Conceptualization of higher education students on the concept of electric field in Potentially Meaningful Teaching Units on electrostatics

Abstract The results of the implementation of a Potentially Meaningful Teaching Unit (PMTU) for approaching the concept of electric field in electromagnetism subjects at undergraduate level are presented for two groups. One of the groups studied at a southern Brazilian university (18 students), while the second one studied at a northern Brazilian University (11 students). The philosophical and sequential aspects of the PMTU were applied for constructing two PMTUs with 11 classes of 100 minutes each. As theoretical framework for data analysis it was used the theory of conceptual fields. As methodology for data analysis the method of content analysis was used and as inferred variables, the conceptualization forms were considered, that is, the manner by which students used operatory invariants for solving problems. As a main result, it is noticeable the progressivity in conceptualization and occurrence of meaningful learning processes, once new modes of conceptualization nearer from the scientific ones appeared at most times in students’ conceptualizations in the classes of situations presented. As a main conclusion we argue on the evidence of the use of UEPS can provide conditions for occurrence of meaningful learning processes of the concept of electric field in the operatory form of knowledge.