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A dialogue between Vygotsky’s learning theory and peer instruction in Astronomy classes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2021

Jamili De Paula ,
Denise Pereira de Alcântara Ferraz  and
Newton Figueiredo Open the ORCID record for Newton Figueiredo [Opens in a new window]
Jamili De Paula
Affiliation:
Programa de Pós-graduação em Educação em Ciências, Universidade Federal de Itajubá Caixa Postal 50, 37500-903, Itajubá, MG, Brazil email: [email protected]
Denise Pereira de Alcântara Ferraz
Affiliation:
Instituto de F sica e Qu mica, Universidade Federal de Itajubá Caixa Postal 50, 37500-903, Itajubá, MG, Brazil email: [email protected]
Newton Figueiredo
Affiliation:
Instituto de F sica e Qu mica, Universidade Federal de Itajubá Caixa Postal 50, 37500-903, Itajubá, MG, Brazil email: [email protected]
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Abstract

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Active learning methodologies have been used to teach science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics at higher education institutions in several countries. We report the results of using peer instruction in an Astronomy undergraduate course taught at a research university in Brazil. The course syllabus covered topics on astrometry and celestial mechanics at an introductory level and was offered in the second semester of 2018. In order to better investigate the effect of the interaction among students, we have asked them to talk to their peers after the first poll regardless of the outcome. We have then analyzed the outcomes of all peer instruction polls, before and after student interaction, as well as the course evaluation questionnaires answered by the students at the end of the semester. From these analyses we were able to establish an approximation between peer instruction and some key elements of Vygotsky’s social interactionist theory.

Keywords

Active learningAstronomy educationPeer instructionVygotsky’s social interactionist theory
Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 15 , Symposium S367: Education and Heritage in the Era of Big Data in Astronomy , December 2019 , pp. 57 - 60
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of International Astronomical Union

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