On The Innovation Of Educational Value In The Revolution Of Modern Physics

The occurrence of the revolution in modern physics is based on a background against which classical physics has achieved its great triumph and stood a long testimony of practice and has been generally accepted. The revolution has innovated the foundation of classical physics and established a completely new theory, which marks an epoch in modern physics. This research work is a reflection of the history in the light of education, against a background of knowledge economy, analyzing the new characteristics of the revolution in modern physics, exploring and refining the originality of the educational value in this history, so as to offer a useful enlightenment for the innovation of education advocated today.Chapter one gives a general introduction of the basic features of the classical physics and its method of cognition: the universal mechanical feature of the law of dynamics; the deterministic feature of the basic law; the absolute objectivity feature of scientific theory; the suppositive feature of the absolutism of time and space; the feature of man's separation with nature and intuitive reflection; and the feature of the method of cognition mainly based on experiment and induction. In spite of the great triumph in modern physics, owing to the empirical validity of these concepts, without a doubt, the students have taken them for granted. These concepts are so deeply rooted in the students' mind that they have severely hindered the development of their originality. The chapter also outlines the history of the revolution in modern physics: the limitations of classical physics; the enlightenmentof the revolution in modern physics-a critique of Marhe's classical physics; the crisis of classical physics-the contradiction between theory and practice; Peng Jiale's incisive interpretation on the crisis of physics-a guide to the direction of the revolution in physics; the prelude of the revolution in modern physics-the three great discoveries at the turning point of the 19th century and the establishment of the theory of quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity.Chapter two epitomizes the renovation feature of the revolution in modern physics: the revolution in modern physics is profound and fundamental to the basic concepts of classical physics and its principal ideas; the revolution emphasized the subjective activity of man as an individual in the process of cognition; the innovation of scientific methods must go before the formation of new ideas and new concepts and before the establishment of new theory as well; and lastly, it sums up the new characteristics of the establishment of the scientific methods in quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity.On the basis of the previous chapters, chapter three explores the valuable elements for the originality of education in the light of establishing the concept of modern physics and forming the renovation feature of modern physics: developing the new conception of placing emphasis on the process of the scientific discovery in physics education; encouraging the students' innovation spirit by having a correct understanding of the nature of science and the law of scientific discoveries and by daring to challenge the mature scientific theories; developing the students' ability in innovation by employing the new ideas and methods of modern physics; combining humanity education and innovation education in physics education by using the history of the development of physics; emphasizing the development of the students' innovation psychology and personality psychology in physics education; striving to develop the students' innovation spirit in the light of criticism and challenge; drawing a conclusion from the free creative feature of the knowledge of modern physics-using the conception of innovation study as the guiding principle in physics study and practice, and carrying out inquisitive method in the teaching; and lastly, pointing out the great significance of phycists' examples in the development of the students' creativity and creative motivation.