An Anthropological Approach to Didactics in Fluid Mechanics Education to Bridge Cultural Contexts and Engineering Principles

Abstract

This paper examined how the Anthropological Theory of Didactics (ATD) can improve fluid mechanics education by embedding it within its sociocultural framework. It tackles student misconceptions and promotes a deeper understanding by integrating ATD principles—cultural context, praxeologies, and didactic transposition—into fluid mechanics courses. Five practical activities are proposed to link theoretical concepts with real-world experiences, drawing from daily life, historical contexts, and traditional tools. The findings show that using ATD in fluid mechanics bridges the gap between abstract theories and practical applications, reduces misconceptions, and enhances comprehension. The proposed activities help students relate knowledge to tangible contexts, thereby improving their learning experiences. This research is primarily theoretical and calls for future empirical studies to assess the effectiveness of these activities in various educational settings. The findings suggest that incorporating ATD principles can refine teaching strategies and lead to better student outcomes. Educators are provided with tools to create more engaging and effective learning experiences, which promote problem-solving and collaboration. This approach supports a culturally aware and contextually relevant education system, improving the preparedness of the engineering workforce and potentially influencing educational policy decisions. This paper demonstrates the application of ATD to fluid mechanics, offering valuable insights and practical tools for educators, thus bridging cultural and technical education.