Design‐based Research: Case of a teaching sequence on mechanics

Abstract

Design‐based research, and particularly its theoretical status, is a subject of debate in the science education community. In the first part of this paper, a theoretical framework drawn up to develop design‐based research will be presented. This framework is mainly based on epistemological analysis of physics modelling, learning and teaching hypotheses. It includes grand theories, a specific theory that following Cobb, Confrey, diSessa, Lehrer, and Schauble is a “humble theory” in the sense that it does “real work”, and tools for design. In the second part, we will show how this specific theory and its tools led designers to develop teaching resources in the case of a teaching sequence on mechanics (Grade 10). We will explain how the components of the specific theory and tools guide the design at different levels; the conceptual structure of the teaching sequence, the chronology of the activities, the various choices of the type of activity and their wording. This presentation makes the bases of designing teaching resources explicit and therefore allows for scientific debate.

Keywords:

• Classroom
• Curriculum
• Design study
• Inquiry‐based teaching
• Science education
• Modelling
• Theoretical approach
• Teaching sequence

Notes

1. This perspective is currently shared among people involved in sustainable archives: to be sustainable, an archive should live; that is, stay available and be used.

2. From the very beginning, the research development projects have had several names; the current name SESAMES has been used for six years, so we will refer to the mechanics teaching sequence as a SESAMES sequence.

3. In French “attraction terrestre” is rather a current expression; let us note that gravity is also used.