Sweden: Description of Physics Programs and Curriculum
Two consecutive physics courses, Physics 1 and 2, comprise the physics curriculum covered by Swedish students participating in TIMSS Advanced 2015 Physics. Both courses are defined by a national curriculum that includes the goal of the subject, core content, and assessment criteria. These curricula describe learning objectives in short texts and teachers are expected to interpret the brief descriptions.
The curriculum dictates that physics courses should give students opportunity to develop
- Knowledge of the concepts, models, theories, and methods of physics, and how they have developed
- The ability to analyze and find answers to subject-related questions, and to identify, formulate, and solve problems as well as the ability to reflect on and evaluate strategies, methods and results
- The ability to plan, carry out, interpret and report experiments and observations, and to handle materials and equipment
- Knowledge of the importance of physics for the individual and society
- The ability to use knowledge in physics to communicate, and to evaluate and use information
In Physics 1, motion and force content deals with speed, momentum, acceleration and force. Students learn about equilibrium and linear motion in homogenous gravitational and electrical fields, and also pressure, pressure variations, and Archimedes’ principle. In addition, the core content touches on relativistic and nuclear physics. In Physics 2, content related to motion and force is added by including two-dimensional motion in gravitational and electrical fields. Students learn about central motion and torque and about simulating two-dimensional motion using simple numerical methods.
Energy and energy resources are covered as content in Physics 1. Work, force, potential energy and kinetic energy are used to describe different forms of energy. Students learn about the principle of conservation of energy, entropy, and efficiency to describe energy transformation, energy quality, and energy storage, as well as thermal energy (internal energy, heat capacity, heat transfer, temperature, and phase transformation). Students also learn about electrical energy (electrical charges, field strength, potential, voltage, current, and resistance) and nuclear energy (the structure of an atom and nuclear binding energy, strong forces, mass-energy equivalence, nuclear reactions, fission, and fusion). The core content also includes a resource perspective on energy and the use of energy for a sustainable society. Radiation in medicine and technology in Physics 1 covers radioactive disintegration, ionizing radiation, particle radiation, half-life and activity. Students are introduced to electromagnetic radiation and the particle properties of light and learn about the interaction between different types of radiation and biological systems. Radiation content is further covered in Physics 2 under the heading of waves, electromagnetism, and signals. Students learn about harmonic oscillation and resonance with applications in everyday life and technology. Students also learn about reflection, refraction and interference of light, sound, and other waves. The Doppler Effect is covered briefly. The core content includes relationships between electric and magnetic fields (magnetic fields around conductors, the motion of electric charges in magnetic fields, and induction). Students are introduced to wave and particle descriptions of electromagnetic radiation, the propagation of electromagnetic waves, photoelectric effects, and photons. Students also learn about wave properties of matter, de Broglie’s hypotheses, and wave-particle duality.
In Physics 1, under the heading of climate and weather forecasts, students learn about the ideal gas law as a model for describing the physics of the atmosphere. They are given a brief introduction to how physical models and methods of measurement are used to forecast climate and weather, as well as reliability and limitations of forecasts. In Physics 2, students work with content related to the development and structure of the universe. The core content specifies the electron structure of atoms and absorption and emission spectra. Students are introduced to methods for studying the universe, including electromagnetic radiation from stars and interstellar space.
A substantial amount of the core content descriptions in Physics 1 and 2 is given to a domain described as the nature, working methods, and mathematical methods of physics. This large content area deals with the characteristics of scientific problems, method, and theory. It also covers the identification and study of problems using reasoning from physics and mathematical modelling covering linear and non-linear functions, equations, graphs, trigonometry, and vectors. Views on societal questions based on explanatory models of physics are also covered, e.g., questions about sustainable development. This wider perspective is further developed in Physics 2 by relations and links between physics and ethical, philosophical, and religious issues.