RDST, n°10/2014

Energy is a topic very frequently used in the fields of biology, chemistry, geology, physics and technology. Moreover, energy also concerns many domains in the area of socio-scientific issues (energy uses and economies, etc.), as well as health education (with the notions of calories, physical effort, balance, etc.) or sustainable development (energy resources, global heating, renewable or not-renewable energy, etc.).

Nevertheless, you can be sure that behind the same term, are hidden different concepts depending on the disciplines, the questions, and the phenomena that are studied.

Moreover, energy is a major teaching objective in science instruction ('themes de convergence' at lower secondary school, Science and Technology Integrated Instruction). This importance devoted to energy teaching has varied throughout the changes in curricula. Similarly, science education studies about energy teaching have also evolved, both concerning their number and their approach.

The aim of this issue is to inventory the current trend of research, and to compare the meanings linked to this term ‘energy’ in the scientific disciplinary fields or in the ‘education to’ that use it, together with the didactical approaches. We hope in this manner widen the scopes of different disciplines, and strengthen the coherence of the presentation of these concepts, in the student school pathways.