Estrategias de modelización con simuladores para la enseñanza de la discontinuidad de la materia en educación primaria: una propuesta en el ámbito de la didáctica de las ciencias

Abstract

This monograph aimed to strengthen primary school students' understanding of the discontinuous model of matter through the design and implementation of a teaching strategy based on modeling and the use of the PhET simulator. The concept of matter was approached from a microscopic perspective, introducing the idea that air and water are composed of particles that move, separate, or come together depending on energy conditions, especially temperature. The study employed a qualitative approach with quantitative elements, within an action research methodology. This allowed for the diagnosis of prior conceptions, the implementation of a didactic intervention, and the evaluation of its impact. Twenty-seven second-grade students participated. Initially, a pre-test was administered to identify students' prior knowledge regarding the composition of air, the behavior of hot and cold water, and the use of models to represent invisible phenomena. Subsequently, a didactic sequence was developed with activities involving exploration, experimentation with simulators, the construction of manipulative models, and scientific drawing. Finally, a post-test with the same format was administered to assess conceptual progress. The pre-test results revealed age-appropriate alternative conceptions: most students thought that air is a vacuum and that a balloon inflates by magic. Similarly, they assumed that cold water contains more water than hot water or that heating does not cause any changes in its internal components. The initial drawings reflected macroscopic representations without the presence of particles. The evaluation tables showed a 29.63% accuracy rate before the intervention