Inquiry-Based Learning as an Option to Develop the Unit of Hydrostatics from the 10th-Grade Physics Syllabus of Diversified Education in Costa Rica

Abstract

The use of inquiry-based learning to address the topics of the hydrostatic unit of the 10th grade physics program of Costa Rican Diversified Education is a methodological option that would help in the understanding of these issues, as was denoted in the research, which gave rise to this article, dealing with the methodological strategies employed by teachers in developing hydrostatic topics and the difficulties presented by students. The research project conducted was developed under the naturalistic paradigm with a qualitative approach and the type of study used was the “community study”. Among the main findings, it was discovered that the majority of students have difficulty understanding this subject and that the methodological strategies most commonly used by teachers come from the behavioral model, being the resolution of exercises on the board the most used. In addition, teachers have a notion about learning by inquiry and are aware of the advantages offered by the use of strategies based on this methodology, but they do not apply it because they do not have methodological strategies derived from didactic sequences in the context of teaching by inquiry into this topic. Finally, it should be mentioned that this article provides three activities mediated through inquiry learning to apply them in the physics class.