Learning temperature and heat content: a competency-based approach for physics-mathematics undergraduate students

Abstract

This article assesses the incidence of strategies for learning Temperature and Heat from a Competency-Based Approach, in Physics-Mathematics students (2016 plan) of the UNAN - Managua. In this sense, the research is of qualitative approach and cross-sectional type, with a sample of 43 individuals. As data collection techniques, a documentary review guide was applied to the subject program and didactic plans, a pretest to 12 students, from the regular shift (control group) and to 29 students from the professionalization shift (experimental group) and an interview guide to 2 professors with experience in facilitating knowledge of the subject. The results indicate that students have difficulties in interpreting the concepts of temperature and heat in contextualized phenomena. Likewise, it was recognized that teachers use methodologies that refer to traditionalist approaches, which leads to the scarce use of experimental activities. The analysis of the information obtained from the application of the instruments allowed the design of a proposal with strategies such as Project Based Learning, Gowin’s V, Problem Solving, Experimental Practical Work, Simulations and Modeling. Afterwards, an intervention was made and, at the end, a focal guide was applied to the experimental group and a post-test questionnaire to both groups. The above evidenced that students can define the concepts concerning thermal phenomena. In addition, they show scientific skills such as the explanation of contextualized situations, the realization of frontal experiences, the use of simulators and the construction of simple models that relate theory with scientific practice. Based on the above, the use of dynamic strategies focused on the conceptual change of thermal phenomena and directed to the development of competences is recommended.