet research results indicate that many children and adults are unable to correctly explain many basic phenomena such as earth’s seasons. A lack of well-developed spatial skills and the use of traditional instruction have been identified as barriers to understanding. This study presents...
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Rebecca Raskin (KU Leuven)07/07/2026, 17:20Astronomy and Astrophysics education (ASTRO)Oral presentation
In the context of an in depth interview study on students’ understanding of the apparent motion of the Sun, we identified several recurring themes in the difficulties they experience in their reasoning. One of the most prominent themes concerns the cardinal directions. Correctly defining these directions is essential for explaining where the Sun rises or sets and how this position varies...
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sara ricciardi (INAF OAS)07/07/2026, 17:40Astronomy and Astrophysics education (ASTRO)Oral presentation
Spatial reasoning is a key component of scientific thinking, particularly in astronomy, where learners must coordinate spatial relations that are not directly experimentable. This study presents a qualitative case study conducted in an Italian public preschool that investigates how a play-based, STEAM-inspired intervention supports spatial reasoning in children aged 4–5. The study focuses on a...
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Panagiotis Tampakis (University of Thessaly, Department of Primary Education, Greece)07/07/2026, 18:00Astronomy and Astrophysics education (ASTRO)Oral presentation
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...
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Leonardo De Deo (University of Bologna - INAF/OAS)09/07/2026, 13:301Astronomy and Astrophysics education (ASTRO)Oral presentation
This contribution presents a research project in Astrophysics education exploring how cinematic narratives can support reflection on epistemic, social and emotional dimensions of contemporary research. The study is based on a pilot analysis of "Black Holes: The Edge of All We Know" (Galison 2020), conducted through a framework encompassing social semiotics, Nature-of-Science, and epistemic...
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Prof. Urban Eriksson (Division for PER, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, 75120 Uppsala, Sweden)09/07/2026, 13:501Astronomy and Astrophysics education (ASTRO)Oral presentation
Understanding spatial and temporal scales far beyond everyday experience is a major challenge in space science education. This study investigates how students make meaning of solar system scales and how embodied engagement with 3D models and planetarium simulations supports this process. Using a mixed-methods design grounded in social semiotics and embodied cognition, data are collected...
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Willem Keppens09/07/2026, 14:101Astronomy and Astrophysics education (ASTRO)Oral presentation
We interviewed N=17 last year high school students (16-18 y.o.) on their understanding of basic astronomical phenomena. They were selected because they demonstrated a (fairly) accurate understanding of the spatial scales in the Sun-Earth-Moon (S-E-M) system in a prior survey. Using a physical, personalized scale model of the Earth-Moon system, we investigated potential links between students’...
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ELVIRA GUTIERREZ JIMENEZ (UPV/EHU)09/07/2026, 14:301Astronomy and Astrophysics education (ASTRO)Oral presentation
The total solar eclipses of 2026 and 2027 in Spain provide an opportunity to address astronomical phenomena in secondary education. This work presents the initial phase of a design-based research (DBR) study focused on the design of a teaching–learning sequence (TLS) on Moon phases and eclipses. Following an epistemological analysis and the identification of students’ learning difficulties, we...
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