Model-based teaching of physics in higher education: a review of educational strategies and cognitive improvements

Purpose Until relatively recently, science teaching was based on conveying theoretical concepts. Nevertheless, in the last few years we have gradually understood the importance of building mental models that represent scientific reality. Model-based science teaching has been used at a school level with satisfactory results. However, only a few studies have been published so far on science modelling in higher education. Design/methodology/approach The present thematic review analyses the concept of model in science and the works published in recent years on models in physics education. Findings Throughout these years, special importance has been given to the acquisition of student learning models. These models can either be introduced in the teaching process or acquired by students in their learning process using specific teaching tools. As a conclusion of this review, the authors say that although such strategies are increasingly used in the teaching of science at a school level, few works delve into the importance of acquiring models in higher education. More specifically, there are few research works published in the context of teaching physics in university courses. Originality/value This study review and analyses works published on this issue and aims to provide knowledge as a starting point for future research.

Automated summary

Science education has shifted towards building mental models that represent scientific reality. While model-based science teaching has shown satisfactory results at school levels, there is a lack of research on acquiring models in higher education, particularly in the context of teaching physics at universities. This review aims to provide a starting point for future research in this area.