Alternative ideas about concepts of physics, a timelessly valuable tool for physics education

Abstract

Alternative ideas, defined as faulty or incomplete understandings of scientific concepts, are prevalent among students across all age groups and educational levels. In physics, misconceptions often arise from everyday experiences, intuitive reasoning, and oversimplified analogies. The persistence of misconceptions in students’ understanding of physics concepts can hinder learning and compromise scientific literacy. Consequently, research on alternative ideas has emerged as a critical aspect of science education, informing teaching strategies and curriculum development. At the beginning of this research, a brief historical report is presented on how research began in the field of the didactic of physics. Then a report is presented with research that led to the identification of alternative ideas at various levels of education. Finally, modern studies on the alternative ideas on the concepts of physics and their conclusions are presented and highlight the timeless necessity of the scientific research of alternative ideas and students’ perceptions of physics concepts, proving how valuable it is for physics education in the search for this topic.