Teaching physics through astronomy in secondary school: the Asiago Teachers’ Network on Astrophysics

Abstract We present the development and outcomes of the ATENA – Asiago Teachers’ Network on Astrophysics project. The initiative encompassed a professional development program and learning community for physics teachers, grounded in authentic collaboration and action research. The group’s collective inquiry centred on the integration of Astronomy into the secondary school curriculum, with the goal of fostering a comprehensive understanding of the physics of the Universe. Four physics topics spanning various grades were selected, and teaching-learning sequences informed by Physics and Astronomy Education Research were collaboratively developed by participants. Here, we present the development of the professional development program and highlight the main elements of three out of the four teaching-learning sequences. These results aim to support physics educators in incorporating astronomy into their physics teaching.