Research-Based Teaching At Wigner Research Centre For Physics, Hungary

Teaching modern physics in school is a hard task. This is especially true for particle physics where the typical size scale is 10(-18) m. It is difficult to visualize these particles, which are invisible to the eye, or to make experiments. At the same time the number of scientists and engineers is decreasing in Hungary. It is obvious that we need to find ways to interest students in these professions. In Budapest, at the Wigner Research Centre for Physics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, a research laboratory was established for high school students where, under the supervision of teachers and with the help of the local scientists, students can take part in particle physics research. In the program students can get involved in real work and construct particle detectors for demonstration purposes. Measurements prove the positive change in the students' attitude, motivation, and particular knowledge of the subject.