Teaching Colour: designing and evaluation of a sequence

Summary The paper describes a teaching sequence about colour given to students in Applied Arts. The conceptual content is chosen to integrate scientific, technical and perceptual aspects of colour. The teaching strategy aims at increasing the availability of conceptual tools in the analysis of the technical applications of colour in art. The results of an inquiry into students’ previous ideas were taken into account when designing a teaching process which includes experimental activities. During the sequence, observation has suggested ways of readjusting instructional activities and qualitative data helped to build a quantitative tool of evaluation of the sequence. The implications of this study on classroom practice and science teacher education are discussed.