Didactic modeling with the MateFun programming language

Abstract

This article presents the key findings from the operationalisation stage of our didactic model for computational science. The model was developed during the research project The Paradigm of Computational Science and Education between 2021 and 2023. Classroom studies were conducted with secondary and upper secondary school physics and informatics teachers and students to identify the foundations for the didactic integration of computing into science classrooms. Here, we discuss the operationalisation stage of the model, which focuses on the relationship between the mathematical model and the computational model of phenomena/systems studied in science classrooms. During this stage, several applications of the model were designed and tested, and during the analysis, specific benefits were identified: the computational literacy of teachers and students developed as domain-specific literacy (physics) and the connections between computational thinking and domains with a scientific-mathematical foundation. A future  mplementation stage with learning assessment instruments to validate results is proposed.