The interplay between mathematics and physics in prospective primary teacher education

Abstract

Abstract Mathematics and sciences, in particular physics, are structurally related to each other. Understanding the specific nature of these subjects and their reciprocal interplay is important particularly for future teachers in primary school, where they have to be competent in building the literacy starting from a multidisciplinary perspective. One basic aspect of the educational process in primary school is the gradual building of scientific thought. The primary teachers’ competence is based on different disciplinary areas and cultural spheres related to each other. The weak competence in the mathematical and scientific scope has to be transformed into the capacity to offer a grounded scientific education and mathematical instruction, accompanying the identification of the disciplines with concrete examples from everyday life. Therefore primary teachers need insight into the basics of the subjects. This research analyses the spontaneous ideas about the relationship between math and physics of prospective primary teachers attending the course of primary education at the University of Udine. Results of a teaching intervention module focused on the reflection on this aspect are analyzed in the framework of corresponding models in literature in order to study the problem of how to improve teachers’ awareness about the Interplay between Mathematics and Physics (IMP).