A Model-Based Constructivist Approach for Bridging Qualitative and Quantitative Aspects in Teaching and Learning the First Law of Thermodynamics

Teaching and learning introductory thermodynamics has drawn considerable research attention over the last two decades, especially in several disciplines of higher education. Under particular investigation is the First Law of Thermodynamics (FLT), which offers an expression of energy conservation in thermodynamic systems, as the evidence shows that students struggle with this fundamental principle. At the upper secondary education level, existing research on this issue is rather limited. This study is concerned with the above, presenting epistemological and cognitive perspectives on the FLT and, based on these, proposes a constructivist approach for its teaching and learning. We place a special focus on the meaningful bridging between thermodynamic processes and a suitable constructivist model (Energy Chain Model) that can accurately describe the mathematical expressions of the First Law. To accomplish this, we implemented a teaching and learning sequence (12 45-min lessons) in the second year of the upper secondary school (ages 16–17). A significant part of the sequence (six lessons in 2 weeks) employed a model-based educational simulation (Ideal Gas Educational Simulation), which was designed and developed for this particular purpose. In this study (N = 19), the results indicated gradual improvement in students’ representations of thermodynamic processes, wherein they were able to more accurately describe these processes in terms of energy chains and mathematical expressions of the First Law. Some barriers that students could not seamlessly bypass were detected, which are in line with the findings of the existing literature for tertiary education students.