Difficulties in learning the concept of electric field

This article analyzes students' main difficulties in learning the concept of the electric field. To carry out this analysis we have supposed that the historical study of the main qualitative leaps that have taken place in the construction of the theory of field may help to diagnose such difficulties. Thus, we have made a brief description of the main conceptual profiles within which electric interactions can be interpreted (Coulombian and Maxwellian) and examined to what extent they are used by students in sixth form and in university. To achieve this we have devised and applied an open question questionnaire and personal. The results obtained showed that most students, even university students, have ontological and epistemological difficulties using the idea of the electric field, thus preferring the use of reasoning based on the Newtonian model of action at a distance to solve problems. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sci Ed 82:511–526, 1998.