High school students analyzing the phenomenology of superconductivity and constructing model of the Meissner effect

Superconductivity offers many opportunities to explore a relevant phenomenology interesting for students because perceived as a challenge stimulating the construction of models, activating a critical re-analysis of magnetic and electrical properties of materials, bridging science and technology. In the European projects MOSEM1-2, an educational path was developed on superconductivity for high school based on explorative experiments and on-line measurements concerning the Meissner and the pinning effects. Feasibility tests were performed in several Italian high schools with more than 500 students. A research experimentation carried out with 40 selected students, aged 17-19, was focused on the models they develop analyzing the Meissner effect using the field lines representation. Data were collected by the worksheets used by students and by the audio-tape dialogues in the group activities. A qualitative analysis of the students’ answers, sentences, explicit reasoning and drawings was performed. The students learning paths show a progressive construction of models based on the ideal diamagnetic properties of superconductors, in which the concept of field has an important role.