This paper presents the design, fabrication, and preliminary evaluation of a low-cost, intuitive model simulating the operating principles of a nuclear power plant using a pressurized water reactor (PWR) and Arduino to support the teaching of the topic “Atomic Nucleus” through a STEM-oriented approach. The model simulates the main components and processes of a nuclear power plant using LEDs, motors/fans, an LCD screen, and an RF remote controller. The study combined a baseline survey, model fabrication and operational testing, student feedback surveys, a short knowledge test, and expert consultation. The baseline survey showed that only 6.67% of participants reported having a clear understanding of the operating principles of a nuclear power plant, while 82.86% had never been exposed to a visual model of this content. Following the teaching activity, the 46 students achieved a mean score of 23.15 out of 25 questions, equivalent to 9.26 out of 10 points. Feedback from students and...
This paper presents the design, fabrication, and preliminary evaluation of a low-cost, intuitive model simulating the operating principles of a nuclear power plant using a pressurized water reactor (PWR) and Arduino to support the teaching of the topic “Atomic Nucleus” through a STEM-oriented approach. The model simulates the main components and processes of a nuclear power plant using LEDs, motors/fans, an LCD screen, and an RF remote controller. The study combined a baseline survey, model fabrication and operational testing, student feedback surveys, a short knowledge test, and expert consultation. The baseline survey showed that only 6.67% of participants reported having a clear understanding of the operating principles of a nuclear power plant, while 82.86% had never been exposed to a visual model of this content. Following the teaching activity, the 46 students achieved a mean score of 23.15 out of 25 questions, equivalent to 9.26 out of 10 points. Feedback from students and experts indicated that the model was positively evaluated in terms of visual clarity, support for knowledge acquisition, pedagogical value, and suitability for STEM education.