La teoría de la relatividad y su didáctica en el bachilleratoanálisis de dificultades y una propuesta de tratamiento.

Résumé

Relativity is a very important part of modern physics. In this paper we analyse the teaching and learning of the theory of relativity in secondary education and we show their main difficulties. The limitations of the relativistic mass are reviewed and invariance mass is defended as the only one that should be used. Finally, a didactic proposal to the teaching of relativity is presented. Our work hypothesis points at the fact that the concepts of time, space and their properties, as well as their different references, are introduced in secondary education in a seamless non-critical way. The teaching of the Theory of Relativity is carried out in a very obscure way absolutely regardless of the students previously acquired concepts as well as of their role in the grasping of the structure of physics. As a consequence, the learning process becomes scarcely significant and new concepts cannot thereby be acquired by students. Our second hypothesis aims at making up an alternative proposal, founded in the basic principles of teaching research, dealing with the unsubstantial sides of the teaching of relativity for secondary education. Such proposal is supported didactically by referencing the main contributions of the scientific community on the teaching-learning process as well on the rest of processes involved. It has been tested by building up a convergent and multiple design and applied to the main variables involved in the entire process: textbooks, teachers and students. The memory shows the results which support these hypotheses. Once the alternative proposal is reviewed, it comes as a conclusion that it is possible a suitable teaching of the principles of relative which should bring the students into a change in attitude, concepts and methodology.