Didactics ans epistemology of science and physics - D2 and listening internship

lphys2320c  2025-2026  Louvain-la-Neuve

Didactics ans epistemology of science and physics - D2 and listening internship
4.00 credits
22.5 h + 7.5 h
Q1
> Schedule
Teacher(s)
Dias de Carvalho Junior Gabriel;
Language
French
Prerequisites
The knowledge of the discipline to be taught, i.e., the physics content related to the 2nd level of secondary education in general sciences.
Main themes
· Programs and standards
· Science resources (textbooks, digital tools, educational kits)
· The didactic triangle: teaching and learning
· Didactic transposition and desyncretization
· Initial conceptions and epistemological obstacles
· The value and use of experimental activities
· Didactic specificities of a physics teaching sequence at the 2nd level (D2)
· Problematization and modeling in D2
· The epistemology of physics
· Assessment of learning
· Concepts that are challenging to teach in physics at D2
Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

1 At the end of this teaching unit, the student will be able to:
· Apply disciplinary didactics and epistemology to guide pedagogical actions in physics courses for the 2nd degree.
· Transform scholarly knowledge into teachable content for physics education at the 2nd degree.
· Design and plan teaching-learning (TL) situations in three stages (contextualization, decontextualization, and recontextualization) tailored to the students’ needs and aligned with competency frameworks and curricula.
· Demonstrate mastery of new disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge relevant to the curriculum.
· Explore innovative disciplinary, interdisciplinary, and technological pedagogical approaches and tools, such as textbooks, digital tools, and teaching kits.
· Design, conduct, and evaluate experimental teaching sequences.
· Reflect on and challenge their own initial representations and conceptions to foster personal growth.
· Identify students' initial spontaneous representations and conceptions, integrating and evolving them within a teaching sequence.
· Adopt a reflective attitude toward their teaching practices, grounded in didactic and pedagogical principles as well as insights from educational research.
 
2 Contribution of the Teaching Unit to the Programme's AA Competency Framework
This teaching unit contributes to the development and acquisition of the following competencies, aligned with the initial training program for physics teachers: 
AA3: Skills in organizing and supporting learning within a dynamic and evolving framework. 
  • AA.3.1: Mastering disciplinary content, its epistemological foundations, its scientific and technological developments, as well as its didactics and teaching methodology. 
  • AA.3.2: Understanding learning processes and the research underpinning various teaching models and theories. 
  • AA.3.5: Acting as a collaborative educator within the classroom and school environment by: 
    • AA.3.5.1: Designing and implementing diverse teaching approaches to strengthen students' motivation, self-confidence, creativity, initiative, and collaboration. 
    • AA.3.5.2: Selecting, designing, and utilizing teaching materials, textbooks, digital tools, and other educational resources. 
    • AA.3.5.3: Creating and applying observation and evaluation tools, emphasizing formative and comprehensive assessment to foster student responsibility and engagement in their learning process. 
    • AA.3.5.4: Developing and implementing differentiated teaching practices and personalized student support, taking into account prior achievements, individual learning profiles, and,
    • when necessary, specific needs—leveraging co-teaching or collaborative pedagogical strategies. 
    • AA.3.5.5: Promoting interdisciplinary learning through the development of integrated activities. 
  • AA.3.6: Integrating digital technologies effectively into teaching practices.
  • AA.3.7: Addressing cross-cutting themes, including media literacy, EVRAS (education for relational, emotional, and sexual life), and gender equality. 
  • AA.3.8: Establishing a supportive relational framework to foster communication with students, their families, and colleagues. 
  • AA.3.9: Managing classroom dynamics in a manner that is educationally stimulating, structurally sound, and emotionally reassuring. 
AA4: Reflective Practitioner Skills 
  • AA.4.1: Critically analyze the results of scientific research in education and didactics, drawing inspiration from these findings to inform and enhance teaching practices. Leverage insights from various disciplines within the human sciences to evaluate and act effectively in professional situations. 
  • AA.4.2: Engage in critical and rigorous observation and analysis of one’s own teaching practices—both individually and collaboratively with peers. Assess the impact of these practices on students to adapt and improve teaching strategies and conditions, ensuring greater efficiency and equity.
 
Content
This teaching unit is designed to equip students to become future physics teachers at the lower and upper secondary levels (D2). It aims not only to present didactical aspects related to the teaching of physics in D2, but also to ensure the transfer and appropriation of these tools by future teachers through lesson planning and preparation.
  • The importance of epistemology; major epistemological perspectives
  • Key concepts and physical theories
  • Didactical specificities of a physics teaching sequence
  • Experimentation, the scientific approach, and inquiry-based learning in physics
  • Conceptualization in physics
  • Concepts that are particularly difficult to teach in physics
  • Assessment of learning in physics
Teaching methods
The teaching activities are those recommended in secondary education: group work, lectures, flipped classrooms, practical work, laboratory sessions, etc. The didactic approach emphasizes co-construction with the students.
Evaluation methods
Students enrolled in the course unit LPHYS2320C are assessed as follows:
  • Activity 1: Daily activities – 20% of the final grade
  • Activity 2: Observation placement report (10 hours in physics) – 30% of the final grade
  • Activity 3: Individual written examination (January), covering concepts in physics didactics and epistemology at the D2 level – 50% of the final grade
Each of these activities must be passed with a minimum mark of 10/20 in order to pass the course. The principle of the absorbing grade applies to this course unit.
Attendance is compulsory. In accordance with Article 72 of the General Regulations for Studies and Examinations, the course instructor may propose to the jury that a student who has not attended at least 80% of the sessions be denied registration for the January, June, or September examination sessions.
Other information
The course LPHYS2320C [Q1] is an elective course open to students enrolled in the Master [120] in Teaching, Section 4 and the Master [60] in Teaching, Section 5 in mathematics, engineering sciences and geography. It focuses exclusively on the content of lower secondary education (D2) in physics and includes an observation placement. The course also comprises a joint component with LCHM2320A, LBIO2320A, and LPHYS2320A, covering science didactics (the first 9 hours).
Online resources
On Moodle UCLouvain, course code LPHYS2320.
The platform contains the documents presented and used during the lectures, and it also provides a space for students to submit their assignments.
Bibliography
Des ouvrages et publications scientifiques en relation avec les disciplines enseignées et avec la didactique seront présentés lors des cours.
Faculty or entity
> SC


Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)

Title of the programme
Sigle
Credits
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
Teacher Training Certificate (upper secondary education) - Mathematics
MATH2A
4
Teacher Training Certificate (upper secondary education) - Geography
GEO2A
4
Master [60] of Education, Section 5 : Engineering
DSIR2M5
4
Master [120] of Education, Section 4 : Geography
GEOG2M4
4
Master [60] of Education, Section 5 : Geography
GEOG2M5
4
Master [120] of Education, Section 4 : Mathematics
MATH2M4
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Master [60] of Education, Section 5 : Mathematics
MATH2M5
4