Teaching mechanical oscillations using an integrated curriculum

A set of teaching materials dealing with harmonic oscillations was developed as part of a research project investigating the influence of different pedagogical tools on physics learning. The materials incorporate simulation software and laboratory activities associated with Teacher and Student Units. The project involved research groups at seven Italian universities and the materials have been trialled in high schools nation‐wide. This paper describes the experimental protocol for the use of these materials in pilot classes and the evaluation of student learning and teacher training results. The intervention was found to improve physics education at school praxis level and to promote understanding of the content area as well as appreciation of the role of experiments and simulations in the construction of scientific knowledge.