https://doi.org/10.37955/cs.v6i3.279
Received May 11, 2022 / Approved November, 23 2022 Pages: 41-52
eISSN: 2600-5743
Teaching wave-particle duality
using didactic materials to improve
its conceptualization
Enseñanza de la dualidad onda–partícula empleando
materiales didácticos para mejorar su conceptualización
Erwin José Segura Espinoza
Master's Degree in Telecommunications, Universidad de Guayaquil,
erwin.seguraes@ug.edu.ec, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7133-5834
José Ricardo Aulestia Ortiz
Master's Degree in Higher Education Entities, Universidad de Guayaquil,
jraulestia@uce.edu.ec, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5825-2487
Daniela Michelle Vásquez Delgado
Bachelor's Degree in Education in Physics and Mathematics, Unidad Educativa Provincia
de Manabí, wilson.floresr@ug.edu.ec, https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6313-5002
Christian Antonio Pavón Brito
Master's Degree in Physics Teaching, Universidad de Guayaquil,
christian.pavonb@ug.edu.ec, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8913-1546
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this research is to study the impact of didactic materials
capable of allowing students to approach the theoretical foundations
for the conceptualization of abstract topics of Quantum Mechanics
such as wave-particle duality. For the development of this research, a
qualitative and applied methodology was used to collect data. The
population consisted of 25 students of the 8th Semester of the
Pedagogy of Experimental Sciences in Mathematics and Physics of the
University of Guayaquil, who took a test to evaluate their knowledge
about the Wave-Particle Duality topic, before and after using didactic
materials in their teaching for their learning. They concluded that
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there was evidence of favorable changes at the moment of using
didactic materials on the conceptualization of the wave-particle
duality.
RESUMEN
La presente investigación tiene como propósito estudiar el impacto
que tiene los materiales didácticos capaces de permitir a los
estudiantes abordar los fundamentos teóricos para la
conceptualización de temas abstractos de Mecánica Cuántica como lo
es la dualidad onda partícula. Para el desarrollo de esta investigación
se utilizó una metodología cualitativa y aplicada que permitió la
recolección de datos. La población está conformada por 25 estudiantes
del 8vo Semestre de la carrera de Pedagogía de las Ciencias
Experimentales en Matemáticas y Física de la Universidad de
Guayaquil, quienes realizaron una prueba para evaluar sus
conocimientos sobre la temática Dualidad Onda – Partícula, antes y
después de emplear materiales didácticos en su enseñanza para su
aprendizaje. Concluyendo que se presencio evidencia de cambios
favorables al momento de emplear materiales didácticos sobre la
conceptualización de la dualidad onda – partícula.
Keywords / Palabras clave
Physics Teaching, Teaching Materials, Wave-Particle Duality, Quantum
Mechanics
Enseñanza de Física, Materiales Didácticos, Dualidad Onda – Partícula,
Mecánica Cuántica
Introduction
In 2017 Ecuador participated in the OECD's Program for International
Student Assessment (PISA), in charge of internationally assessing the
knowledge and skills of students in the areas of reading, mathematics
and science. Obtaining worrying results, in which 43% of the students
reached a minimum level of competencies in science, which covers the
area of Physics. (Educativa, 2018). That is to say that 57% do not
exceed the basic level of science creating a significant gap with the rest
of the countries that participated in this test, demonstrating the low
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academic performance and educational deficiency that Ecuador
presents.
The teaching of quantum mechanics faces several challenges; the fact
that subatomic particles possess properties very different from those
we experience on a human scale and those taught in classical
mechanics creates many challenges in addressing these abstract topics
with students. These concepts are counterintuitive and conflict with
the classical worldview familiar to most students. A radical change in
the student's thinking, and in the way these topics are taught, is needed
for understanding. Students do not visualize the importance and
application of Physics in the development and advancement of science
and technology, as well as in their daily activities, which demotivates
them and, therefore, reduces their interest in the learning process.
They do not learn how to approach a real problem and any change, no
matter how small, causes them difficulties. (Valenzuela, Villarreal,
Lobo, & Terán, 2022)..
When thinking about the teaching-learning process, it is essential that
we discuss the actions that make this relationship effective. Effective
teaching cannot take place without functional didactic materials to
enhance innovative production in modern fields such as science and
technology, among others (Macanchi, Orozco, & Campoverde, 2020)..
Physical phenomena can be vividly presented and correlations can be
examined and analyzed. In addition, it is possible to simulate
complicated content, simultaneously present different levels of
abstraction, and help students gain a better understanding. These
materials can be both physical and virtual, they assume as a condition,
to awaken the interest of students, to adapt to the physical and
psychological characteristics of the students, and to facilitate the
teaching activity by serving as a guide; also, they have the great virtue
of adapting to any type of content. With the help of these didactic tools,
the relevant topic is sealed in the visual, auditory memory of students,
which serve for the formation and development of skills,
competencies, and abilities. (Khasanovna, 2021).. That is why in the
teaching of Physics didactic materials are fundamental tools in the
teaching-learning process, being an important and viable alternative
in schools and universities of the public and private educational
system.
According to Çaliskan (2009), cited in. (Pantoja, Moreira, &
Hercovits, 2014). states that studies on how students approach
conceptions about Quantum Physics are very scarce compared to
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research on how students reason in Classical Physics contents. This
implies that there is also a lack of in-depth research on how to
didactically approach these topics that become abstract when moving
from classical mechanics with representations that can be observed
and felt, to quantum mechanics.
Undoubtedly this is not a simple problem to address since the teaching
of quantum mechanics not only requires the study of new phenomena
and new methodologies, but also the development of alternative
mental and conceptual models that better approach the behavior of
nature in this context must be promoted. Thought must be given to the
appropriate methods for these topics to be learned in a meaningful way
and to the appropriate degrees at which they should be introduced
within the curriculum so that the mental structures that Russell speaks
of are still flexible (Arango, 2018). For all the above described, the
purpose of this work is to improve the conceptualization of Physics
undergraduate students through the use of didactic materials on the
wave-particle duality topic.
Materials and Methods
A quantitative approach was used for the development of this research,
through the collection of quantifiable data and the use of statistical and
mathematical techniques to explain the results of the data collected.
The study population is composed of 25 students of the 8th semester
of a university located in the city of Guayaquil. Two tests were designed
and applied, one input and one output, composed of 10 multiple choice
items related to the wave-particle duality theory, valued on a scale of 1
to 10, with 1 being the expression of minimum satisfaction and 10 the
maximum. In the process, a four-stage action plan was developed, the
first stage being the investigation of methods and didactic materials
that favor students' understanding by capturing their attention
through visual materials; followed by the entry test to assess the
students' previous knowledge, then the didactic materials were
presented through virtual classes and a series of didactic activities to
be carried out during asynchronous hours. Finally, to measure the
results of this research, an exit test was conducted, which together with
the results of the entry test, a comparison was made to determine the
results and the students' learning.
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Results
Pre-test analysis
To determine the knowledge that the students possessed, an entry test
was taken, to know their bases and concepts about the Wave-Particle
Duality, this test consisted of 10 questions of which 9 were theoretical
and 1 was a practical exercise.
Table 1. Survey
N
Percentage of
incorrect
answers
Percentage
of correct
answers
1
52%
48%
2
52%
48%
3
64%
36%
4
48%
52%
5
64%
36%
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6
68%
32%
7
36%
64%
8
84%
16%
9
68%
32%
10
56%
44%
Source: Prepared by authors, 2023
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From the analysis of the data presented in Table 1, it is observed that
there are weaknesses in the conceptualization, the definitions that the
students have are very vague and tend totally to the classical
definitions, some of them even do not know certain topics related to
classical mechanics, visualizing that the percentage of totally
theoretical questions answered correctly is below the average.
However, the practical question was the one that had the most correct
results, assuming that there are good mathematical foundations that
facilitate that more than 50% of the students answer this question.
Post-test analysis
To evaluate if positive results were obtained with the use of didactic
materials, an exit test was conducted, with the same structure as the
entrance test, following the same tendency of the entrance test,
without being similar.
Table 2. Questions
N
Ask
Percentage of
incorrect
answers
Percentage
of correct
answers
1
When does light behave as a
particle?
a. When absorbed, but
not when emitted
b. When emitted, but not
when absorbed
c. When absorbed or
emitted
d. d. Never, light
always behaves as an
electromagnetic wave.
28%
72%
2
In an attempt to reconcile the
wave and corpuscular models
of light, some people have
suggested that the proton
rises and falls on the crests
and valleys of the
electromagnetic wave. Why
is this assumption wrong?
32%
68%
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3
Three phenomena associated
with quantum physics are:
I. Einstein's
photoelectric effect
II. De Broglie's
hypothesis
III. Rutherford alpha
particle scattering.
Which of the phenomena can
be verified by firing electrons
at a metal surface?
28%
72%
4
Three phenomena that can be
explained as particle
I. Photoelectric effect
II. Bohr orbitals
III. Compton effect
IV. Electron diffraction
V. Black body
16%
84%
5
A light is projected through
two narrow slits. Suppose the
intensity is reduced to the
point where only a few
photons per second pass
through the slit. If one of the
slits is covered, the individual
photons would accumulate on
the screen over time creating
a pattern of _____.
20%
80%
6
According to quantum
physics, electrons behave as
waves or particles.
12%
88%
7
Matter has a wave nature,
why is this wave
characteristic not observable
in everyday experience?
8%
92%
8
18. Determine the
velocity of a neutron (m=
1.675X10-27 kg) having a De
Broglie wavelength =0.200
nm, approximately the
distance between atoms in
many crystals.
12%
88%
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9
Consider a) an electron, b) a
photon and c) a proton, all
moving in a vacuum. Which
one carries the amount of
motion?
24%
76%
10
Can the equation E=hf be
applied to any particle at rest?
24%
76%
Source: Prepared by authors, 2023
It can be observed that in the exit test there is a greater tendency to
choose correct answers. A greater clarity and understanding is
presented in the definitions and properties of light, matter and waves.
With an average of correct answers higher than the average, we can
assume that the students present a greater assimilation of the abstract
topics.
Comparative analysis between the results of the input test and the
output test
Graph 1. Comparison of responses.
Graph 1 shows the comparison of the results of the tests given to the
students, showing a significant difference at the time of executing the
research proposal. A divergence of almost twice as much is observed
in terms of obtaining correct answers between the input and output
test, being a favorable result for the output test. The errors in the
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Prueba de entrada
Prueba de salida
Correct answers Incorrect answers
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understanding of the definitions decrease, thus reducing the choice of
incorrect answers, since the students have a better understanding of
the definitions of waves and particles.
Conclusions
This research project aims to establish a pedagogical reflection on the
possibility of teaching quantum mechanics using didactic materials to
generate meaningful learning, which will contribute to the cognitive
development of students. The results of this teaching proposal can be
a modest starting point to begin to promote a reflection on the
guidelines and curricular standards of science, to propose a
methodological strategy through the use of didactic resources that
serve as input to support the teaching of the characteristics of the
quantum world as opposed to those of the classical world, promoting
tools to transform some practices within the school through critical
reflection of the processes of knowledge construction associated with
quantum mechanics.
It can be concluded that by means of the entrance test it was visualized
that students show a classical vision of the basic concepts of quantum
mechanics such as protons, electrons and photons, not establishing a
dual particle or wave relation, presenting conceptual errors that derive
in difficulties to advance with the topics. As far as the use of didactic
resources for the teaching of these topics is concerned, a great positive
impact on the acquisition of definitions and their comprehension was
visualized, which was proved with the results of the exit test, being
totally favorable results.
The major learning difficulties are linked to the theoretical
incompatibility of classical mechanics with quantum mechanics. The
problem is to abandon the deeply rooted (classical) idea and move to
an abstract definition. Some students also have many problems with
their prior knowledge, much of which is confused and poorly
structured, vague or poor.
Quantum ideas are juxtaposed to classical ones. It is not that there has
been a conceptual shift, but an alternative use of different theoretical
schemes. Students need to have the theoretical foundations well
rooted in order to understand quantum, only it must be disengaged
that these definitions are inflexible. The problem is the way in which
the theory is presented, the methodology used to reach the student;
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this means that a greater effort must be made to present a class that
generates significant learning, which requires the use of materials that
favor understanding. Thus corroborates (Arango, 2018) due to the
differences between the conceptual nature of quantum mechanics and
classical physics, research is needed on the misconceptions of
students, on the correction of mental models, the teaching strategies
implemented, the educational materials used.
Our proposal is not only the implementation of didactic materials in
the teaching of particle-wave duality or quantum mechanics, but also
to respond to a problem that has always involved the learning of
physics, the understanding of all its natural spectrum. This research
also aims to verify the effectiveness of didactic resources in the
teaching-learning process of physics, from classical theory to quantum
theory. Generating a feasible tool for teachers at both secondary and
university level, encouraging the use of more resources in the
classroom to generate greater learning.
With the results obtained in this research it is concluded that it is
necessary for teachers to look for new didactic tools to obtain better
results in education; didactic materials are a feasible and essential way
that should be used in our classes.
References
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