Basic science process skills (SPSs) constitute a key dimension of the scientific competence that should be developed from an early age. Therefore, preservice elementary teachers (PETs) who are preparing to teach science should have a sufficient mastery about it. This study presents a questionnaire that allows gradual levels of performance in SPSs…

In this study, the process of design, implementation, evaluation, and redesign of a Teaching-Learning Sequence (TLS) on simple machines for students of 9-12 years old is shown according to the principles of Design Based Research. The aim is to create a TLS that satisfactorily addresses the conceptual difficulties inherent to the object of study…

Despite improvements in female science enrolment, the gender gap remains in some disciplines. This study examines whether elementary school students (N = 1012, third to sixth graders) display gender-stereotypical interest in learning biology and physics content and how this affects their attitudes towards school science. K-means cluster analysis…

Evolution by natural selection is a theory that constitutes a powerful paradigm capable of conveying the teaching-learning of multiple concepts in biology. However, it has been controversial from its formulation to the present, which also affects education. For instance, while some of the basic curricula of primary education in Europe are arranged…

The type of tests used most by Primary Education teachers in the Spanish education system is traditional examinations, despite not fulfilling the educational qualities that pedagogy and the Spanish law prescribe for assessment processes. In this study, an assessment test has been designed by applying game-design elements to examinations of the…

The much-needed interest in promoting a healthy lifestyle among school-age students has found a context for development: school gardens. There are numerous studies where using gardens as a teaching-learning context also improves students' performance in the experimental sciences. In this study, we proposed another interest that sets it apart and…

It is vital that the next generation of young people develop scientific skills to ensure global environmental sustainability and the capacity to solve many of the global problems caused by narrow scientific thinking. The aim of this article is to discuss the interest on studying science of primary school students and how to engage them in science…

Project-based learning (PBL) is a promising teaching method for integrated science education that has gained momentum in educational research and curriculum reforms, especially as a method to enhance 21st century skills and connected worldview. How teachers implement PBL greatly affects students' content understanding and development of skills.…

This study examines the drawings that 178 young children carried out on two different occasions separated by a period of one year to explain their understanding of the plant world. The pictorial content of the drawings was analysed in accordance to the categories that previous research has proved to be useful when it comes to gaining an insight…

Background: Microorganisms are very important in day-to-day life, but they are inadequately addressed in the Spanish educational system. It is essential that students are well informed about their characteristics and functions. Purpose: The study aims to find out primary school students' perceptions of microorganisms and to analyze whether…

Background: An in-depth understanding of pre-service primary teachers' progression towards teaching science through inquiry is critical for improving teacher education programmes and, ultimately, improving the quality of science teaching and learning in the classroom. Purpose: This study set out to describe and analyse the progression of…

Science education should help children acquire sophisticated understandings about science, how it is done, and how they can be scientists. Consequently, there is a need to explore how minoritized children's linguistic and cultural resources can be employed in the science classroom. This study examined how perceptions of science teaching and…

Several international reports promote the use of the inquiry teaching methodology for improvements in science education at elementary school. Nevertheless, research indicates that pre-service elementary teachers have insufficient experience with this methodology and when they try to implement it, the theory they learnt in their university…

In education, the use of information, computers, and the Internet as a form of blended technology has been receiving increased attention and consideration. Additionally, increasing attention is being paid toward a scaffolding mechanism that can be integrated into science classrooms in order to solve technological challenges. This work describes a…

Inquiry-based educational Araitz Uskola contexts including observation of the Moon have been found to facilitate students' understanding of the Sun-Earth-Moon system. However, the role that the collected data play in the knowledge construction process is unclear, as the process that students develop from the collected data has not previously been…