Using Contemporary Teaching Methods to Face Misconceptions Arising From the Formalism of Physics

This paper deals with an experimental intervention in teaching physics in senior high school. The aim is to
investigate whether the proposed method using analogies, simulations, guided discovery, explorations,
communication, and structured guided dialogues facilitates pupils to face their misconceptions and learning
difficulties mainly created by the formalism of electromagnetism. In the introduction, some suggestions for the
physics teaching where misconceptions of pupils are inevitable are presented. Then, an extended literature
review is done which includes a review of theories of changing misconceptions, and a review of the use
simulations and analogies in confronting misconceptions. The intervention presents step by step how the
proposed method facilitates pupils to face misconceptions and learning difficulties created by the undefined
forms and forms of infinite due to the formalism of electromagnetism. The study showed that the proposed
method helps pupils face effectively their misconceptions.