Summary of Tuveri et al. (2024)

Background & Existing Knowledge

Teaching complex scientific concepts, such as gravitational waves physics, to high school students often presents significant challenges due to the abstract nature of the subject matter. Traditional teaching methods may struggle to foster deep conceptual understanding and engage students effectively in these advanced topics. There is a need for innovative pedagogical approaches that can make such complex physics more accessible and relatable.

New Insights from This Study

✔ This study investigates the use of storytelling to foster the teaching and learning of gravitational waves physics at the high school level.

✔ Storytelling is proposed as a method to bridge the gap between abstract scientific concepts and students' prior knowledge and intuition.

✔ The research suggests that narrative approaches can enhance engagement and comprehension of challenging physics topics.

Practical Applications: How Educators Can Use This Research

Course Design

📌 Develop narrative frameworks and stories that explain complex gravitational wave phenomena in an accessible and engaging manner.

📌 Integrate historical accounts of scientific discoveries and the scientists involved into the physics curriculum through storytelling.

📌 Design problem-solving scenarios embedded within compelling narratives to make physics more relatable and less intimidating.

Evaluation Tools

📌 Assess students' conceptual understanding of gravitational waves physics through narrative-based explanations or presentations.

📌 Conduct surveys or interviews to gauge student engagement and interest in physics after exposure to storytelling interventions.

📌 Evaluate the impact of storytelling on students' ability to reason about and apply abstract physics principles.

Instructional Support

📌 Train physics educators on how to craft and deliver effective scientific stories that illuminate complex concepts.

📌 Provide resources such as visual aids, animations, and interactive tools that complement storytelling in physics education.

📌 Encourage interdisciplinary collaboration, perhaps with literature or history teachers, to enhance the narrative quality of physics lessons.

Conclusion

This research highlights the potential of storytelling as a powerful tool to foster the teaching and learning of complex gravitational waves physics at the high school level, making abstract concepts more understandable and engaging for students.

Key Words

Storytelling, Physics education, Gravitational waves, High school, Engagement

Reference

Tuveri, M., Steri, A., & Fadda, D. (2024). Using storytelling to foster the teaching and learning of gravitational waves physics at high-school. Physics Education, 59(4), 045031. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6552/ad4c36

Suggested Citation

Ross, E. M., & Malar, D. B. J. (2025). Storytelling: Gravitational Waves Physics. Excellent Educator, 2(15), 8.