The objective of the current study was to identify an effective learning environment for kindergarten students as they acquire an initial understanding of scientific inquiry activities (SIA) and a simple (idealized) scientific inquiry cycle (SIC). The study aimed to examine (a) the effects of instructional support and (b) the role of similarity…

Understanding experimental design (e.g. control of variable strategy or CVS) is foundational for scientific reasoning. Previous research has demonstrated that demonstrations with cognitive conflict (e.g. asking students to evaluate and explain different experimental designs) are effective in promoting children's scientific reasoning, however, the…

This article explores the integration of the art studio framework developed by Harvard University's Project Zero into science education and investigates its influence on the academic achievements of third-grade students. This study involved a cohort of 140 third-grade students from a primary school in Iran, 70 of whom were students assigned to an…

The current study investigates the effects of outdoor classrooms on the third-grade male students learning in science lessons. A pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental field research are conducted using experimental and control groups. A study sample of 54 male students at a school in Shiraz was selected by the non-random multi-staged sampling…

Improving achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is essential for elevating individual success and solving societal challenges. Yet national and international assessments paint a poor picture of students' STEM competencies (NAEP, 2019; OECD, 2018). An untapped avenue to improve STEM education lies in developing…

Science teachers have been urged to use emerging technologies, such as robots, in ways that empower K-12 students as active participants responsible for their learning and knowledge development within the scientific domain. And yet, little is known about whether the use of robots effectively supports students' epistemic agency in science learning.…

Evolution is the integrative framework of the life sciences. Even though the topic is often not formally introduced before high school, young children already have various ideas about evolutionary principles (variation, inheritance, and selection) and their underlying key concepts (e.g., differential fitness, reproduction, and speciation).…

A student's socioeconomic status (SES) has a significant relation to their academic achievement. Much of this work has explored this in math and reading, but less is known about how SES relates to science achievement, particularly in the early grades. Using quantile regression with nationally representative data, we explored this relation in…

This longitudinal study examines the relationship between students' knowledge-in-use performance and their performance on third-party designed summative tests within a coherent and equitable learning environment. Focusing on third-grade students across three consecutive project-based learning (PBL) units aligned with the Next Generation Science…

This study aims to examine the impact on environmental attitudes and awareness of kindergarten pupils of an intensive education programme based on basic science process skills including the 'reduce, reuse and recycle (3Rs)' paradigm for preschool children. A quasi-experimental pattern with non-equivalent pretest-posttest and with a control group…

Using a verbal protocol, this study investigated how 38 second-grade students identify, describe, and interpret five types of commonly used visual graphics in science texts (i.e., cut-away diagrams, maps, captioned photographs, flow diagrams, and hybrids). Additionally, we explored the challenges students encountered when interpreting these…

This study explores a third-grade teacher's (Deb) developing knowledge and practice for incorporating representations into her teaching of science over the course of 2 years. Data was gathered from the same science unit (Rock Formation) over 2 years, and consisted of video of seven lessons, one of which was the same lesson taught over both years.…

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that influence the self-efficacy of undergraduate kindergarten teachers and kindergarten teachers to teach science in kindergarten. The research questions were: (1) To what extent, if at all, does the research participants' self-efficacy to teach science change following their academic…

This study aimed to unveil pre-service primary school teachers' (PPSTs) technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) regarding the unit "Let's Recognize the Force" suggested by grade 3 science curriculum. Through a single-case (holistic) design of case study method, 43 PPSTs voluntarily participated in the study. To collect data,…

Schools across the United States are seeing an increase in culturally and linguistically diverse students. While there is recognition of the need for culturally and linguistically responsive teaching practices in K-12 settings, many teachers encounter challenges in effectively implementing these practices, particularly in science classrooms. There…