Integrated Physics Learning Using an Interdisciplinary Inquiry Learning Space: An Exploratory Study Using Computer Programming

Introduction

The education of students in engineering degrees involves acquiring a robust background knowledge in the subjects of physics and mathematics, which allows students to deepen the specific disciplines of their field of study. The time available for teaching these basic subjects is, in general to short, forcing educators to describe many subjects with not much depth, leaving to the student the responsibility of autonomously complementing their training.

Experience has shown that students, in general, are unable to expand the subjects of physics and mathematics, resulting in a disintegrated knowledge of these subjects, from an interdisciplinary point of view (physics and mathematics), or in its connection with the specific subjects of their graduation (Lichtenberger et al., 2017).

Thus, there is a need to promote, in these fundamental thematic, interdisciplinary learning models that allow an integration of concepts that can be extended to their training. A widely used way of solving this type of difficulty is problem-based learning (PBL), in which students are guided to solve a problem, generally external to the subject, based on the knowledge acquired in this subject, as well as in other subjects in their training extent, whose application indicates a high level of satisfaction, either for the students or for the tutors (Sattarova et al., 2021). In order to support interdisciplinary learning from PBL, more research is needed (Stentoft, 2017).

Based on this premises, the authors proposed the reflection and the evaluation of the process of implementing a research (inquiry) project-based type in the modules of the course of physics of two engineering curricula. The study is exploratory, in which the authors follow the scheme of an Inquiry learning space (ILS), proposed by Pedaste et al. (2015) and grounded in the foundations of gravitation and planetary orbits.

It should be highlighted that with this ILS, students can confront ideas from physics concepts, in particular those proposed by Newton and Einstein, regarding the possibility of orbiting around a black hole. The topic is not addressed in physics modules and is not within the mathematical reach, by the students, of an analytical resolution. The choice of the subject is also related to the misconceptions that students have on the subject, the result of a disjointed basic education, combined with great speculation provoked by non-scientific popularization articles.

The authors have also introduced to this study a computer programming component in MATLAB©, providing students with basic concepts of computer programming language and allowing them to build a program to simulate the orbit of a celestial body around another one with a much higher mass. Throughout the ILS project, the concepts covered in the module of physics are developed in association with the mathematical concepts of vector and derivative, using computer programming as an integrating element.

The study was conducted in two groups from different engineering focuses – electricity and industrial management, each with various levels of learning in computer programming. The main research question that guided this study was:

• •

  Does this type of approach can enhance the learning of Physics, not only by increasing the motivation to learn, but also by the use of computer programming?

And the objectives of this empirical study are:

• 1.

  To observe the satisfaction and motivation of students, associated with the use of this type of strategies.

• 2.

  To evaluate the benefits for the learning of physics that this approach brings, in particular, the importance that computer programming has in this process.

• 3.

  To observe the level of integration of concepts, in the sense of meaningful learning (Ausubel, 1963), that students have associated with this type of strategies.

• 4.

  To observe the level of autonomy that students have at this stage of education.