We are engaged in research intended to identify types of didactical changes perceived necessary in the process of evaluating and refining a teaching/learning sequence as a consequence of the students? achievements. In this project, a partnership of secondary-school teachers and researchers has been established as a ?learning community?. During the curriculum-design process this partnership has developed a conceptual clarification of sound attenuation in materials, a conceptual sequence and both teaching/learning and assessment tasks that reflect the students? views on inquiry, modelling and ICT?s. This poster presents a longitudinal study focused on the process of design and refinement of the teaching/learning sequence, which deals with the acoustic properties of materials concerning the phenomenon of sound attenuation. The learning objectives to be achieved by students along this module and the sequence itself are briefly presented in the poster. The pedagogical approach and rationale underlying the design of the sequence are also discussed. Different assessment activities have been used to analyse students? outcomes. Preliminary results on the needs and students? difficulties evidenced during the first classroom implementation of the module and the changes proposed to overcome them are presented here. We also present first results regarding student understanding of a model of sound attenuation in terms of energy.