The world's third largest producer of scientific research, Germany, is the origin of the research university and the independent, extra-university research institute. Its dual-pillar research policy differentiates these organizational forms functionally: universities specialize in advanced research-based teaching; institutes specialize intensely…

Although participation in citizen science can improve cognitive and affective learning outcomes, many citizen science projects exhibit low retention rates. By gaining an understanding of forms of engagement, reasons for ongoing participation, and the impact of project design on participant motivation and engagement, we can help keep people…

Background: Exposure to conflicting health information can produce negative affective and cognitive responses, including confusion and backlash, and the effects of this exposure can even "carry over" and reduce people's receptivity to subsequent messages about health behaviors for which there is scientific consensus. What is not known is…

Citizen science programs offer opportunities for K-12 students to engage in authentic science inquiry. However, these programs often fall short of including learners as agents in the entire process, and thus contrast with the growing open science movement within scientific communities. Notably, study ideation and peer review, which are central to…

Undergraduate research and laboratory experiences provide a wide range of benefits to student learning in science and are integral to imbed authentic research experiences in biology labs. While the benefit of courses with research experience is widely accepted, it can be challenging to measure conceptual research skills in a quick and easily…

This paper examines student experiences in a workshop-based undergraduate research experience studying the activity and inhibition of salivary amylase that provides students with the chance to participate in authentic scientific research prior to the start of their undergraduate studies, following the structure of a course-based undergraduate…

The aim of this research study was to explore learning, i.e., changes in the knowledge structures of three in-service science teachers for the subject of active galaxies, through group activity conducted as part of a teacher training program. Qualitative methods were used in this study consisting of creating visual representations of the teachers'…

The perception of 3D features from 2D representations depend on their number of salient features, recognizable canonical axes, and orientations. Informed by form-perception literature, we proposed a hexagonal prism as an external reference frame to identify positions of elements in relation to each other and the observer when studying Diels-Alder…

Scientific argumentation skills are a key component of science learning practices needed by students in the 21st century. Where the essence of scientific argumentation is to support the argument with evidence and reasoning and then refute the claims and evidence of the opponent's argument. Supporting arguments with evidence and reasoning can be…

In the United States, HIV disproportionately affects people 13-45 years old, people of color, people in the south, and men who have sex with men. Given the growing number of postsecondary students within these demographic groups, this presents an equity issue and raises concerns for how higher education researchers and practitioners choose to…

A national survey on chemistry instructional laboratories was administered to faculty members at four-year postsecondary institutions in the United States for the purpose of exploring levels of inquiry-based instruction implemented in laboratory courses. Respondents were asked to rate the level of choice their students had in deciding six key…

Arab researchers encounter formidable obstacles when conducting and publishing their scientific work. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 17 Arab researchers from various Arab Middle East countries to gain a comprehensive understanding of the difficulties they face in research and publication. We analyzed the transcripts using reflexive…

Researchers' notions of research quality depend on their field of research. Previous studies have shown that field-specific assessment criteria exist but could explain neither why these specific criteria and not others exist, nor how criteria are used in specific assessment situations. To give initial answers to these questions, formal assessment…

The allocation of scientific funding through grant programs is crucial for research advancement. While independent peer panels typically handle evaluations, their decisions can lean on personal preferences that go beyond the stated criteria, leading to inconsistencies and potential biases. Given these concerns, our study employs a novel method,…

The ability to construct scientific explanations is a vital goal of learning science at all levels. Students from different backgrounds are likely to have this ability differently. This research aimed to assess Thai grade 10 students' ability to construct scientific explanations, examine differences based on learning achievement, attitude toward…