THE TEACHING OF LIGHT AND COLOUR IN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM: A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE EDUCATION CURRICULUM

Several studies have analysed and diagnosed the existence of misconceptions and conceptual errors in optics among students at different educational levels. Previous work has shown that even after formal instruction, students maintain misconceptions about concepts of light and colour, and reach higher educational levels with low knowledge of these subjects. This may be due in part to the level of coverage given to these concepts in both compulsory and non-compulsory curricula in current legislation. The general objective of this study was to analyse the current state of teaching and learning of concepts related to light and colour in the existing primary and secondary education curricula. To this end, a qualitative descriptive study has been carried out to analyse the references to the concepts under study in the regulations governing schooling. Thus, the contents and approaches that the selected concepts are given in the different subjects and levels that constitute the educational curriculum have been taken into account. On the other hand, the cognitive demand that is required by law for the acquisition of this concept among students has been analyzed on the basis of Bloom's taxonomy. The lexicographical analysis carried out shows that, in the curricula governing primary education, secondary education and the baccalaureate in Spain, the concepts related to light and colour are poorly covered in the different subjects and more specifically in those related to the scientific areas.