This study explores the importance of scientific observation in primary education, highlighting how the use of observation sheets can facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and the development of students' observation skills. In the research, 153 second-grade students were divided into three experimental groups, each group observing a woody plant…

The aim of this research was to assess students' ability to explain scientific phenomena by means of a POE pedagogical tool. To achieve this aim, we conducted home experiments in a digital environment. In this qualitative and transversal ex-post-facto research, 775 pupils (aged 13-18 years) enrolled in compulsory secondary education from the…

The present study explores the validity of inferences that may be drawn from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) learner achievement data by measuring the South African curriculum-TIMSS alignment for the Grade 8 science assessments from 2007 to 2019. The Singapore curriculum--TIMSS alignment indices are a fair…

Science process skills are the backbone of science, and innovations in this field. It is critical to inculcate such skills among learners at their early stages of learning science. This study reports on how using the mobile phone WhatsApp-supported instructional resources resulted in improvement in students' science process skills in chemistry, in…

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Instructional labs: Improving traditions and new directions.] We present the pedagogical design and implementation of "ESSENCe": Experimental problem solving using Staging, Scaffolding, Embedded information sources, iNstruments, and Collaboration. Research in experimental physics requires…

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) were developed by 26 lead states with NSTA, AAAS, NRC, and Achieve in 2013 to provide a new vision for the teaching of science in U.S. schools. Teachers' applications have been mainly concentrated on efforts to align the current practices with the standards. Elementary science teachers need to use…

Microorganisms are ubiquitous in nature and are central to human, animal, environmental, and planetary health. They play a particularly important role in the food chain and the production of high-quality, safe, and health-promoting foods, especially fermented foods. This important role is not always apparent to members of the public. Here, we…

Science education is crucial for fostering knowledge across academic disciplines. Past efforts to enhance science achievement at the elementary level have explored various instructional strategies. Among these, the Understanding by Design (UbD) model has shown notable potential in improving science achievement outcomes compared to traditional…

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…

Understanding why teachers teach the way they do is important especially in a time of curriculum reforms. Hence, the aim of this research is to unpack the secondary school physical science teachers' beliefs on the purposes and goals of science teaching (PGST) and to check the alignment of their beliefs on PGST with constructivism. A convergent…

Questions have a critical role in learning and teaching. People ask questions to obtain information and express interest in ideas. The Bristol scientific centre "We The Curious" launched "Project What If" in 2017 to inspire residents of Bristol to record their questions and pursue their curiosities. Researching these questions…

Politics and science are inextricably connected, particularly in relation to the climate emergency and other environmental crises, yet science education is an often overlooked site for engaging with the political dimensions of environmental issues. This study examines how science teachers in England experience politics--specifically political…

The purpose of this study is to examine how and in what ways the dimensions of the nature of science are included in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade science textbooks taught between 1926 and 2018 and to determine how these dimensions are represented in textbooks based on curricula shifts. In this study, a total of 24 textbooks allowed by the Ministry…

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…

Socio-scientific issues-based science instruction addresses societal-related issues to promote contemporary science education. Societal-related issues almost always have to be considered in the cultural environment to which they are relevant. This means that the cultural aspects of socio-scientific issues need to be taken into account to develop…