In this master thesis, the pedagogical renovation of the laboratory experiment with activated water on the TRIGA reactor is presented. The new version of the experiment is based on the method called Investigative Science Learning Environment,
which is an established approach for teaching physics. One of the purposes of this way of teaching is enhancing the development of scientific abilities in students. The scientific abilities are processes and skills that scientists use at work. For example,
the ability to identify the sources of uncertainties and the assumptions made while conducting an experiment. The education of future physicists requires involving them into the training of the scientific abilities. Moreover, other professions have
also started to require these skills. The development of scientific abilities is possible with adequately designed laboratory work. The new version of the laboratory exercise with activated water was designed for this purpose.
A new version of laboratory instructions was created and tested with a group of students of the experimental reactor physics course. A thorough analysis of their responses and their reports was conducted. The findings were compared to the results from a previous group which was taught with the traditional method. Even
though the number of the students included in the study was small, one can say that already one experience with the Investigative Science Learning Environment approach changed their way of thinking. This work is the first known application of this pedagogical approach on teaching reactor physics at the university level.
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