Development of students’ skills in mastering complex thermophysical concepts

Abstract

The features of skill formation aimed at improving the mastering of thermophysical concepts in the process of studying combined heat transfer with the environment under conditions of free natural convection are considered. Difficulties encountered by students in understanding many provisions of the thermodynamic method for solving technical problems and their practical application have been identified. It has been established that during the experiment, students undergo a restructuring of purposeful and systematically organized actions, which contributes to the development of skills for mastering complex thermophysical concepts. Based on the problem-solving methodology, it is shown that the mastering of complex thermophysical concepts is associated with the forms of information representation. It has been established that the visual representation of experimental data significantly influences the development of skills for mastering thermophysical concepts in the study of various modes of heat transfer, such as thermal conduction, convection, and thermal radiation. At the same time, it is shown that the assimilation of information embedded in the visual representation of thermophysical concepts is related to the representative competencies of the student’s personality. It has been established that, during practical classes, particularly in laboratory work, the mastering of complex thermophysical concepts is effectively implemented through collaborative discussion of the obtained results in groups of two or three students. Using the example of studying combined heat transfer within the discipline “Applied Thermophysics”, the skills of information assimilation in the process of oral discussion of observed visual relationships are examined, which may improve students’ subsequent learning.