Training of research skills in experimental physics through theoretical pragmatic integral tests

Abstract

There are many difficulties that students face when they are developing conceptual, procedural and attitudinal research skills, specifically in physics fields, which professors must address in order to solve them.Therefore, this paper is focused on the evaluation of a didactic situation based on the use of Theoretical Practical Integrals Tests (TPIT), aimed to the research training of students from the physics lab. This proposal is built over Meaningful learning theory of Ausubel (1976) and its diverse visions critic, social and human, which were indicated by Moreira (2007), and complemented by Piaget (1978) and Vygotsky (1979) theories. Also, it paper is based on cooperative learning methods (Johnson and Johnson,1979) and directed research (Gil and Valdes, 1996). The research is evaluative with mixed design, encompassed in the management of documentary sources and field study. Outcomes show that didactic situation implementation allowed to students to transfer knowledge to other contexts, evidencing also a remarkable advance in the achievement of skills associated with the knowledge of being, knowing and doing, which leads to consider that TIPT favor the differentiation between daily and scientific concepts, through a progressive learning of investigative skills, reflecting that these are not acquired and accredited immediately, but to the extent that student works at different times and environments, on different topics and problem situations, making use of already consolidated learning, as it is suggested by the theory of meaningful learning.