METHODOLOGY FOR DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ DESIGN COMPETENCE THROUGH GENERAL PHYSICS LABORATORY ACTIVITIES

Abstract

Following a laboratory instruction does not, in itself, demonstrate the ability to design an experiment. This article presents a methodology for developing students’ design competence in general physics laboratory activities. The study systematises the theoretical and methodological materials of the dissertation through conceptual analysis, functional comparison and pedagogical modelling. A structural–functional model connects goal-setting, content, process and diagnostic–outcome components. Scientific inquiry methods are coordinated with problem-based learning, project work, practical tasks and reflection. The instructional process comprises five stages: motivational–problem, theoretical–analytical, design–planning, experimental–practical and analytical–reflective. A laboratory design map makes the relationship among the problem, hypothesis, equipment, measurement procedure and interpretation explicit. The methodology is illustrated through the design of a pendulum investigation and differentiated open tasks in mechanics, molecular physics, electricity, optics and oscillations. Virtual modelling and real experimentation are connected through comparison and revision. Assessment distinguishes six criteria and four qualitative levels of performance, with attention to both the process and the product of the investigation. The principal result is a methodological system linking physical explanation, experimental decisions, documented evidence and reflective improvement. The article does not report a new pedagogical experiment or a measured effectiveness estimate.