Philosophy, thought experiments and large context problems in the secondary school physics course

In this paper it is argued that scientific thinking in physics involves the progressive clarification of the relationship between mathematics and physics, as well as the clarification of scientific induction and deduction. Furthermore, the framing of theories and the working out of their consequences involve the exercise of the imagination. One locus of scientific imagination is the thought experiment, primarily understood as a mental device that helps explicate concepts and principles, and unravel paradoxes. A sound curriculum in physics, however, must also be based on broad principles of education. These principles are first stated and then it is argued that in conjunction with what we have said about scientific thinking we should teach physics in terms of contexts of inquiry. These contexts relate to questions, method, problems, experiments, history, and the large context problem itself. Here we find the clarification of induction and deduction, as well as the proper placing of the thought experiment. In the appendix it is shown how this contextual approach can be used for the teaching of kinematics. It is claimed that when we teach within the contexts of inquiry, physics is liberated from a specifiable method, and becomes historical, relevant, alive, human and exciting.