Difficulties and Strategies in Understanding the Concept of Quantum Entanglement: A Study ith Pre-service Physics Teachers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.28976/1984-2686rbpec2019u136Keywords:
quantum entanglement, pre-service teachers, Virtual Mach-Zehnder InterferometerAbstract
This paper presents the results of a PhD research about the study of quantum entanglement in a Modern and Contemporary Physics course involving pre-service physics teachers. The theoretical and methodological framework adopted in this research is the Vygotsky’s theory of mediation and Bakhtin’s linguistics philosophy. From the computational simulation of quantum entanglement in Mach-Zehnder Virtual Interferometer and taking a phenomenological approach, we tried to understand what are the strategies used and the difficulties encountered by the future teachers in proposing an explanation for the phenomenon. The students worked in pairs using an exploratory guide and the discursive interactions were audio recorded for later transcription and analysis. The results show that given the rather counterintuitive character of the phenomenon, students end up using classical models that make it difficult to recognize the non-locality, a fundamental pre-requisite for the understanding of quantum entanglement. In addition, the results highlight the role of software and exploratory guide as mediating tools since they promote valuable discursive exchanges between students, which are determinant for them to be able to continue the activity.
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