This study validated an instrument for measuring student engagement in the context of Chinese science curriculum reforms. We adapted existing items from well-designed instruments with the context of science learning and formed the initial instrument of the Student Engagement in Science Learning (SESL) consisting of 20 items in four subscales,…

Background: Developing upper secondary school students' understanding of the nature of science and technology are important priorities in educational systems worldwide. More research is needed to better understand the conditions under which teaching and learning of epistemological insights become possible, as well as the tools that are necessary…

The purpose of the study is to see if there is a significant difference in chemistry exam achievement growth for 10th grade students in classes with problem-based learning compared with those students in classes with direct instruction. The state in which the study was conducted is developing new standards that are challenging students more than…

Teaching the noncommutativity of the product of matrices to high school or college level students is a difficult task when approached from a purely formal perspective. The aim of this paper is to present a simple experimental activity for teaching the noncommutativity of the matrix product, based on the Jones calculus, a mathematical formalism for…

In this paper, we discuss a demonstration we have been performing for years with students from different levels, from physics students from our university to high school students in some talks aimed at encouraging them to study science. It provides visualization of Brewster's angle in an ingenious way using a "loaded" liquid crystal…

International science education reforms seek to support teachers in using everyday assessment to draw out and work with student ideas; however, developing these instructional practices requires time and support. This paper investigates how a professional development program supported high school chemistry teachers to learn about formative…

The greenhouse effect is a complex scientific phenomenon that plays a crucial role in understanding climate change. Grasping students' understanding of this phenomenon on the content-specific level but also how students' conceptions are organized is vital for effective climate change education. This study addresses both levels and delves into the…

Using smartphones in experimental physics teaching offers many advantages in terms of engagement, pedagogy and flexibility. But it presents drawbacks such as possibly endangering the device and also facing the heterogeneity of available sensors on different smartphones. We present a low-cost alternative that preserves the advantages of…

Algorithms may be better at prediction than humans in a variety of contexts, but they are not perfect. A deeper understanding of the ways in which educators use and question algorithmic advice within their professional domain is needed. Educators are a particularly unique professional group, in comparison with the other groups studied in the…

Holism evolution states that although energy, matter, life, consciousness and the human personality are independent and different substances/levels of evolution, they are holistically and intimately related. This paper presents the findings from teaching chemistry to high school science students and post-graduate university science-education…

Drawing upon the model for science teacher assessment literacy developed by [Abell, S. K., & Siegel, M. A. (2011). Assessment literacy: What science teachers need to know and be able to do. In "The professional knowledge base of science teaching" (pp. 205-221). Springer. https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2102/10.1007/978-90-481-3927-9_12], this study…

In this paper is presented a pilot study for the investigation of the relevant factors within some experimental works carried out by students, after going through the learning unit "Movement and rest", which can be found in the chapter "Principles and laws in classical mechanics", from the physics curriculum for the ninth grade…

A class of 18 students attending the last year of an Italian high school was divided into groups and performed the extraction of pigments contained in hibiscus tea. Each group worked at a different temperature and carried out multiple extractions using distilled water as a solvent. By means of UV-vis spectroscopy it was possible to determine the…

We present a simple and affordable method for making a surface electrodynamic trap for microparticles. The principles of electrodynamic trapping of charged particles are discussed and step-by-step instructions on how to make a surface trap are given. In addition to the electrodynamic trap implementation and operation process, options for its…

Natural science itself is an experimental science, so practice and experimentation are important and are typical teaching methods of this subject. To make practice and experiment play the highest strengths in teaching and developing the ability to learn about nature - one of the three specific competencies of natural science, the association of…