Superconductivity offers many opportunities to explore a relevant phenomenology interesting for
students because perceived as a challenge stimulating the construction of models, activating a critical
re-analysis of magnetic and electrical properties of materials, bridging science and technology. In the
European projects MOSEM1-2, an educational path was developed on superconductivity for high school
based on explorative experiments and on-line measurements concerning the Meissner and the pinning
effects. Feasibility tests were performed in several Italian high schools with more than 500 students.
A research experimentation carried out with 40 selected students, aged 17-19, was focused on the
models they develop analyzing the Meissner effect using the field lines representation. Data were
collected by the worksheets used by students and by the audio-tape dialogues in the group activities. A
qualitative analysis of the students’ answers, sentences, explicit reasoning and drawings was performed.
The students learning paths show a progressive construction of models based on the ideal diamagnetic
properties of superconductors, in which the concept of field has an important role.
