Epistemological reflections on learning General Relativity in high school: A case study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21814/rpe.36849Keywords:
Critical meaningful learning, High School, Epistemology, General RelativityAbstract
General Relativity is a theory that has been disseminated more frequently in the media in recent years due to new discoveries in the area of astrophysics and cosmology. This has sparked interest in teaching it in primary and secondary education in different countries around the world. This paper shows the main results of a study that aimed to promote learning of General Relativity in high school, based on the epistemological principles of the Theory of Critical Meaningful Learning. A qualitative research with an instrumental case study was carried out with a group of secondary school students from a public educational institution. The main findings reveal that the implementation of the didactic proposal allowed students to make epistemological reflections around Einstein's theory of gravity, mainly on the tentativeness of science. It is concluded that an alternative to teach General Relativity in the lower levels of education may lie in the qualitative incorporation of its concepts that allows including both content and epistemic knowledge, thus facilitating a more contextualized learning of Einstein's theory of gravity.
Downloads
References
Adams, K., Dattatri, R., Kaur, T., & Blair, D. (2021). Long-term impact of a primary school intervention on aspects of Einsteinian physics. Physics Education, 56(5), Article 055031. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6552/ac12a9
Arriassecq, I., Greca, I. M., & Cayul, E. (2017). Secuencias de enseñanza y aprendizaje basadas en resultados de investigación: Propuesta de un marco teórico para el abordaje de la teoría especial de la relatividad. Enseñanza de las Ciencias, 35(1), 133-155. https://doi.org/10.5565/rev/ensciencias.1716
Bozzo, G. (2020). “Free-fall demonstrations” in the high school laboratory. The Physics Teacher, 58(1), 23–27. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.5141966
Brunner, J. L., & Abd-El-Khalick, F. (2020). Improving nature of science instruction in elementary classes with modified science trade books and educative curriculum materials. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 57(2), 154–183. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21588
Cardona Rodríguez, G., Reyes, J. D., & Ortiz, E. (2014). El principio de equivalencia: Una propuesta didáctica a partir del juguete de Einstein. Latin-American Journal of Physics Education, 8(4), 4509-1–4509-5. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=5199778
Castañeda Zapata, E. A., López Ríos, S. Y., & Osorio Vélez, J. A. (2024a). La relatividad general en la educación básica y media: una revisión sistemática. Revista Eureka sobre Enseñanza y Divulgación de las Ciencias, 21(2), Article 230301. https://doi.org/10.25267/Rev_Eureka_ensen_divulg_cienc.2024.v21.i2.2303
Castañeda Zapata, E. A., López Ríos, S. Y., & Osorio Vélez, J. A. (2024b). Naturaleza de la ciencia para la enseñanza de la relatividad general: Una revisión sistemática. Aula abierta, 53(2), 149-158. https://doi.org/10.17811/rifie.19960
Cayul, E., Arriassecq, I., Greca, I. M., & Givonetti, A. (2019). Análisis de la primera implementación de la propuesta didáctica “Ondas gravitacionales en contexto para la escuela secundaria: física contemporánea, divulgación científica y género”. Revista de Enseñanza de la Física, 31(Extra), 181–188. https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/revistaEF/article/view/26544.
Choudhary, R., Foppoli, A., Kaur, T., Blair, D., Burman, R., & Zadnik, M. (2020). A comparison of short and long Einsteinian physics intervention programmes in middle school. Research in Science Education, 52(1), 305–324. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-020-09944-8
Cisterna Cabrera, F. (2005). Categorización y triangulación como procesos de validación del conocimiento en investigación cualitativa. Theoria, 14(1), 61-71. https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=29900107
Cobo Huesa, C., Abril Gallego, A. M., & Romero Ariza, M. (2019). Propuesta didáctica en la formación de profesorado para trabajar naturaleza de la ciencia y pensamiento crítico. Ápice: Revista de Educación Científica, 3(1), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.17979/arec.2019.3.1.4630
da Rosa, C. T. W., Giacomelli, A. C., da Rosa, A. W., & Biazus, M. de O. (2017). Relatividade no ensino médio: Análise de uma proposta didática envolvendo o uso de filmes de ficção científica. Espacios, 38(35), 22-34. http://www.revistaespacios.com/a17v38n35/17383522.html
Dua, Y. S., Blair, D. G., Kaur, T., & Choudhary, R. K. (2020). Can Einstein’s theory of general relativity be taught to Indonesian high school students? Jurnal Pendidikan IPA Indonesia, 9(1), 50–58. https://doi.org/10.15294/jpii.v9i1.22468
Einstein, A. (2005). Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Körper. Annalen der Physik, 517(S1), 194-224. https://doi.org/10.1002/andp.2005517S113
Einstein, A. (1916). Die Grundlage der allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie. Annalen der Physik, 354(7), 769–822. https://doi.org/10.1002/andp.19163540702
El Sol de México. (2022, mayo 12). Telescopio del Horizonte de Sucesos, el proyecto detrás de la foto del agujero negro de la Vía Láctea. https://acortar.link/SY8pWn
Ferreira, M., Lessa, R. V. L., da Silva, O. C., Paulucci, L. G., & Ferreiro, F. C. (2021). Ensino de astronomia: Uma abordagem didática a partir da Teoria da Relatividade Geral. Revista Brasileira de Ensino de Física, 43, e20210157. https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-9126-RBEF-2021-0157
Galeano Marín, M. E. (2012). Estrategias de investigación social cualitativa: El giro en la mirada. La Carreta Editores. https://luisdoubrontg.school.blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/galeano-m.-2004.-estrategias-de-investigacion-social-cualitativa.pdf
García-Carmona, A. (2020). La primera imagen de un agujero negro en los medios: Una oportunidad para reflexionar sobre aspectos de naturaleza de la ciencia. Ciências em Foco, 13, e020005. https://econtents.bc.unicamp.br/inpec/index.php/cef/article/view/13857
García-Carmona, A. (2021). Learning about the nature of science through the critical and reflective reading of news on the COVID-19 pandemic. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 16(4), 1015–1028. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-021-10092-2
García-Carmona, A., Acevedo, J. A., & Aragón, M. M. (2018). Comprensión del alumnado de secundaria sobre la dimensión sociológica de la naturaleza de la ciencia a partir de la historia de la ciencia. Ápice: Revista de Educación Científica, 2(2),43-54. https://doi.org/10.17979/arec.2018.2.2.4519
Greca, I. M., & Arriassecq, I. (2022). Una visión actual de la gravitación para el aula: Comparación histórica, fenomenología y simulaciones. Alambique: Didáctica de las ciencias experimentales, 109, 9-14. https://www.grao.com/revistas/gravitacion-42800?contenido=381347
Hernández Sampieri, R., Fernández Collado, C., & Baptista Lucio, P. (2014). Metodología de la investigación (6.ª ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Huwe, P., & Field, S. E. (2015). Modern gravitational lens cosmology for introductory physics and astronomy students. The Physics Teacher, 53(5), 266–270. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.4917429
Jurado Palomares, R., & Vílchez González, J. M. (2021). Análisis de artículos de prensa digital para valorar su uso como recurso para la enseñanza de la naturaleza de la ciencia en educación secundaria. Ápice: Revista de Educación Científica, 5(1), 53–71. https://doi.org/10.17979/arec.2021.5.1.6838
Kaur, T., Kersting, M., Blair, D., Adams, K., Treagust, D., Santoso, J., Popkova, A., Boublil, S., Zadnik, M., Ju, L., Wood, D., Horne, E., & McGoran, D. (2023a). Developing and implementing an Einsteinian science curriculum from Years 3 to 10: Part A concepts, rationale and learning outcomes. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2306.17342
Kaur, T., Kersting, M., Adams, K., Blair, D. G., Treagust, D., Popkova, A., Boublil, S., Santoso, J., Ju, L., Zadnik, M., Wood, D., Horne, E., McGoran, D., Scott, S., & Venville, G. (2023b). Developing and implementing an Einsteinian science curriculum from Years 3 to 10: Part B teacher upskilling: Response to training and teacher's classroom experience. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2306.17344
Kersting, M., Henriksen, E. K., Bøe, M. V., & Angell, C. (2018). General relativity in upper secondary school: Design and evaluation of an online learning environment using the model of educational reconstruction. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 14(1), Article 010130. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.14.010130
Khishfe, R. (2023). Relationship between nature of science and argumentation: A follow-up study. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 21(4), 1081–1102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-022-10307-0
Lederman, N. G. (2007). Nature of science: Past, present, and future. In S. K. Abell & N. G. Lederman (Eds.), Handbook of research on science education (pp. 831–879). Lawrence Erlbaum Publishers.
Lederman, N. G., & Lederman, J. S. (2019). Teaching and learning nature of scientific knowledge: Is it Déjà vu all over again? Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Science Education Research, 1(1), Article 6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43031-019-0002-0
López Ríos, S. Y. (2014). El aprendizaje significativo crítico. Cuadernos de pedagogía, (448), 58-59.
Manassero-Mas, M.-A., & Vázquez-Alonso, Á. (2019). Conceptualización y taxonomía para estructurar los conocimientos acerca de la ciencia. Revista Eureka sobre Enseñanza y Divulgación de las Ciencias, 16(3), Article 3104. https://doi.org/10.25267/Rev_Eureka_ensen_divulg_cienc.2019.v16.i3.3104
Moreira, M. A. (2005). Aprendizaje significativo crítico (Critical meaningful learning). Indivisa, Boletín de estudios e investigación, 6, 83–102. https://doi.org/10.37382/indivisa.vi6.379
Moreira, M. A. (2010). Aprendizaje significativo crítico (2.ª ed.). Instituto de Física da UFRGS. https://www.if.ufrgs.br/~moreira/apsigcritesp.pdf
OCDE. (2019). PISA 2018 science framework. In PISA 2018 assessment and analytical framework (pp. 97–127). OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/f30da688-en
Ortega-Quevedo, V., & Gil Puente, C. (2019). La naturaleza de la ciencia y la tecnología: Una experiencia para desarrollar el pensamiento crítico. Revista Científica, 35(2), 167–182. https://doi.org/10.14483/23448350.14095
Park, W., Yang, S., & Song, J. (2019). When modern physics meets nature of science: The representation of nature of science in general relativity in new Korean physics textbooks. Science & Education, 28(9–10), 1055–1083. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-019-00075-9
Redacción. (2019, abril 11). Katie Bouman, la mujer que soñó con fotografiar un agujero negro. La Vanguardia. https://acortar.link/oBeOzi
Stadermann, H. K. E., & Goedhart, M. J. (2020). Secondary school students’ views of nature of science in quantum physics. International Journal of Science Education, 42(6), 997–1016. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2020.1745926
Stake, R. E. (2010). Investigación con estudio de casos (5.ª ed.). Ediciones Morata.
The Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration. (2019). First M87 Event Horizon Telescope results. v. physical origin of the asymmetric ring. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 875(1), Article L5. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ab0f43
Wood, M., Smith, W., & Jackson, M. (2016). Curvature of spacetime: A simple student activity. The Physics Teacher, 54(9), 572–573. https://doi. org/10.1119/1.4967905
Zahn, C., & Kraus, U. (2019). Sector models—a toolkit for teaching general relativity: II. Geodesics. European Journal of Physics, 40(1), Article 015601. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6404/aae3b7
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Edwar Alfonso Castañeda Zapata, Sonia Yaneth López Ríos, Jaime Alberto Osorio Vélez

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
1. The authors preserve their authorship and grant the Portuguese Journal of Education the right to the first publication. The work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution License that allows sharing the work with the acknowledgment of initial authorship and publication in this Journal.
2. The authors have the right to take additional contracts separately, for non-exclusive distribution of the published version of their work (e.g. to deposit in an institutional repository or as a book chapter), acknowledging the initial authorship and publication in this Journal.
3. The authors have the permission and are stimulated to post their work online (e.g. in an institutional repository or on their personal website). They can do this at any phase of the editorial process, as it may generate productive changes, as well as increase impact and article citation (see The Open Citation Project).
The work is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)















