Teaching optical polarization in high schools: mathematics and experiments

The study of the nature of light is one of the main topics of the Italian physics curriculum. The polarization of light and the specific mathematical tools (vectors, matrices, and complex numbers) needed to describe it are the basis for the description of discrete quantum systems. This makes the study of polarization a relevant paradigmatic example to be included in high school physics curricula, even if the mathematical support required seems quite challenging for students. We have devised a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) program for in-service physics teachers aimed at designing a comprehensive teaching-learning sequence on polarization.