About the opportunities offered by the detection of cosmic rays for the professional development of physics teachers

This research addresses the experience of a group of teachers and students of Physics Pedagogy at UMCE when participating in an introductory workshop on cosmic rays and their detection. The discussions generated in this workshop are analyzed in order to determine what opportunities arise to train physics teachers in cosmic ray detection for school research projects in Chile. Due to this purpose, the research presented here is qualitative in nature based on grounded theory. The data collection was carried out in the workshop, through observations and the recording of the sessions in focus group mode. Based on this information, a substantive theory was constructed. This theory provides a number of challenges and opportunities that serve as a framework for future research in the area. It is concluded, on the part of the teachers, that these proposals can contribute significantly to the professional development of physics teachers and to science education in Chile.