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THANKS
We will not start this graduation memory for CAPEN in Physics and Chemistry without
praise God Almighty for with His grace and mercy that we have been able to achieve.
We wish to express our warmest thanks to the teachers who were willing to serve on the
jury in this case:
x
Our deep gratitude particularly to Ms. Judith RAZAFIMBELO, Full Professor, for her
interest to us, as well as the invaluable assistance she has provided us, leading to the
culmination of this work.
We also want to express our gratitude to all the teachers who formed us throughout our
curriculum at the Ecole Normale Suprieure.
Our sincere thanks also go to our family and loved ones for the unwavering support and
encouragement that they have shown throughout the trials we went through.
General introduction.......................................................................................................................... 7
I. Previous works............................................................................................................................... 29
II. Current data collection methodology........................................................................................34
III. Analysis of results....................................................................................................................... 51
Chapter 4: Proposal for new themes in the program...............................................................58
I. The concepts to be introduced......................................................................................................58
III. Conceptual framework for curriculum development .............................................................66
III. Proposition of curriculum........................................................................................................... 69
General conclusion........................................................................................................................... 76
APPENDIX
Appendix
1:
Specific
curriculum
of
sciences
in
1st
class
in
France.......................................................................................................................................79
Appendix 2: Official Skills Program sciences in the United States, according to the
sciences California standards ............................................................................................... 87
Appendix 3: Physical sciences program of class Terminale A in Madagascar...................... 88
Appendix 4: Tables showing data obtained concerning candidates for the bachelor Series A
the last three years in the six provinces and nationally............................................................91
Appendix 5: Questionnaire on the content of physical science curriculum of the Terminale
A...............................................................................................................................................92
Bibliographic reference..........................................................................................................94
Webographie...........................................................................................................................97
List of tables
Table 1: Percentage of candidates who selected physical science as a compulsory subject in
series A1
Table 2: Percentage of candidates who selected physical science as a compulsory subject in
series A2
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
Through the offices within the Ministry of Education, such as the Curriculum Support Office
RIWKH6HFRQGDU\(GXFDWLRQ'LUHFWRUDWH, the Study and Planning Office RIWKHDirectorate
of Planning of the EGXFDWLRQ, which are responsible for developing, studying and constantly
improving the content and implementation of curricula for each subject and each class, the
State plans the system of education. The education system currently in force is thus dictated
by Law No. 94-033 of March 13th, 1995 on the General Orientation of Education and
Training System in Madagascar. The different topics of education and training make up one
of the key points to remember in this direction.
Through the content, the target of education is to train citizens able to achieve the
development goals and follow the frantic pace of evolution of humanity. It is in this sense
that the curricula of schools and general secondary schools have been defined so that each
subject taught at every level of education contributes to the achievement of these objectives.
Teaching Physics in Terminale A, among others topics, is so used to train students not only to
the success of the baccalaureate exam, but also to better prepare them for college and their
future life.
As a student out of C.E.R.1 Physics and Chemistry of the Ecole Normale Suprieure, we are
called to teach physical sciences at high schools. Furthermore, we have the feeling of having
to work constantly to improve the teaching and learning of the discipline. This can be done
through the development of new tools to facilitate our mission which is to assist students in
acquiring knowledge; it can also lead us to make a critical thinking on the current learning
program, and propose innovations forward to improve it.
One study of students in Terminale A in North Befandriana (Raharisoa, 2007) shows that the
knowledge and skills that students have acquired by the end of the school year are not clearly
identifiable, resulting home the lack of motivation and interest in learning the physical
sciences. Recognizing that physics is used to explain the phenomena, we wondered if the
phenomena covered in the program are well understood by the students. Moreover, thinking
about the fact that students of class Terminale A, being literary, may have difficulty in
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understanding the formulas and perform calculations, we assumed that the mathematical
concepts they are being taught in physics prevents a better understanding of these concepts,
which does not motivate them to learn this subject.
We used appropriate statistical methods to obtain a representative sample of students in
Terminale A of Madagascar. For that, we went to the Ministry of Higher Education to obtain
data on the percentages of candidates selected physical sciences as compulsory test bachelor.
The next step is to identify the schools that meet the constraints resulting from sampling, and
to meet the students to identify any difficulties they face in learning physics. After identifying
the problems, proposing new ideas seems to be a relevant contribution from us in the
perspective of a better implementation of the program to improve the results of student
learning. In this context, we have chosen to call this work:
"Current situation of the teaching of physics in class Terminale A in Madagascar Proposed innovations"
This study is to identify problems related to learning the physical sciences by the students of
class Terminale A, in order to propose solutions to try to deal with these obstacles.
In order to identify problems related to learning physical sciences in Terminale A, it is
important to first define the conceptual benchmarks, based on the concept of academic
motivation. Then we discuss the teaching of sciences in the literary sections of different
countries to make a comparative analysis of programs and teaching methods. In the third
chapter, we will identify the potential problems associated with learning physical science in
class Terminale A through the one hand, studies on the lack of interest of students from
Terminale A towards the physical sciences and the program in place, and secondly, a survey
conducted as part of this study of drawing up the state of knowledge acquired by students.
Finally, we will reach the goal of this paper that is to propose new themes to introduce in the
physical sciences program in Terminal A
So that the student is fully engaged in the activities leading to the assimilation of the course,
and so produce the results expected of it at the end of the learning process, he must be
motivated. Indeed, regardless of implemented education, student motivation is an essential
parameter conditioning the successful learning (Tardif, 1992).
Motivation is the factor of awareness and activation towards an exciting body and can lead to
different concrete achievements (Le Petit Larousse, 2013). The concept of motivation
therefore encompasses the notions of "need" and "interest" to the extent that the act is due to
the presence of a conscious or unconscious motive. At school, it requires the student to
engage in learning activities as best he could, and to lead them ultimately; when confronted
with problems, he must draw to progress. Academic motivation of a student is mainly related
to the image he has of himself and his environment; it is defined as the commitment,
involvement and perseverance of the student in learning (Dweck, 2000).
In schools, the motivation is a dynamic phenomenon influenced by perceptions of student, his
behavior, environment, which encouraged him to choose an activity, commit to it and to
persevere in its accomplishment to achieve a goal (Viau, 1998). Thus, the motivation is based
on the conditions in which the student learns and perceptions he has of these conditions. This
motivation is an essential component of the success of the student at the end of a learning
process (McCombs & Miller, 2007). Student constructs academic motivation from his
experiences, successes and failures, he draws conclusions; he extracts the rules and laws.
According to Tardif (1992), academic motivation is influenced by two types of factors
intrinsic to the student: conception systems and perception systems. Viau (1998) also showed
that the teacher must act on the motivational dynamic of the student. Furthermore, Berbaum
(1991) explained that the interest of the student for the purpose of learning fosters motivation
to learn.
I. Conception systems
There are two conception systems involved emotionally: the conception of the aims of the
school and the conception of intelligence.
I. 1. Conception of the aims of the school
According to Elliot (1983)2 and Dweck (2000), students recognize that the school has two
main categories of goals: learning goals and evaluation goals.
Student who pursues the learning goals thinks that the teacher wants him to acquire more
knowledge and develop a better understanding of his environment in his mind in order to
control what happens around him. For the student, the acquisition of knowledge is a
challenge; when he encounters obstacles, he makes use of diverse strategies. He performs the
comparison with himself, by knowledge he mastered before and those he controls now, and
takes responsibility for his successes and failures.
Student who pursues the evaluation goals thinks the teacher wants simply try his skills; his
concern is to get the largest possible number of favorable judgments. The student prefers the
easiest activities to increase his probability of success; his participation in the performance of
a task depends on the judgment that will be issued on his performance. In this context, the
level of success he binds is exclusively normative, and he attributes his failures and successes
to factors that do not depend on him.
I. 2. Conception of intelligence
According to Dweck (2000), there are two forms of representation that the student is
intelligence.
A first representation considers intelligence as a stable entity. The participation of the student
in the realization of an activity is so very limited, and motivation for learning is very low.
A second view sees intelligence as scalable. The student believes that his knowledge can
evolve over time and can develop at any time, thereby increasing its ability to act on its
environment.
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Besides the design of the aims of the school and the conception of intelligence that make up
the system design, there are also the perception systems acting on the motivation of the
student.
First, the designs of the student on the aims of the school and intelligence, and secondly, the
perception that the student has of value, requirements and the controllability of the task, so
have effects on motivation to learn. In addition to these factors, the teacher also has
responsibilities in stimulating the student in the learning process.
If the conceptions and perceptions of student affect his motivational dynamics, the teacher
should be concerned, acting as a model. As a model, the teacher must teach student interest in
learning the subject he teaches.
behaviors to adopt towards the learning object (Berbaum 1991). This learning object is to
stimulate the spirit of curiosity. Curiosity is defined as the desire to see and know (Le Petit
Larousse, 2013), then it arouses student interest in learning activities led by the teacher.
Interest in a learning activity is an indicator frequently used to identify the motivation in
students (Cosnefroy, 2004).
IV. 1. Interest in learning
On one hand, "interest" means "that which is useful, beneficial to someone" (Le Petit
Larousse, 2013) ; the word "interest" is synonymous with "concern" opposite of
"indifference". The interest created automatically in an individual's motivation to complete a
task. It is the interest of the students on the subject of learning that nurtures in them the
motivation to learn. Therefore, school success would require the knowledge acquired at the
end of learning, beyond its immediate utility, is meaningful to the student by opening new
horizons for understanding ourselves and understand the world (Berbaum 1991).
On the other hand, "interest" means "dedication to something beneficial." The students have
no interest in learning if such learning does not respond to a desire to know. The teaching of a
subject must meet a living, dynamic natural desire harmonizing with the means at the
disposal of students. The desire for knowledge pushes students to make the necessary efforts
to understand, deepen and broaden the knowledge they have learned in class, and
understanding is the main manifestation of the success of learning.
IV. 2. Relationship between interest and motivation
The motivation of a student is identified from the time where he continued learning goals
(Cosnefroy, 2004). The orientation towards learning goals is favored when it perceived
similarity between the current activity and purpose; that is, the student should be able to
relate what he now teaches and what he will need later. In this case, an interest is created for
the object of learning; then the student involves in the knowledge acquisition process.
For the student who is pursuing evaluation purposes, interest in school activity is
strengthened if he considers himself able to achieve good results (Cosnefroy, 2007). Indeed,
if the student is engaged in learning, it is mainly to demonstrate his skills and obtain a
favorable judgment. Thus the performance of the student is a key determinant of interest, and
consequently, motivation to learn material.
In schools, the motivation is a dynamic state that encourages students to choose a learning
event, commit to it and to persevere in its accomplishment to achieve a goal. It reflects both
emotions and perception of the student. It is a variable that the teacher can act. The
motivation for a student to learn a subject is closely related to the interest in it. Based on this
notion of academic motivation, part of this study is to identify problems related to learning
physics in Terminale A.
After defining the concept of academic motivation through the work of various researchers,
we will tackle the analysis of science education in the literary section of some countries. To
do this, we first develop the specific science education program in First L class in France,
which will make us ideas on the objectives and content of teaching sciences in literary series.
Next, we will discuss the teaching of physical sciences in the United States through the study
by Tabailloux and Gilbert in 2008, for an overview of the methods applied there. After, we
will outline the physical sciences program in Terminale A to Madagascar. Finally, we will
make a comparative analysis of program content and teaching methods, to determine at what
level we could take action to improve the teaching and learning of physics in class Terminale
A.
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As part of our study, we focus on the objectives of such teaching and disciplinary content
delivered to students in the literary section.
I. 1. The objectives
The specific teaching First class science of the literary section in France revolves around two
goals: to develop scientific literacy to students; help build their skills.
I. 1. 1. Develop scientific literacy
Students in literary series in First class are not prepared for university studies science-based,
science education that is provided is essentially oriented so that they can develop scientific
literacy. Thus, this teaching is assigned as objectives to enable the student:
- to acquire knowledge that will serve him to understand the issues and problems of science
to which he will have to face in his daily lives;
- to understand the scientific issues related to social issues such as sustainable development,
to have a critical view to act as responsible citizen;
- to explore these issues through consultation of various documents and information sources;
- to understand by simple manner the steps that led to the current notions and concepts
through, for example, the history of science.
I. 1. 2. Contribute to building skills
The main goal of any scientific training is to introduce students to the scientific process so
that he is able to implement a reason. Such jurisdiction will always be useful to him
regardless of the area in which he will have to evolve in his future life. Indeed, it includes
research capabilities, organizational and operational information, especially through the use
of computer technology, as well as oral and written expression and communication activities
such as presentations and debates.
On the one hand, the specific science education in literary classes should primarily teach
student applications through which science and technology interact with society and everyday
life. The student is then asked to provide a scientific argument on social issues such as health
issues and sustainable development, and the benefits and limitations of scientific and
technological advances, which will promote the development of his critical thinking, his
curiosity and his leadership.
On the other hand, a global scientific and cultural approach is essential in order to flourish in
a society of the disciplinary diversity. Scientific training of literary students in First class
aims to develop skills including the multiplicity of approaches, the search for explanations
and forecasting implications in various fields. It joins such as economic and social sciences,
mathematics and the physical sciences.
I. 2. Organisation of teaching
The science curriculum in First L is organized around four themes. There are, among others,
two common themes in the life and earth sciences and the physical and chemical sciences,
entitled " Visual representation " and "Feeding humanity" ; the other two themes are each
dedicated to a specific theme for each discipline, " The energy challenge " for physics and
chemistry , and " Female - Male " for life and earth sciences (Appendix 1, p. 79).
I. 2. 1. Visual representation
The theme "Visual representation" intends to help students understand how the eye as an
optical unit, the principle of correcting some defects of the eye and obtaining color matter.
This education should help students to adopt behaviors to preserve the integrity of his vision.
In the first part, the approach is to directly address geometrical optics concepts from a natural
manifestation which the students live constantly experience. Indeed, considering the eye as an
optical apparatus, this theme talks about the characteristic features of a converging lens and
the construction of the image obtained from a converging lens, and makes the comparison
with a negative lens. The study of defects and corrections of the eye deepens the concepts and
introduce the concepts of focal distance and convergence, showing their application. The use
of dyes and pigments through the experimental determination of the presence of dyes in a
mixture introduced the influence of certain parameters on color of certain chemical species.
The section of chemistry perception serves to highlight the chemical nature of the
transmission of nerve messages through chemicals and chemical disturbances caused by
hallucinogens.
I. 2. 2. Feeding humanity
The theme "Feeding KXPDQLW\ is used initially to make students understand the complexity
of issues relating to meeting food needs. In this context, it will develop some answers,
scientifically substantiated, some of these questions about the increase in agricultural
production, food preservation and transformation. Then, pointing to the cross-cutting theme
by taking into account the geopolitical, socio-economic and environmental aspects, students
must adopt responsible attitudes to food risks.
The introduction to sustainable agriculture is used to compare the energy and matter balances
in an ecosystem and different agro-systems (crops, livestock) from data collected in the field
or in databases processed by software calculation or simulation, and link the progress of
science and technology and their impact on the environment over time. The issue of the
quality of soil and water in agriculture and the quality control of food products are used to
introduce students to the scientific process by documentary research, use of information and
development of experimental protocols for laboratory analysis.
I. 2. 3. The energy challenge
The availability and quality of natural resources, control of energy resources and optimizing
their management and the management of natural and industrial risks are the challenges of
sustainable development on which the experimental sciences must contribute, hence the need
to talk about energy challenge. In this context, the teaching of the subjHFWV role is to raise
awareness among students by making them understand the needs and constraints in the search
for new solutions.
Following this theme, students need to acquire knowledge enabling them to take a critical
look at the energy consumption of appliances in daily life and industrial facilities, discuss the
advantages and disadvantages of the operation of an energy resource, including in terms of
environmental impact such as the management of radioactive waste. The key is to search for
and exploit information on energy needs, the different types of energy resources and
processes for their use.
I. 2. 4. Female - Male
Support responsibly his sex life by the future adult makes necessary to perfect a sexuality
education that began in college. The own theme to life sciences and earth "Female - Male"
shows how the knowledge of sex determination and hormonal control has led to the
development of current chemical methods of control of reproduction by a couple. This is an
opportunity to recall the hygiene and prevention principles. This will also be the opportunity
to say that if sexual identity and gender roles in society with their stereotypes belong to the
public sphere, sexual orientation is part of the private sphere.
The objectives of this course are initially to make the student able to explain to simple level
methods to choose when to procreate or to help an infertile couple to have a child. At the end
of this course, students must also behave in a reasonable individual to avoid contamination
and the spread of sexually transmitted infections. It serves to explain to the student the
genetic and hormonal determinism of sex, and the difference between sexual identity and
orientation. This theme also helps to show students that sexual activity in humans is partly
based on biological phenomena, particularly the activation of the reward system.
In France, students from First L classes learn science in the context of a specific program that
allows them both to develop scientific literacy, and develop transferable skills that could be
useful in various fields. This program focuses on different themes, the visual representation
and "Feeding humanity" common to the life and earth sciences and physical sciences, the
energy challenge that is specific to the physical sciences and )HPLQLQH- masculine " which is
related to life and earth sciences.
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objectives assigned in order to make a comparison with the realities in Madagascar and
possible improvements in the implementation of the education program of physics in
Terminale A classes.
II. 1. Originality of teaching
Science education in the United States has its peculiarities. As the United States is a federal
state, they consist of several states. Thus, in the education sector, specifically in the case of
education programs, each state decides concepts to teach. In the United States, the life and
earth sciences, physics and chemistry are collectively known as "sciences" from the college;
high school begins in 3rd class, and each institution chooses the order in which it teaches
sciences in each during the 4 years of high school. However, the national review of the SAT 5
imposes a relative homogeneity.
II. 1. 1. Teaching units
In the US, the contents are structured into teaching units. At Stuart High School, one of San
Francisco schools where the observations were made, in the 3rd class, students study physics,
biology in 2nd, chemistry in 1st; in Terminal class, they choose between biology, physiology,
chemistry or physics, which they will deepen in AP6.
Despite a dominant material used red thread, the materials are discussed annually in an
integrated way. Thus, there is a strong link between subjects (physics-chemistry-biologygeology), they are taught very wide basis, and serve one another. This open-plan approach is
very interesting in that it allows students to have more perspective and to understand the links
between different subjects.
II. 1. 2. Dynamic of project and constructivism
From the elementary school, students often work in groups to create a project in the form of
presentation, experimental workshop or activity for the benefit of the community. The role of
the teacher is to disseminate as widely as possible the project and move towards application
in everyday life.
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In the official bulletin7, constructivist method is considered the fairest pedagogy. However,
the study of Tabailloux and Gilbert shows that few teachers use this method; rather they
make a course in narrative form in which the key concepts are presented to the students,
followed by an application in practical work or exercise.
II. 1. 3. Evaluation
In the USA, by American culture, the error is not punished. As a result, students do not have
the same vision of the role of evaluation. According to the survey conducted as part of this
study, the American students think evaluation more positively than French students. For
them, it serves to improve, to self-confidence, and even reward work. In comparison, the
French have a little apprehensive as creating a spirit of competition, as a way to punish, deter.
The idea that American students have of the assessment can be explained by the fact that
many teachers prepare for the assessment. Plugs and review exercises are very common
during class sessions and are very similar to those given on the day of the assessment.
Students therefore consider the feedback more as a way to reward them for their work rather
than trap and deter.
II. 2. For physical sciences
In college, the teaching of physical sciences is done in areas prone to 'visual' experience,
leaving the microscopic to high school. Only students taking Advanced Placement courses
(AP) study more difficult concepts.
The experimental skills are grouped outside notions. As we have written previously, students
are introduced to the experiences and research regardless of the course taught in the
classroom, through the development of projects which, according to type, do not necessarily
have a direct link with the program education.
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and it is often in these situations that students are most convinced, since they are involved
and actively participate to the development of the course. Indeed, a survey was conducted by
Tabailloux and Gilbert with students of these institutions with limited resources; it shows that
85% of students found that the concepts they learn in physics seem appropriate for everyday
life.
The analysis of the teaching of physical sciences in the United States allows us to conclude
that students OHDUQLQJ LV based on their participation in the construction of the course, the
teacher just ensuring the role of supervisor of the process.
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objectives of each subject in a given class, the general objectives of the teaching of the
subject in the classroom, and specific goals at every stage of progress of the program.
III. 1. 1. The general objectives of education
The teaching of physics in high school is part of the contribution to the achievement of
certain objectives assigned to education. Indeed, the teaching aims, among other things:
- develop in the student the spirit of rigor and objectivity in order to make him capable of
opening and acting on the real, complex and diverse world;
- ensure the acquisition of knowledge that would guide the development of skills and
intellectual capacities;
- encourage creativity and initiative of the student to allow it to flourish and participate in the
development of the country;
- develop in the student the analytical and critical thinking;
- provide to the student the intellectual and moral means to act on his environment in order to
promote and protect it.
III. 1. 2. The objectives of the material
The physical sciences should enable the student to:
- perform an experimental approach to a search result;
- adopt scientific attitude developing in him the scientific spirit;
- interpret natural phenomena;
- better understand the technical world around us through the analysis of the realities and
effort to understand and explain.
III. 1. 3. The objectives of the teaching of physics in high school
At the end of high school, the student should be able to:
- continue his studies;
- use scientific reasoning;
Through the three parts that are periodic phenomena, theories of light, and theories of
mechanics, physics education in Terminal A assigns objectives are to develop the scientific
mind of the student, to allow him to explain physical phenomena and understand the
technical world around.
the current technical and scientific context in relation to other social events. Indeed, the
teaching of physics in Terminale A should not only be focused on the technical and scientific
knowledge; it is important that students know the issues related to the development of science
and technological developments and the impact on their daily lives.
The specific curriculum of sciences in First L class in France serves to develop scientific
literacy to students and develop their transferable skills that can be useful in various fields. In
the US, learning science is based on student participation in the construction of the course;
the teacher simply ensures the role of mentor. In Terminale A to Madagascar, physics
education should enable students to develop the scientific spirit, explain physical phenomena
and understand the technical world around, through the acquisition of knowledge about
periodic phenomena, theories of light, and theories of mechanics. Comparison of these
teachings encourages update the physical sciences program in Terminale A, both in terms of
its objectives, and its content and its implementation.
In the previous chapter, we compared the content of the curriculum of physical sciences in
Terminal A to Madagascar with that of the specific science education in First L in France; we
also found the lack of explicit teaching methods in the implementation of the teaching of
physics in Terminale A, in contrast to what is done in the United States; finally, we explained
the need to update the program.
Work has already been done on learning the physical sciences literature section. It is in this
case the study of the disinterest of students in Terminale A towards physics, presented by
Raharisoa in 2007, centered on the opinion of students on their learning of the material, and
the study about the current program conducted by Ranaivoarisoa in 1990, which is an
analysis of the content and implementation.
For our part, we conducted a survey of students in Terminale A of the 2013-2014 school year,
which has allowed us to make a state of really acquired and retained knowledge by the
students at the end of physical sciences courses. For this, we determined the number of
students we have to investigate, defined evaluation criteria and analyzed the responses.
I. Previous works
In the following, we will present an overview of the results obtained by Raharisoa (2007) at
the end of his research on the lack of interest of students in Terminale A towards the physical
sciences. Then we will report the reflections of Ranaivoarison (1990) on the physical sciences
program in literary classes.
I. 1. Research disinterest of students of Terminale A towards physics
The lack of interest of students of Terminale A class towards the physical sciences was the
subject of memory for obtaining the diploma CAPEN by Raharisoa (2007) as part of a study
at high schools in North-Befandriana. He found that rural students do not wear little or no
interest in the physical sciences.
students, learning physics requires a certain level of knowledge to be acquired from the base.
His meeting with the students was an opportunity to raise the teaching method as the main
factor of this difficulty; other students said their shortcomings in previous classes, including
low levels in mathematics, preventing them from understanding the physical sciences in
Terminale A. As an illustration, Fresnel structures to determine the sum of two sinusoidal
functions require strong knowledge in constructive geometry. These factors of failure have
created in students a sense of disgust and disinterest in learning physics.
There are also psychological and sociological causes that make pupils from Terminale A not
motivated to learn the physical sciences. First, the design of intelligence by the students, that
there should be a high intellectual level to shine in physics, leads them to believe that physics
is a material made only for gifted students. Moreover, almost a quarter of students said they
did not like the physics tends to flee their teacher, which is justified by the fear of a negative
judgment on the part of the latter in case of failure; these students pursue evaluation purposes.
Indeed, they expect that the teacher gives them easy exercises to solve to make sure to get
good answers; as soon as they feel unable to achieve the good results, they refuse to engage
in the learning process.
I. 2. Study of the physical sciences program currently in place
If according Raharisoa, several causes may be causing the lack of interest of students in
grades Terminale A towards the physical sciences, the search for the causes brings us to
another study by Ranaivoarison (1990) on the physical sciences program in literary section
(Appendix 3, p.88).
The programs are the foundation of any activity. In education, they are used to define the
elements of the subject content to be developed during the school year. As part of his work,
Ranaivoarison first analyzed the content of the program, and then she tried to determine the
conditions for its implementation.
I. 2. 1. Content analysis
As part of her work, the author conducted a Terminale A studentV survey to determine the
problems they face in learning physics. She found that the inconsistency between the tools
provided to students through mathematics and their needs in order to better understand the
concepts taught in the Physics, and inadequate or non-existent practical application of the
knowledge acquired in physics course are the main barriers to good assimilation of the
different chapters covered in physics in Terminale A.
Mathematical knowledge is useful in several disciplines, especially the physical sciences
because these two subjects are closely related: the formulas and geometric constructions are
the main tools used in learning physics. Two examples illustrate the relationship between
mathematics and the physical sciences: the calculation of the linear velocity of a point on a
vibrating string requires the derivation formulas of trigonometric functions; Fresnel
construction performed when the sum of two sinusoidal functions representing periodic
movements requires knowledge of geometry.
The main goal of mathematics education is the mastery of calculation methods by students.
For this control has an impact on the learning of physics, it is essential to an elementary
mathematical description of the concepts taught to students in physics classes. For example,
to study the periodic phenomena, some trigonometry elements are essential: controlling the
use of the unit circle, the exploitation of different relationships between sine, cosine and
tangent of an angle, the study of variation and the graphical representation of sinusoidal
functions. From these concepts, it would be easier to define the period, amplitude, and phase
elongation to clarify the study of phenomena.
There are also chapters getting students to do too many calculations and demonstrations, such
as the chapter on periodic phenomena where students have to pass by the sum of sine or
cosine to explain the phenomena of interference; so they do not find the interest of these
calculations and abandon this chapter, and the same material. Indeed, it is necessary to take
into consideration the fact those students in Terminale A, being literary, do not appreciate the
long mathematical approaches. Ranaivoarison therefore proposed to drop the calculations but
emphasize the experimental side to clarify the phenomena they observe. This does not
exclude the knowledge of some basic mathematical elements.
However, it is necessary that students are able to search and select in mathematics lessons the
elements they need in physics. The results of the investigation by Ranaivoarison as part of her
study, students have difficulty applying mathematics in physics. They are due to lack of
insight to use mathematical techniques in physics. They usually see the bad relationship
between their mathematical knowledge and applying that knowledge to translate physical
phenomena.
Ranaivoarison also suggested coordination between the programs of these two disciplines so
that useful mathematical concepts are treated in parallel, if not earlier chapters in the physical
sciences in need, which will avoid the difficulties to students and teachers.
I. 2. 2. Conditions of implementation
The current trend in physics education is to make students aware that physics is not just made
up of formulas, calculations and properties to be learned by heart; it is taught to be able to
explain phenomena they encounter in everyday life. Indeed, one of the objectives of the
physical sciences is to connect the knowledge acquired in the classroom and their
manifestation in daily life. The physical sciences are studies of phenomena which can occur
in their environment; therefore, their teaching is to persuade students that there are still
scientific explanations of the observed phenomena.
In the physical sciences, the role of experience is considerable. The organization of practical
sessions during which the teacher develops manipulations to replicate common phenomena is
the best way to show students the concepts taught to them that are used to explain what
happens in nature. Yet the lack of teaching materials is a major problem making it difficult to
teaching the subject. Indeed, learning materials are essential for the realization of the
experiments. However, most of the materials are very expensive and high schools are
equipped only partially or not at all, because of the budget shortfall.
Furthermore, when we talk about physics to students in literary classes, two questions often
come back: what is physics? what are the knowledge being taught physics? The usefulness of
this material in everyday life and the need to understand the physics concepts should
therefore illustrate physics with applications because they allow students to grasp. Otherwise,
there are unselfishness physical sciences, or students tend to learn by heart and apply
formulas without knowing their meanings.
Works by Raharisoa and Ranaivoarison have identified some problems related to learning
physics in Terminale A, including the context of student learning, the difficulty of the
concepts taught and gaps in the implementation of teaching this material. For our part, we
conducted a survey of making the state of knowledge acquired by students of class Terminale
A at the end of physical sciences courses. To do this, it was first necessary to develop a
methodology that has helped collect the data we need.
2011
2012
2013
Average
23,40%
0,43
Antsiranana
25,56%
2,59
26,25%
3,28
Mahajanga
18,97%
-4,00
Toamasina
22,95%
-0,02
Toliara
20,69%
-2,28
National
-1,78
1,46
0,32
43,19%
1,09
Antsiranana
40,15%
-1,95
43,13%
1,03
Mahajanga
35,02%
-7,08
Toamasina
48,30%
6,20
Toliara
42,83%
0,73
National
-0,84
Province
2011
2012
0,85
2013
0,00
Figure 1: Articulation between the survey levels adopted during the investigation
The results of each test must be compared with the theoretical values from the following table
of chi-square:
Degrees of freedom 1
To accept the assumption made, the result from the calculation must be less than the
theoretical value corresponding to the degree of freedom. More the result is less than the
theoretical value, the assumption is most relevant. The degree of freedom is given by the
formula: .
Test the first hypothesis: the percentage of candidates in Physics does not depend on the
province.
Here, n is the number of provinces, the degree of freedom is 5.
For each of A1 and A2 series, we will consider the average percentage of candidates who
chose Physics in the last three years in each of the six provinces, making six average
percentages for the six provinces, the degree of freedom is 5, and we can deduce the national
percentage.
From Table 3, the threshold of 5% we have chosen requires that the chi-square from the
calculation with a degree of freedom equal to 5 must be below 11.07 to conclude that the
percentage of candidates in Physics bachelor series A does not depend on the province.
In the chi-square formula, then we have:
: average of the percentage of candidates who chose Physics in the last three years in
each of the six provinces
: average of the percentage of candidates who chose Physics in the last three years
nationally
Calculations performed on the data in Tables 1 and 2 give the following results:
percentage of candidates in Physics Bachelor A1 series does not depend on the province.
percentage of candidates in Physics Bachelor A2 series does not depend on the province.
Test the second hypothesis: "the percentage of candidates in Physics does not depend on the
year of the Bachelor."
percentage of candidates in Physics Bachelor A1 series does not depend on the year of the
Bachelor .
percentage of candidates in Physics Bachelor in Series A2 does not depend on the year.
According to the chi-square tests we performed on two assumptions, we can conclude that the
percentage of candidates in Physics bachelor Series A does not depend on the province in
which students spend their bachelor's degree or on the year bachelor's degree.
If this is the general configuration of the study population, determining the number of
students to investigate in each of A1 and A2 series is a crucial step in order to ensure the
reliability of the results that we will get to infer the whole population.
test for the session of the 2013-2014 year. Thus the sample that we will take to complete the
survey will be made up exclusively of students who chose Physics as compulsory test under
consideration.
To conduct the survey, we must define a sample of students to investigate on the basis of
information provided by Tables 1 and 2 above (p. 36) on the rate of candidates who chose
Physics as a compulsory subject. We then infer to all students in Terminale A matches for the
sample.
It was pointed out earlier that the sample must have the same characteristics as the study
population for that one is able to infer the study population the results for the sample.
II. 2. 1. Statistical criteria
a) Precision level
The precision level, also called sampling error, estimates the confidence interval in which
the true value of the population is going to fall; the value taken by the population will be
understood below and above the estimated value, depending on the desired level of accuracy.
We will express the percentage level of accuracy; in general, the precision level used for
surveys is 5% (Ardilly, 1994).
b) Confidence level
There is always a risk that the selected sample does not represent the study population; the
level of confidence (or error) indicates the percentage chance of the selected sample to be
representative of the study population. The standard deviation, noted measures the width of
the distribution (dispersion of the obtained values from the mean).
Over the chosen confidence level, the smaller the risk of drawing a distant sample of the
study population is. Under the assumption that the choice of the compulsory subject made by
candidates bachelor Series A follows a normal distribution, and as the standard deviation is
not known when the sample is drawn, the theory shows that it is customary to hold a
confidence level of 95%, characterizing any normal distribution, and the associated
probability is t = 1.96 ( Ardilly 1994). We will use this value in the formula for calculating
the optimum sample size.
c) Degree of variability
This test, also called degree of homogeneity, determines the similarity of individuals in the
population according to their characteristics. Fewer individuals in a population are similar,
the larger the sample must be to achieve the same degree of accuracy. Conversely, the more
the population is homogeneous, the smaller the sample will be.
A proportion of 50% indicates a greater variability than 20% or 80%. This proportion is
suspected, but rarely quantifiable in advance, so it is customary to use the maximum
variability of 50% to avoid the risk of errors (Ardilly 1994).
II. 2. 2. Calculating the sample size
The method of "quota sampling" was chosen because it is not possible to use a random
method because our resources are limited, and our investigation is to conduct an exploratory
study (Ardilly 1994). Quota sampling is widely used in market research and opinion surveys,
as in our case, particularly because it assumes no list of individuals in the population.
This method is to calculate the sizes of groups of students, respectively, of the Series A1 and
Series A2, established in the geographical area we defined earlier, the province of
Antananarivo; these sizes are called quotas. From these quotas, we will draw the necessary
samples to our survey.
a) Formula for proportions
The formula for proportions allows calculating the quotas of students, using the values of
selected statistical criteria with a 95 % confidence level, an accuracy of 5 % and a variability
of 50%.
As we cannot have the exact number of Series A baccalaureate candidates for the year 20132014 but we know the average percentage of candidates who chose Physics as compulsory
test bachelor Series A in the three previous years, we can calculate the number of students in
Terminale A across all options, from which the sample will be drawn using the following
formula:
For candidates in series A2, the average percentage of candidates who chose Physics as
compulsory test is 42.10 % (tab. 2, p. 36), and the number of students from which the sample
will be drawn is:
In other words, students quotas from which we will draw the necessary samples have
respectively 272 students for the Series A1 and 375 students for the A2 series.
b) Size of valuable samples in the survey
Useful samples in the survey will consist exclusively of students who chose Physics as a
compulsory subject. The numbers of students who form these samples are obtained by
multiplying the average of the percentages of students who chose Physics as a compulsory
subject with quotas of students of Terminale A previously calculated in Tables 1 and 2.
For the sample of candidates in series A1, the average percentage of students who chose
Physics as a compulsory subject is 22.97 %; the number of students in the sample of the
survey is:
For the sample of candidates in series A2, the average percentage of students who chose
Physics as a compulsory subject is 42.10 %, the number of students in the sample of the
survey is:
The sample of A1 series of students who chose Physics as a compulsory subject that we have
to question must therefore include 62 students, and that of the Series A2 must include 158
students.
A2 series to be surveyed
During the investigation, we will have to investigate 68 candidates in the A1 series and 174
candidates from the A2 series, that is to say, 242 completed questionnaires.
The preparation of an investigation is not only down to the definition of the number of
individuals to investigate for reliable results. The prediction of the duration of the descent to
land is an important step in planning.
II. 3. The time required for the completion of investigation
First, it is necessary to determine the average number of questionnaires that an investigator
will be able to fill in a day taking into account the daily working time and the distribution of
tasks during the day.
Considering that day starts at 7a.m. and ends at 5p.m., including 8 hours of work:
- the average time required to travel in a survey area is 30 minutes
- the average time to appear at the person responsible in the institution is 30 minutes, taking
into account the necessary times for presentation and explanation of the purpose of the
investigation
- the average time to go to a class is 5 minutes
- the average time to appear at the person in charge of the class is 5 minutes, taking into
account the necessary times for presentation and explanation of the purpose of the
investigation
- the average time needed for filling the questionnaires is 60 minutes, taking into account the
necessary times for presentation and discussions before and after the submission of the
questionnaire
- the average time to thank the various officials at the end of each half day is 30 minutes
- time for the lunch break is usually 2 hours, between noon and 2p.m., but can be changed
depending on the context
We will convert minutes and nest all these periods in the timing of a day "type" limited by the
start and end of the day to cover the number of daily hours. This simulation allows knowing
the number of classes which can be visited in a day's work:
- 30+30+5+5+60+5+60+5+60+30=290 minutes to visit 3 classes in the morning
- 30 + 30 + 5 + 5 + 60 + 5 + 60 + 30 = 225 minutes to visit 2 classes in the afternoon
Suppose a Terminale A class includes an average of 20 students who opted for Physics
matriculation; knowing that an investigator may visit 5 classes in a day, so we can expect the
number of questionnaires that can be completed in one day: 5 20 = 100 questionnaires.
Based on the size of the samples we calculated, the number of days required for the entire
survey is 3 working days.
After setting the number of students to take for the sample and the expected duration of the
investigation, it is also important to set evaluation criteria that will make the processing of the
questionnaires and exploitation of the results we get.
II. 4. Evaluation criteria
The survey we have to do with students must enable the state of knowledge acquired and
actually used by students in Terminale A at the end of physics courses. This state will
determine if the level of understanding of students in mathematics affects their level in
Physics, and if the knowledge they acquire during physics courses help them better
understand the physical phenomena that they may encounter in their daily life.
II. 4. 1. Variables of interest
The secret of a good sampling is the selection of variables, in line with the objectives of our
study, which will differentiate the best study strata. As our investigation is to determine the
specific characteristics of each student that will allow us to define the state of knowledge
gained during physics, we will define qualitative variables.
The inquiry directly address the practical significance of the taught concepts, so the results
will enable us to identify the level of student understanding about the utility and the physical
meaning of knowledge acquired during the Physical Sciences sessions.
Through this survey, each identified issue in the questionnaire will result in answers
formulated differently depending on the student; it can give rise to both formulas or
definitions and properties, according to the knowledge retained by students after learning. It
is said that the questions are open classifications (Blaizeau & Dubois, 1989). We then speak
of "acceptable answers" that is to say, the answers that can be accepted as fair based on their
content. The answers will then be identified and classified into basic variables. These basic
variables will later be joined analysis variables, depending on their type.
When analyzing the results, two analysis variables will be retained, in our opinion, may
summarize the basic variables from the responses from the questionnaires, and help
determine the level of understanding of the students:
- necessary mathematical prerequisites for understanding the lessons
- the contribution of knowledge in terms of personal culture and practical use in the future life
of the candidates.
II. 4. 2. Convergence threshold
In the processing of the questionnaires, we'll file issues depending on whether they require
definitions, or both formulas and definitions. A focal point is the proportion of acceptable
answers given by the student to the number of questions from which it can be said that the
student masters the knowledge of an analysis variable. In other words, from a number of
acceptable answers, we say that the student has reached the convergence threshold for the
variable "general culture", and we will draw he controls the definitions; the same for the
"mathematical prerequisites" variable, if he has given a number of acceptable answers, we
conclude he controls formulas and mathematical aspects of the lessons.
For each of the surveyed students, evaluation of the variable "mathematical prerequisites" is
whether the student has the necessary mathematical tools to understand the lessons and solve
exercises; we retain as convergence threshold the efficient use of formulas. For the evaluation
of the variable "general culture", it is to take stock of what the student has chosen the course
enabling him to understand the physical phenomena; the convergence threshold will be the
ability of the student to explain the phenomena addressed by the course content.
Love (Appendix 5, p.92) includes 18 questions divided equally among the two parts of the
program which are being addressed and are the subject of the review; these questions relate
directly to the contents of the lessons learned by the students, and have no connection with
the type of questions they have to answer in the exam topics.
The issues that we believe can only be answered by definitions are:
- for the first part:
1. a) What is meant by periodic phenomenon? Give examples.
1. b) What are the components of a sinusoidal function? What do they mean?
1. c) What is the derivative of a sinusoidal function?
1. d) How do we represent a sinusoidal function by a phasor ?
2. a) What is the speed ? What is the wavelength?
student did not give exact formulas for 1 or 2 issues, the convergence threshold is not
reached.
II. 4. 3. Decision tree
The decision tree is plotted using the selected variables of interest. This step is useful for
collecting the involved numbers according to the criteria, to the extent possible. Each variable
is binary; it is set to 0 when it is below the convergence threshold to 1 when the value is
beyond the threshold.
The definition of convergence threshold for each variable of interest for subdividing the
candidates of baccalaureate A Series have opted for Physics as compulsory test in four strata:
- Stratum 1: the variable "mathematical prerequisites" and the variable "general culture" are
below the adopted convergence thresholds; we will record in that stratum students who do not
master the formulas or definitions.
- Stratum 2: the "mathematical pre-requisites" variable is retained below the convergence
threshold and the variable "general culture" is above the successful convergence threshold;
we will record in that stratum students who have mastered the definitions.
- Stratum 3: the variable "mathematical pre-requisite" is above the convergence threshold
retained and the variable "general culture" is retained below the convergence threshold; we
will record in that stratum students who have mastered the formulas
- Stratum 4: the variable "mathematical prerequisites" and the variable "general culture" are
above the selected convergence thresholds; we will record in that stratum students who
master both the definitions and formulas.
Table 5: Simplifying the decision tree
Level Mathematics
Understanding phenomena
Strates
After determining the general characteristics of the study population and the optimal sample
for the reliability of our results, calculating the needed time for the completion of the
investigation, as well as criteria that have allowed us to evaluate the answers by students in
the questionnaires, we went to meet students from Terminale A in various high schools to
gather the information we need. We then performed the processing of the questionnaires,
which led to the results we have analyzed.
III. Analysis of results
The survey we conducted among students in grades Terminale A who have chosen the
physical sciences as a compulsory test bachelor in different schools of Antananarivo has
allowed us to have an idea about the understanding of the course by the students, including
use of mathematical tools and knowledge applications. The survey was conducted between
Wednesday, March 19th, 2014 and Wednesday, April 30th, 2014 in ten schools.
Due to various constraints beyond our control and our organization, we have not been able to
reach the quota of 242 students to investigate that we have set. Indeed, we have been able to
investigate 156 students in Series A2 having chosen the physical sciences as a compulsory
subject, 90 % of the sample size, and 60 students in the A1 series, 88 % of the size of the
sample.
III. 1. Problems
During the field visit, we had to face some problems that prevented us from completing the
number of students to compose our samples.
III. 1. 1. The reluctance of schools
After a presentation of the object of study to the various managers of each facility we visited,
these officials have been reluctant to welcome us. Indeed, they pointed out to us that the
realization of our investigation at the student level of Terminale A disrupts their education
and progress of their schools program. The heads of some schools we approached even
refused to put their students to our availability.
After taking a first look at the answers in the questionnaires, we did not take into account the
physical meanings of formulas and mathematical symbols used in our evaluation as we found
that teachers never illustrated the explained phenomena by lessons.
III. 2. 1. Results
For a better overview of the results of the examination of the questionnaires, a classification
according to the original high schools students in the following tables facilitate our analysis.
Table 6: Numbers of students surveyed for each stratum for the series A1
High Schools
Number of
surveyed
students
Workforce
Stratum 1
Workforce
Stratum 2
Workforce
Stratum 3
Workforce
Stratum 4
Saint Vincent de
Paul Ambatonilita
Saint Antoine
Andravoahangy
Saint Joseph
Mahamasina
12
12
60
23
34
100%
38%
57%
0%
5%
Lyce Protestante
Rasalama
Lyce Moderne
Ampefiloha
Lyce Priv
Randrianarisoa
Lyce Arcade
Andravoahangy
Lyce Priv
Ranaivosoa
Total workforce
Percentage
>
^^
^^
^
^^
Table 7: Numbers of students surveyed for each stratum for the series A2
High Schools
Number of
surveyed
students
Workforce
Stratum 1
Workforce
Stratum 2
Workforce
Stratum 3
Workforce
Stratum 4
Saint Vincent de
Paul
Ambatonilita
35
15
10
Saint Antoine
Andravoahangy
22
Saint Joseph
Mahamasina
33
33
Lyce Moderne
Ampefiloha
19
Andranonahoatra
Itaosy
11
11
Jules Ferry
14
14
Lyce Priv
Randrianarisoa
Lyce Arcade
Andravoahangy
Effectifs total
17
17
156
105
20
23
Pourcentage
100%
5%
67%
13%
15%
>
^^
^^
^
^^
In reviewing the data from each of Tables 6 and 7 above, there is certain homogeneity in the
distribution stratum of students surveyed in each school.
From Table 6, just over half of the students surveyed in the A1 series for each school are in
stratum 2, except for the St. Vincent de Paul High School and the Lyce Moderne
Ampefiloha, which coincides with the percentage students who are in this stratum in relation
to the total workforce, which is 57%. Stratum 1 concentrates 38% of the total, and the
proportions of students found in this stratum for 5 of the 8 visited schools approach this
average. Homogeneity is also reflected in stratum 3 that no student records, and stratum 4,
where there are only 3 students on all the 60 students surveyed in eight schools.
According to Table 7 for the A2 series, all students surveyed in half of the visited schools and
a large majority of students in two other schools are in stratum 2. Stratum 1 focuses the
lowest proportion of students. In two denominational schools and a public high school, there
are significant numbers of students who are in strata 3 and 4 compared to the number of
students surveyed in these institutions, but in relation to the total workforce, the percentages
of students found in these two strata remain low.
III. 2. 2. Analysis
The apparent homogeneity that we have seen in the results presented in the two tables above
allows us to suggest that the percentage of employees in each stratum in relation to the total
number may reflect the overall results in every high school despite some discrepancies. From
this, we will base our analysis on these percentages (Weathington, Cunningham & Pittenger,
2010).
Tables 6 and 7 show that nearly half of students in the A1 series and two-thirds of students
A2 series are in stratum 2. These percentages indicate that the majority of students in
Terminale A who chose physical sciences as compulsory bachelor fail to remember the
definitions and properties related to the phenomena but yet manage to retain formulas. So
much for the A1 series for the Series A2, students master the use of formulas they learn but
do not understand the phenomena and resulting applications.
For candidates of the A1 series, we see a significant proportion, 38 % of students in stratum
1, have retained very few taught concepts, which means a failure to learn the physical
sciences for these students.
Only 5% of students in Series A1 and 15 % of students in series A2 were surveyed mastered
both the mathematical tools used in the lessons and the definitions and properties of the
phenomena they study.
Moreover, during our investigation, officials of some schools hosted us at our disposal peak
hours of their classes Terminale A, during which we were able to talk with students to better
enter in contact with the realities about learning the physical sciences. These interviews
enabled us to the conclusion that indeed the practicality of the concepts is never mentioned
by teachers, and in fact, most students do not develop any argument but repeat lessons "by
heart".
Analysis of the responses in the questionnaires allows us to confirm the fact that students do
not show any imagination, despite the instructions before each visited class, according to
which it is important to write applications and other events in everyday life, we find that the
students did that get on in the answers they gave. Indeed, the definitions and properties on
which we have based the convergence threshold for the variable "general culture" are
systematically repeated, that is to say by heart, in the very terms of the course.
III. 2. 3. Interpretation:
Following the results of Tables 6 and 7 above and the comments we made during
observations and counting of questionnaires, we can say that most of the students of class A
Terminale happen to remember the different formulas to be taught during physical sciences ;
the repetition of the definitions and various properties related to studied phenomena is largely
due to the fact that students in literary classes tend to learn the lessons by heart instead of
trying to understand the phenomena be told through these lessons. And even if students
master the formulas taught in courses and know how to use them in solving exercises, the
question remains about the utility of the acquisition of these formulas. Indeed, being in
Terminale A, learned formulas in physics lessons will have no importance for students
beyond their time at school, and they forget easily. For example, the derivative of a sinusoidal
function is used only to determine the speed of a vibrating item; it is useful to students in any
other field. Similarly, students do not grasp the true physical meaning of various concepts
such as speed or wavelength, but just merely repeat the calculations they are accustomed to
do after a few years; and this repetition prevents the development of reasoning.
It must be emphasized that the surveyed teachers fail to show to students the applications of
knowledge they acquire, either through laboratory experiments that should allow students to
visualize phenomena, or through illustrations in the daily life. Indeed, courses are rather
theoretical; the exploitation of experience in the construction of the lesson is difficult, given
the lack of laboratory equipment that constitutes a major handicap in physics education in
Madagascar. In addition, teachers are not fully involved in student motivation by failing to
extend the course to the observation of phenomena related to the lesson and applications from
the knowledge acquired by students. Because of this fact, one question always comes from
students: what is physics? Indeed, physics knowledge they acquired have no use when the
students arrive in university or confront the workplace.
The context in which students undertake their learning, the difficulty of the concepts taught in
physics and gaps in the implementation of the teaching of this material were the problems
identified by Raharisoa (2007) and Ranaivoarison (1990). Indeed, these problems discourage
students from Terminale A to engage in learning physics. For our part, we found that students
arrive to retain the current formulas learned, but the shortcomings lie in their inability to
connect the knowledge they gain with their environment, hence their lack of interest in
learning physics. These works on learning the physical sciences in Terminale A agree that
students are not motivated to learn the material that experiences to illustrate the courses
cannot be implemented because of the lack of teaching materials in high schools, and they are
not interested in the taught concepts in that applications in everyday life are not highlighted
by the teachers.
On the one hand, the evaluation of an education system encourages to change a curriculum
considering the shortcomings, such as the rule of transmissive methods, the knowledge
acquisition insignificantly scope and the restitution of knowledge beyond the training period ;
on the other hand, the school is required to change its mission, goals, and thus the content of
its programs to allow students to use their knowledge according to their needs and their
socio- economic environment (Miled, 2005a, 2005b).
Given the identified problems following the study by Raharisoa (2007) on the lack of interest
of students in Terminale A towards physics, deficiencies raised by Ranaivoarisoa (1990) after
the analysis she has performed on the program, and the state of knowledge retained by
students, established as part of this paper, it is important to offer solutions to help improve the
teaching and learning of physical sciences in Terminale A.
To do this, an update of the curriculum of physical sciences in Terminale A is necessary to
guide students toward a better understanding of current issues domestically as well as
internationally, and may be related to the discipline.
With the aim to provide innovation in the physical sciences program in Terminale A, it would
be time to propose new topics to be included in the program. The definition of principles for
the development of an educational curriculum is also essential to ensure that the program
implementation is effective. Finally, we will reach the goal of this paper which is the
proposal of a curriculum for the teaching of physical sciences in Terminale A.
I. 1. Renewable energy
Global warming has impacts in many areas, including agriculture and food, water reserves,
and directly affects the life of every human being. Therefore, no country is spared the adverse
effects thereof and should participate in the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.
At a time when global warming is one of the major concerns of humanity, the United Nations
Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014), launched by UNESCO in
March 2005, recommended reform operations of all the world's education systems to guide
curriculum to promote sustainable development; science and technology education provided
to students should contribute to the global effort to raise awareness about this global project.
In this global context, the promotion of renewable energy has an interest. Indeed, the energy
sources currently used are mostly from oil exploitation; yet, the use of petroleum products
leads to carbon dioxide emissions, a greenhouse gas, contributing to global warming.
To contribute to this awareness on the responsibility of every citizen and opportunities in
Madagascar, we believe it is important to spread knowledge on renewable energy by their
introduction into the physics program FODVVHV Terminale A.
I. 1. 1. Generalities
Renewable energy is a source of energy that constitutes itself or is recovering faster than it is
used; this type of energy is inexhaustible. However, sources of energy which renewal is
infinitely slower than consumption, such as oil, are not renewable.
Thus, solar energy is inexhaustible in human time scale, as well as energy derived from it:
wind energy, hydropower based on the water cycle, the biomass produced by photosynthesis
and part of the marine energy. It is the same for energy due to gravity, called tidal energy, or
internal geodynamics, called geothermal energy.
Provided by the sun, the wind, the heat of the Earth, the waterfalls, the tides or the growth of
plants, renewable energy generates no or little waste and pollutant emissions to the
atmosphere during their operation. These are the energies of the future.
- biofuels derived from crops (jatropha, wheat, sugarcane ...); biodiesel and ethanol are the
most common. They are blended with gasoline or diesel fuel for use as transportation fuel.
f) Geothermal
This energy uses heat from the basement. With medium or low temperature, we use heat
pumps to heat houses, while the high temperature produces electricity through an
intermediary steam.
I. 1. 3. The interest of their exploitation
By using renewable energy, we fight against the greenhouse effect including reducing
discharges of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Developing around the world, renewable
energy allows managing intelligently local resources and creating jobs. Furthermore, the use
of renewable energy reduces costs for the consumption of petroleum products.
Nowadays in Madagascar, renewable energy is underused. Yet the country has great potential
in this area. Indeed, being a tropical country, Madagascar is hit by sunlight all year long.
Coastal areas, mountains and hills of the central highlands are ideal areas to develop wind
parks. In addition, we have many rivers on which we can build hydroelectric plants. Finally,
organic waste can be recovered to extract biogas, which also recycles and turns them into
fertilizer and compost.
I. 2. Use of transition metals from some exploited minerals in Madagascar
Currently, we are witnessing the development of mining projects. Indeed, Madagascar has an
impressive mining potential. However, most of the time, we do not know the chemical
constituents from mining products can be used both for high technology applications, and the
construction of the tools we use in everyday life. We therefore believe that it is essential that
students of class Terminale A acquire some knowledge about the purpose of these resources
so that they can enter the issue of their operation.
Given the variety of mineral resources that abound the country, we cannot make an inventory
of all chemicals that constitute them. So we selected the three mining products as we
considered currently the most impressive in the field of mining, namely cobalt and nickel
which are extracted in Ambatovy, and ilmenite which is exploited in Tolagnaro.
I. 2. 1. Use of cobalt
Cobalt is especially used as an alloy, such as:
x
magnetic alloys, such as the permanent magnet actuators, motors and generators, and
metal films deposited on recorded videotapes
resistant alloys to heat, mainly used for aircraft engine parts, such as turbine blades
and deflectors
resistant alloys to wear, among others stellite, used to manufacture cutting tools for
the hardfacing
Special alloys such as Vitallium, dental alloy, the Elgeloy, an alloy used to make the
springs and some alloys for surgical implants.
Cobalt is also used in the composition of magnetic steels and stainless steels. It is used in
electroplating for its appearance, its hardness and oxidation resistance.
Several cobalt compounds are base of blue pigments for porcelain, glass, pottery, tiles,
enamels, and for some printing inks.
Cobalt is a component of vitamin B12 and is an essential element of human and animal
nutrition. It is also used in radiotherapy for the treatment of cancer by exploiting its
radioactive properties.
I. 2. 2. What is the nickel?
Unknown to the general public, because rarely used pure, but alloying with other products,
nickel is indispensable to our daily lives. This metal, with a rich combination of properties
and infinitely recyclable, is indeed mainly used for stainless steel development because
without nickel, steel rust. End uses are so varied and cover all areas of modern life
a) Stainless steel or "stainless"
x
Stainless steel is a material which has excellent hygienic properties. It is used to make
household equipment (sinks, cutlery, pots, dishes...), household appliances (washing
machines, microwave ovens, catering kitchens), production tools for the food industry and
also pharmaceuticals, surgical equipment...
Figure 2: Eating utensils and washing machine made with stainless steel
x
Construction:
The stainless steel is used for its aesthetic qualities, its low maintenance cost, and for its life
duration: lifts, ramps, street furniture, water cisterns, decoration and building accessories.
Transport: trains, planes, ships (bodywork and interior fittings), tankers, catalytic
converters in automobiles.
a) Nickel-based alloys
x
Superalloys :
Nickel/iron alloys:
Production and transportation of industrial gas and liquefied natural gas at very low
temperatures require the use of certain nickel/iron alloys. Other nickel/iron alloys are used in
measuring equipment, TV screens, and semi-conductors.
x
These alloys are used in chemical industries and in environmental protection facilities
(treatment of smoke and gas, water treatment...).
x
Nickel provides a glossy appearance and resistance to atmospheric corrosion (taps, hardware,
tubes...).
Rechargeable batteries: emergency batteries, phones, laptops, electric and hybrid cars.
Currencies:
In many countries, there are coins made from pure nickel (5 cents US) or copper alloys
containing nickel (parts 1 and 2 euro).
Madagascar. Before introducing a curriculum that could be used for the introduction of these
themes in the program of physical sciences in Terminale A, it is first necessary to define a
conceptual framework from which we will design said curriculum.
are from the immediate environment of the student, and depend only on the type of activities
proposed by the teacher. The design of textbooks should also be part of this perspective;
failing to produce, the adaptation of general and educational books content published by
organizations independent from developing curriculum structures is always possible,
depending on the needs of its implementation.
II. 4. The components of a curriculum
The curriculum defines the finalization of educational action system; in addition to the
content that the student must take ownership, it encompasses the notions of purpose and
competence, and specifies the means to deploy and teaching methods to be applied (Depover,
2006).
II. 4. 1. Aims of education
In a curriculum, the aims of education refer to what will be expected of learners, without
being prescriptive about how the teacher will organize to achieve results. Education must be
oriented towards what the student will perform on the basis of content that will be the subject
of learning. The curriculum must also enter the educational action in a long-term perspective,
and take into account the economic, social, cultural and political context that gives it meaning
and confirms the relevance of its content.
II. 4. 2. Skills to master
The text of the curriculum must introduce the knowledge to acquire, the skills to mobilize and
the teacher's role in the learning process. The concept of competence is comprehensive and
refers to the results of educational work in a long-term perspective, but mostly it is to
describe situations where the various mobilized expertise will be implemented. Entry through
situations will favor design of both global and interdisciplinary learning. Set a skill is to
articulate a set of skills to support a situation or a complex task directly related to the
professional, social or family insertion of the learner.
II. 4. 3. Means to use
The modern design of the curriculum is more restrictive since it is generally considered as
limited to the purpose specification of education, long, medium and short term to the
exclusion of any indication of the means to be implemented to achieve those purposes.
Besides the curriculum produced by official bodies, we should find other documents that will
In reviewing a curriculum, it is not enough to present the new themes that it is proposed to
address. The key lies in the definition of basic principles that will develop a new curriculum.
To introduce new themes proposed to bring innovation in the curriculum of physical sciences
in classes Terminale A, it is necessary to combine both academic knowledge that we want to
instill in students and the principles of curriculum development.
Knowledge
Reference practices
Mobilized resources
Teacher roles
of
renewable
energy.
operational resources of a
- Explain qualitatively
energy.
sources
fossil fuels.
between
energy and
Distinguish
renewable
by renewable energy.
(2013)
Les
economically
fossil
for
each
type
of
- Solar photovoltaic
IV I.1.):
means
fuels.
to
(disturbance
of
the
fuels
and
global warming.
(France): fossil
The
educational
Limoges
film
by
be
introduce the course.
can
used
exploit
operation
the
explain
teacher
devices
renewable
production
with
energy
of
The
renewable energy.
to
devices
to
(France): qualitatively
Author.
utilisation.
Paris
environment
energy compared
environmentally.
both
the disadvantages of their use, everyday life, and report the impact of renouvelables pour la production between the use of
- Define what is meant Introduction: fossil fuels (oil, - As an introduction, the student will - Refer back to Freris, L., & Infiel, - The teacher will
Skills
7KH
Environmental
benefits:
operations :
will
problems.
that
solve
electricity
(2002)
Windpower
Be
aware
of
under Ecology.
simulator.
the reducing greenhouse gases that - Organic waste produced by
global
warming; households, and feces of human and - The S.I.E.NE. (Information
importance of energy in cause
society,
identifying reduction of pollution and animal origin can be used for biogas Service on Digital Education) also
energy-related societal disease risks that may arise production. If a household has digester, posts on its website plante.info
renewable energies.
to
potential for production of 7.800MW. of operation of a wind turbine can environmental and
the
gained
operated.
- Madagascar, has many rivers with - A training sequence in the mode highlight
hand, the wind can blow at any place les-energies-renouvelables) can be other media.
Despite the high cost of installation, be developed through the website economic benefits
operated
or
knowledge
be
animations,
diagrams,
can
- Wind power
website photos,
Knowledge
Reference practices
Mobilized resources
Teacher roles
of
chemical families.
To
identify
Establish
et
alliages. viewed
and
conductivity
the thermal
pastry
fabrics,
and
medicines,
confectionery,
ceramics,
sunscreens, whose
toothpaste, current
Use
knowledge
chemicals.
to
the
from
composition by
studied
in
the
various
regions
of for
nickel,
students
for
argue - Cobalt: alloys and composition - The use of transition metals in high-tech for titanium.
scientific
cobalt, (e.g.
rare
earth
- Gradually, as more
metals: contributions.
through
it is recommended that
these mineral resources of Madagascar Madagascar: nickel and cobalt at Ambatovy; containing
made
of
transition metals.
class
table
electrical "; titanium is used to make paper, plastics, - Ask students to bring - Teachers will value
in
periodic
electronic structure of - Electronic structure: presence of synthetic resins, paint, car bodywork and contains one of the consistent
properties
physicochemical
des the
- Physical properties: hardness, is in the composition of cookware " stainless Paris (France): Dunod. Second.
of Madagascar.
&RPPRQ IHDWXUHV RI WKH - Mineral resources are used to extract industrielles
chemical elements forming the the scientific aspect that can be related to the Proprits, mise en structure of the atom
chemical elements in
table.
mineral resources in Madagascar and the M. (2012). Matriaux the notions of chemical
elements in the periodic *HQHUDO LQIRUPDWLRQ DERXW WKH economic issues connected to incite discuss mtalliques :
families
- Distinguish between 5HPLQGHU FKHPLFDO HOHPHQWV - The current boom in the exploitation of - Consult Colombi, - The teacher will recall
Skills
to
radiation
blue industries
Knowledge
nickel
and
cobalt
in
Reference practices
steel
(e.g.
electroplating,
nutritional element.
their pigments,
steel,
Mobilized resources
course by an update.
philosophy of science.
- quantum mechanics
- classical mechanics
each mechanics.
the form of presentation. The outline of the online courses related to this topic, under the
Distinguish
optics
optics.
- Summarize the history of History of the evolution of - Students will then present their research in - The library of EDUCMAD program goes
Skills
operations.
related
III. 4. Hours
The following distribution is only an indication, based on an hourly volume of 2 hours per
week and a minimum of 25 weeks for one school year, without wanting to force the teachers,
or impede their initiative:
- Number of weeks: 25
- Annual number of hours: 2 hours / week x 25 weeks = 50 hours
- Chapter distribution :
x
GENERAL CONCLUSION
The study conducted in the context of this paper was to identify issues related to learning the
physical sciences by the students of class Terminale A. Work was then carried out in order to
overcome the deficiencies in education and learning physics in Terminale A, namely the
development of a training curriculum corresponding to the contents of an innovative program
that we want to implement, within certain basic principles.
At first, a comparison of the physical sciences program in Terminale A with physics
education in literary sections in other countries has been made. The objectives of the specific
teaching of science in class First L in France are to develop scientific literacy to the literary
student and help him to build his skills. The analysis of the physics education in American
schools encourage to implement active methods, encouraging student participation in the
construction of the course.
Physics teaching in classes Terminale A has already been the subject of study by Raharisoa
who expressed disinterest of students from Terminale A towards the physical sciences, and
the work of Ranaivoarisoa, raising the current program is one of the obstacles to better
learning of the subject. For our part, our study has focused on the state of knowledge acquired
by students in Terminale A at the end of the courses of physics.
So we developed a methodology that allowed us to determine the useful sample size in our
study, the length of the field visit for its implementation, and evaluation criteria of the
students during the processing of the questionnaires. Indeed, from the data obtained in the
Ministry of Higher Education, we found through chi-square tests that the percentages of
candidates choosing the physical sciences as compulsory testing depend neither the year of
the bachelor exam nor province of origin of the student, which allowed us to conduct the
survey of Antananarivo schools during the school year 2013-2014. With an accuracy of 5%, a
level of confidence of 95 % and a 10% correction, the sample should include 68 students in
A1 Series and 174 students in A2 Series.
It is thus emerged from the results we have achieved that students who choose physics as a
compulsory test bachelor learn by heart the concepts covered in the course, including
formulas for solving exercises. Moreover, they fail to identify phenomena explained through
the taught lessons. Indeed, the lack of teaching materials does not allow the teacher to
implement the necessary experience to better assimilation of the course by the students.
Moreover, teachers do not illustrate the application of knowledge they transmit, discouraging
students to be interested in physics.
The results of these researches on learning the physical sciences in Terminale A meet on the
fact that students are not motivated to learn the material. The students challenge to connect
ideas introduced in physics course with the environment in which they operate, the lack of
limitations on the teaching methods to be implemented, and the need for an update are major
gaps identified in the teaching of physics in Terminale A.
In order to update physics program in Terminale A, taking account of scientific advances in
relation to current societal issues is necessary in order to provide students a scientific culture
to better understand the world around them and thus enter academia with knowledge that will
be useful to them and already preparing them to the situations they will face in their future
lives.
We suggest to introduce two current topics in the curriculum of physical sciences in classes
Terminale A, namely renewable energy and the use of transition metals from mining
resources exploited in Madagascar, allowing them to have to both a global view of their
interest and a local approach to the problems associated with them while maintaining the
chapters on the history of the evolution of optics and mechanics in the current program.
In order to conduct an effective implementation of the teaching of proposed themes and to
optimize student learning through the acquisition of skills appropriate to the content
discussed, it was first necessary to define a conceptual framework for the development of a
curriculum. We therefore put forward the idea that the curriculum should be based on the
reference social practices and didactic transposition of knowledge as needed responsive to the
output profile of the student that wants to form. Then we laid the principles on which we
wanted to build our draft curriculum. Finally, we explained the different sections that should
compose a curriculum.
From this conceptual framework, so we tried to develop a curriculum that is expected to
implement the teaching and learning of the proposed themes in the classes of Terminale A.
This curriculum was developed by considering that it will encourage students in literary
classes to focus on the physical sciences.
In the curriculum we offer, the acquisition of skills is by engaging the student in the learning
process, the teacher's role is that of facilitator summarizes the process of coaching student
and mediator between him and matter. The curriculum is based primarily on the social
practices of reference, from which students construct their own knowledge through
discovery.
The innovation of this curriculum is also in the provision of educational resources that can be
exploited for teaching and learning of the proposed themes, including digital tools available
on the internet, and general and educational resources that can enhance documentation.
However, available resources are not exhaustive, and the possible application of the
curriculum will open up new fields of research in meeting the educational needs and textbook
materials.
Due skills
- The eye : optical system and image - Exploit the visibility of an object.
- Wear a critical look at a design vision from
formation :
- Geometric construction of the image of a direction of the image of a plane object given
small plane object given by a converging by a converging lens.
lens.
- The eye : accommodation, defects and - Recognize the nature of the defect in one
eye from the fields of vision and vice versa.
corrections
Formation of images on the retina ; need of - Associate with each default one or more
accommodation
organization
of
the
visual
- The comparative study of retinal pigments - Connect certain diseases and certain genetic
can place Human among the Primates.
Functional
imaging
of brain
identifying and observing specialized areas in of brain or clinical case study, the concept of
the recognition of colors or shapes, or functional specialization of visual areas.
movement.
- Historical approach.
synthesis.
7KHFKHPLVWU\RISHUFHSWLRQ
- Highlight the chemical nature of the
- Synaptic transmission :
via
chemical
neurotransmitters.
Chemical disturbances of perception
Some
hallucinogens
disrupt
perception. Their action is due to the molecular structure with that of certain
similarity of their molecular structure with neurotransmitters in the brain which they
that of certain neurotransmitters in the brain replace.
consumption
leads
to
functioning disorders of the body, highly dangers of its use as an individual and societal
addictive and the unpredictable "flashback".
perspective.
Due skills
- Collective feeding practices and global the functioning of an ecosystem and an agrosystem.
perspectives :
Agriculture is the creation and management - Show that eaten meat or plant product does
of
agro-systems
to
provide
and
their
impact
on
the
production,
sustainable
Fertilizers
and
pesticides;
chemical exchange.
composition.
- Implement an experimental protocol to
- Spring water, mineral water, tap water; assay compared a species present in fertilizer
chemical composition of water consumption.
documentary
conditions
role
on
of
the
physico-chemical
development
of
microorganisms.
some of which are pathogenic and are - Explain conservation advice to consumers.
designed to prevent their development.
- Food preservation, health and food
craving:
role
on
of
the
physico-chemical
development
of
qualities of foods and sometimes cause - Identify the advantages and disadvantages
physiological disorders in the consumer.
- Food Preservation
chemical reaction.
- Involve a state change to a conservation
process.
- Food Preservation-Physical and chemical - Extract and organize information to reflect
process.
Cash
surfactant;
hydrophilic
hydrophobic part.
- Micelle formation.
Theme : Female-Male
Concepts and contents
Support joint and responsible sex life :
Due skills
Increasingly precise knowledge of natural - Put in time and in society chronology of the
hormones controlling human reproductive appearance of birth control methods.
functions
has
gradually
allowed
and
explain
biological
Explain
chemical
medical
practices
Link
advice
on
health,
screening,
STIs, infertility causes, and spread in the vaccination and condom use to modes of
population can be avoided by appropriate contamination and spread of STIs.
individual behavior.
%HFRPHDPDQRUZRPDQ
The
establishment
of
structures
through
embryonic
and
development.
embryonic development.
- Differentiate, from the biological data of
confrontation and social representations
which notes: sexual identity, roles as
individuals and their gendered stereotypes in
society, which fall within the social space;
sexual orientation which falls under the
/LYLQJVH[XDOLW\
privacy of individuals.
control
of
reproductive
behavior reward
processing
from
medical
and
Exploit
Due skills
documents and/or
experimental
needs :
- Energy requirements generated by - Know and use the relationship between power
human activity: industry, transport, and energy.
- Find and exploit information on devices in daily
household uses.
- Quantification of these needs: power, life and industrial facilities to take a critical look at
their energy consumption and to understand the
energy.
Use
of
available
resources :
- Energy resources and associated distinguish between renewable and non- renewable
features periods (training duration and energy resources; identify use of these resources
estimated time operating reserves).
issues.
natural
gas);
isotopes
isotope).
isotopes.
- Renewable Resources.
- Energy conversion.
degradation.
- Thermal power plant using fossil or - Identify different forms of energy involved in a
nuclear fuel.
- Combustion reaction.
- Fission reaction.
- Fusion reaction.
- The Sun, the seat of nuclear fusion distinguish fission and fusion.
reactions.
Optimizing the management - Find and use information to understand: the need
and use of energy:
as
energy transfer
- Radioactive decay.
- Greenhouse effect.
resource,
environmental impact.
mode;
including
the
in
problem
terms
of
of
Appendix 2: Official Skills Program sciences in the United States, according to the sciences
California standards
Investigation & Experimentation - Grades 9th to 12th
- Select and use appropriate technology (sensors and computer interfaces, spreadsheets...) for
tests, collect data, find relationships and view the results.
- Identify sources of unavoidable experimental errors.
- Identify possible reasons for getting the outlier, including sources of error and the
experimental conditions.
- Formulate explanations by using the experimental evidence and logic.
- Solve scientific problems using quadratic equations and simple trigonometric, exponential
or logarithmic functions.
- Distinguish between hypothesis and theory.
- Recognize the usefulness and limitations of models and other theories as scientific
representations of reality.
- Read and interpret topographic and geological maps.
- Analyze situations, periods or time intervals which characterize natural phenomena (e.g.
relative age of rocks, location of planets over time, succession of species in an ecosystem).
- Know the problems of statistical variation and the need for controlled experiments.
- Know the cumulative nature of scientific evidence.
- Analyze situations and solve problems that involve more than a science.
- Research on social issues related to science, in literature and analyzing data, and
communicate results (e.g. irradiated food, animal cloning, and choice of energy sources).
- Know that when observation is not in agreement with a recognized scientific theory, this
observation is sometimes distorted or doctored (e.g. UFO), and that the theory is sometimes
wrong (e.g. Ptolemaic model for the movement of stars).
Contents
Sinusoidal functions
graphically
represent
sine
- Phasor
- The sum of two sinusoidal functions of period :
Fresnel construction
vibratory
mechanical interference
position the
vibrating
ideal gas
Contents
Wave nature:
- Light interference
- Ultra-violet radiations
Contents
The student must be able to distinguish the areas of +istory of the evolution of
validity of each mechanical
mechanics:
- Classical mechanics
- Quantum mechanics
Appendix 4: Tables showing data obtained concerning candidates for the bachelor Series A
the last three years in the six provinces and nationally
Statistics of candidates for the A1 series Bachelor
2011
Province
2012
Registered
Total
%
registered in Physics
2013
Registered
Total
%
registered in Physics
Registered
Total
%
registered in Physics
Antananarivo 2761
581
21,04 3423
868
25,36 3357
799
23,80
Antsiranana
1381
297
21,50 1651
490
29,68 1721
439
25,50
Fianarantsoa
869
233
26,81 1138
309
27,15 1053
261
24,78
Mahajanga
476
93
19,53 651
129
19,81 803
141
17,56
Toamasina
861
176
20,44 1070
250
23,36 1086
272
25,04
Toliara
646
115
17,80 739
157
21,24 573
132
23,03
National
6994
1495
21,19 8672
2203
24,43 8593
2044
23,29
Total
Registered
%
registered in Physics
Total
Registered
%
registered in Physics
2013
Total
Registered
%
registered in Physics
Antananarivo 32961
13698
41,55 37598
16274
43,28 39899
17851
44,74
Antsiranana
6597
2523
38,24 7965
3293
41,34 8923
3648
40,88
Fianarantsoa
10631
4563
42,92 11898
5156
43,33 14182
6118
43,14
Mahajanga
6119
2390
39,06 8551
2962
34,64 10273
3223
31,37
Toamasina
10359
4824
46,57 12169
6088
50,03 14280
6896
48,29
Toliara
6256
2453
39,21 7930
3575
45,08 9289
4106
44,20
National
72923
30451
41,26 86111
37348
42,95 96846
41842
42,10
c) What are the possible positions of the vibrating point that can be distinguished?
phenomenon?
2. a) What is a fringe ?
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m
Name : RATSIMBATOHA
Surname : Zo Andraina
E-mail address: zo-andraina@live.fr
Phone numbers: (+261) 32 64 001 63 (+261) 33 11 935 87 (+261) 34 19 426 16
CURRENT SITUATION OF THE TEACHING OF PHYSICS
TERMINALE A IN MADAGASCAR - PROPOSED INNOVATIONS
IN CLASS
Abstract: This paper is to provide an educational curriculum for physical science class
Terminale A, including new themes. Based on the concept of academic motivation, the work
was first involved comparing the program with science education in France and the United
States, raising the need for an update. The identification of problems related to learning
physics in Terminal A was done through the study of the disinterest of students towards this
matter and analysis of current program before an investigation that contributed to the state of
knowledge actually used by students in physics courses outcome. The chi-square tests used in
the methodology showed that the percentages of candidates choosing physics as a
compulsory subject do not depend on the year or the province. We conducted our survey of
establishments that meet the established statistical criteria, an accuracy of 5 %, a level of
confidence of 95 % and a 10% correction. It emerged from this survey that students do not
understand the significance and usefulness of knowledge they gain in the classroom, which
de-motivates them to learn the material; the requirement of a good level of mathematics and
the non-involvement of teachers to show the applications of knowledge are the problems
identified. The given innovation is the introduction of new chapters on renewable energy and
the use of transition metals in the mining resources of Madagascar.
Key words : physics educational program, Terminale A, curriculum, proposition of
innovations
Directeur de mmoire : Mrs RAZAFIMBELO Judith
Full Professor