Despite its relevance to all scientific domains, the debate surrounding the teaching of energy is
still open. The main point remains the problems students have in understanding some aspects of the
energy concept and in applying their knowledge to the comprehension of natural phenomena. In this
paper, we present a research-based interdisciplinary approach to the teaching of energy in which the
first and second laws of thermodynamics were used to interpret physical, chemical and biological
processes. The contents of the three disciplines (physics, chemistry, biology) were reconstructed
focusing on six basic aspects of energy (forms, transfer, transformation, conservation, degradation,
and entropy) and using common teaching methodologies. The module was assessed with 39 secondary
school students (aged 15–16) using a 30-question research instrument and a treatment/control group
methodology. Analysis of students’ learning outcomes suggests a better understanding of the energy
concept…