L'insegnamento della meccanica quantistica nella scuola secondaria: fondamenti, problemi, proposte

Quantum mechanics isn’t just the theory that explains the atomic and subatomic world, but also a great adventure of the human thinking: since the beginning of the Twentieth Century it has deeply changed the world view of scientists and philosophers. On these and other reflections is based the importance of teaching modern physics in the high school. By these considerations comes out a complicated problem of research in physics education: the possibility and the way we could teach modern physic in the period that comes before academic studies. The problem has become more urgent since some latest changes in the education law in Italy. The hypothesis of this project of research is that teaching and learning of quantum mechanics meet some obstacles that make difficult to implement the didactic proposals developed by researchers. In the matter of students’ difficulties, are mainly studied the formal obstacles and the possibility of developing didactic proposals with mathematic tools accessible for the students. In the matter of teachers’ difficulties, is studied their view of the problem, by means of an investigation into a teachers group of a local high school and a wide investigation into a group who participated in an important experience of nationwide training. From the results of investigations arise very interesting reflections about teachers training in modern physics education.