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ERIC Number: EJ1056927
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Mar
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0031-9120
EISSN: N/A
Quantitative Experiments to Explain the Change of Seasons
Testa, Italo; Busarello, Gianni; Puddu, Emanuella; Leccia, Silvio; Merluzzi, Paola; Colantonio, Arturo; Moretti, Maria Ida; Galano, Silvia; Zappia, Alessandro
Physics Education, v50 n2 p179-188 Mar 2015
The science education literature shows that students have difficulty understanding what causes the seasons. Incorrect explanations are often due to a lack of knowledge about the physical mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. To address this, we present a module in which the students engage in quantitative measurements with a photovoltaic panel to explain changes to the sunray flow on Earth's surface over the year. The activities also provide examples of energy transfers between the incoming radiation and the environment to introduce basic features of Earth's climate. The module was evaluated with 45 secondary school students (aged 17-18) and a pre-/post-test research design. Analysis of students' learning outcomes supports the effectiveness of the proposed activities.
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Secondary Education; High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Italy
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A