Can Old-Quantum-Theoretical description of physics be rendered coherent? A pilot experimentation for high schools.

Although Old Quantum Theory (OQT) has been internationally part of school curricula and textbooks for years, research made in physics education on OQT is substantially and generally focused on single contents (mainly black-body spectrum, photoelectric effect, and Bohr's atomic model), and not coordinated as a whole framework: therefore, a wide and coherent pedagogical, historical and conceptual presentation is still missing. Is it thus possible to present OQT in a coherent and significant way (without radically changing prerequisites, physics contents, mathematical formalism, and the number of hours usually devoted to this part)? On this research question, the 15-hour afternoon pilot experimentation "Old (but Gold) Quantum Theory" was designed and tested in early 2023, with 36 high-school students and 9 teachers. Meetings included commented reading of original papers, several groupworks with active understanding, and both qualitative and quantitative examples. Experimentation's effectiveness was evaluated by means of different data: all written groupworks, 5 individual ongoing tests, a satisfaction questionnaire, and a final test with open questions never faced during the course.