The Formalisation Problem in Teaching School Physics.

Assuming that it is necessary to establish a minimum of formalisation in teaching physics at a secondary high school level, the author begins this article with a criticism of the current method of formalisation followed in Italian schools and then hypothesise that the greatest drawback to this method is the use of tools of mathematical method-which give a distorted idea of the method of physics-instead of other formalisation tools which do not. She goes on to suggest a general, three-stage formalisation method which can be used for (i) physical quantities, (ii) the particular significance of certain quantities and (iii) the description and interpretation of phenomena. Furthermore, this method appears to be immune from the difficulties inherent in the traditional one. Some very simple applications of the method are then proposed and compared with the approach taken by some textbooks, and thus by physics teachers. This direct comparison seems to confirm the initial hypothesis that one of the greatest defects in teaching physics is that methods of formalisation that have nothing to do with physics are currently being used.