Cosmology concepts encompass complex spatial and temporal relations that are counterintuitive. Cosmology findings, because of their intrinsic interest, are often reported in the public domain with enthusiasm, and students come to cosmology with a range of conceptions some aligned and some at variance with the current science. This makes cosmology…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive design study was to understand how 6-12th grade teachers describe their teacher evaluation experiences and the role those experiences play in shaping their instructional practices. The literature review indicated the need to understand how teacher understandings of evaluation tools influence their…

We present an example of a novel, model-based approach to instruction in which learners constructed a representation of a specific phenomenon, evaluated their representation, and then revised it, via an abstraction process, to construct a model. The example took place in high school in the context of solution chemistry. The aim of the instruction…

The role of motivation in chemistry learning has long been explored and has become an exciting research topic worldwide. The aim of this study was to explore whether gender, class and students' anxiety influenced the motivation to learn chemistry among upper-secondary school students in Indonesia. The Chemistry Motivation Questionnaire II and the…

When students encounter challenging problems, difficulty or errors in the problem solving process, they must have the ability to adapt or change their problem solving methods; in other words, they must possess strategic flexibility. The aim of this study was to determine the strategic flexibility indicators displayed by gifted children in solving…

This study examined Thai senior high school EFL learners' receptive and productive knowledge of English polysemous phrasal verbs. The research employed the framework developed by Garnier and Schmitt (2015), which is the most widely acknowledged and functional concept of English polysemous phrasal verb knowledge. A battery of tests measuring the…

The current study expands on previous research on gender differences and similarities in science test scores. Using three different approaches -- differential item functioning, differential distractor functioning, and decision tree analysis -- we examine a high school science assessment administered to 3,849 10th-12th graders, of whom 2,021 are…

Students' science identity has been identified as an important construct that positively influences their learning engagement, persistence, and career intentions in science. This paper reported the process of developing and validating an instrument that can be used to assess high school students' science identity. The development of this…

Astronomy is seen as a "gateway" science, inspiring students to pursue Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics (STEM) related careers. However, there is little evidence that students' attitudes towards astronomy remain stable over time. By integrating Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), we identified…

The purpose of this research is to explore the influence of high school gifted and talented (GT) programs on students' self-concept from the students' perspectives in the UAE. A qualitative, exploratory, interview-based study was employed to answer the following question: How gifted and talented programs influence students' self-concept? Data were…

Less engagement in learning among students' becomes an obstacle to their academic journey, which teacher self-efficacy can influence. This study examined the level and linkages between students' engagement and teacher self-efficacy using data from 714 selected secondary school teachers in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. Descriptive and…

Over the past several decades it has become increasingly important to understand nature of science (NOS) for scientific literacy in science education. Science education researchers have suggested using socio-scientific issues to create a context for that purpose. The present fast-moving coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic as a socio-scientific issue…

This case study aims to investigate the effectiveness of an online science enhancement program in retaining ethnic minority students in science by providing them with opportunities to interact with cultural role-models of scientists and engineers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study draws on foundational theories of identity formation and…

Logical reasoning as part of critical thinking is becoming more and more important to prepare students for their future life in society, work, and study. This article presents the results of a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test control group design focusing on the effective use of formalisations to support logical reasoning. The…

This study was grounded in the social cognitive career theoretical framework (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994). The purpose of this four-year longitudinal study was to examine the factors that may have contributed to students' motivation to develop STEM interest during secondary school years. The participants in our study were 9th-11th grade high…