In this paper we propose and investigate a teaching proposal about convergent mirror based on the association between an active learning methodology and method of bridge analogies and anchorings concepts. The activity consisted of two successive experiments on the characteristics of virtual images formed by the concave spherical mirror and dependence on their relative size with the observer position (visual angle) were. Four high school distinct classes of the federal system of education formed the target audience. The whole procedure was accompanied by a written material as worksheets. To evaluate qualitatively their different types of reaction and also the evolution facing the anomalous data from the first experiment, we used the reactions taxonomy created by Chinn and Brewer was used. The results show the following conclusions: (i) it ratifies the present criticism in the literature that the isolated use of cognitive conflict does not lead to significant changes in the previous conceptions of most pupils; (ii) The strategy of associating an discrepant experiment causing cognitive conflict with another bridge experiment, of predictable result that rescue anchoring correlated ideas by analogy, has been successful in achieving a theory change in the most of students; (iii) The need for further quantitative research to evaluate learning gains.
Keywords:
active learning; cognitive conflict; bridging analogies; convergent mirror
