EPISTEMOLOGICAL APPROACH TO THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD IN PHYSICS TEXTS OF HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL IN PANAMA

The learning process is more than recalling a series of information that will eventually be forgotten. Learning and teaching must be flexible and adaptable, which is why this qualitative research study wasn't made with the intention to criticize other authors and editors, but rather to analyze what is the epistemological focus in the scientific method. Therefore, a checklist of 16 questions was used to examine and determine the epistemological approach of various medium leveled physics texts as didactic resources. The analysis showed most of these books lacked sequence pertaining the scientific method and in turn exhibits a rigid process, in which the steps to be followed are inflexible. It was concluded that two of the analyzed texts didn't present a section describing the scientific method within its content and that the other texts presented related aspects concerning both traditional and modern epistemological focus, in which the transition from traditional to modern conception of the scientific method can be distinguished.