Developing the experimental skills of pre-service physics teachers

Abstract

In this paper we present the focus, objectives, content and implementation of the elective course Selected Demonstration Experiments designed for physics teaching students. We map students’ personal experiences with the implementation of physics experiments in lower secondary school and high school, as well as their knowledge of the possibilities of demonstrating physical phenomena through experiments with simple tools. The continuing lack of experimentally oriented activities in physics education naturally has a negative impact on the experimental skills of physics teaching students. In this context, the prospective teacher should be able to carry out a wide range of physical experiments, demonstrations, experiments and measurements, interpret them appropriately and involve them in active perception. The lack of experimental equipment in schools for individual (or small group) student work can be at least partially overcome by the use of commonly available simple tools (plastic containers, stationery household tools, toys). Their availability is a strong motivation for individual observations, investigations and measurements at home. In the school laboratory, the teacher can easily provide such tools for frontal experiments, parallel work by groups of students or project work following observations at home. We consider and present a model of blended learning in an educational laboratory environment. In this paper we present selected ideas for physics observations and experiments with simple tools in the form of engaging video demonstrations. We have included the creation of our own educational video demonstration as a student semester project in the course presented. We present the success of achieving our learning objectives through student assessment.