Self-efficacy and achievement goals represent two extensively researched motivational factors in education and have been related to numerous academic outcomes. However, little is known about how they relate to different types of problem-solving. Furthermore, while prior work has found these motivational factors are related, less work has examined…

Critiquing arguments is important for K-12 science students to learn but not emphasized by the predominant claim-evidence-reasoning (CER) argumentation model. Drawing on the work of Yu and Zenker (2020), and Dove and Nussbaum (2018), we developed a tool for supplementing CER with critical questions (CQs) from philosophy that cover most, if not…

Although the chemical literature contains many studies of multimedia-based learning and teacher enthusiasm, there is a paucity of research on whether and to what extent teacher enthusiasm in video lectures affects students' learning, especially in chemistry. In this context, this mixed-method study used eye tracking and quantitative analysis to…

Reforms such as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) call for substantial change in teacher practice such as instruction that is more phenomenon-based, three-dimensional, supportive of student epistemic agency, and coherent from the student perspective. Such change requires ongoing support in the form of aligned curricular materials and…

This mixed-method study introduced an adaptive scaffolding system to support middle school science problem-based learning (PBL) activities. 298 6th-graders were grouped into three conditions, which are the adaptive scaffolding group, the non-adaptive scaffolding group, and a control group that did not receive any scaffoldings. Results showed that…

The first aim of the study was to apply the revised version of the Dimensions of Attitudes toward Science Scale, namely Dimension of Attitudes toward Physics Teaching Scale (DAPT) with a sample consisting of 207 in-service science teachers in Turkey. The second was to determine the percentage distributions of in-service science teachers' attitudes…

The inclusion of computational thinking (CT) into science curricula has advocated implementing a computationally rich science learning environment where students learn science via building models in a computer programming platform. Such an approach may influence teachers' self-efficacy for teaching science which may also be associated with their…

Background: Research suggests that head-mounted displays (HMD) can spark situational interest when they are used to provide science learning experiences that are not possible in traditional classroom settings. However, few studies have investigated the lasting effects of using HMDs in an authentic instructional intervention. Objectives: We…

This study examined the impact on the motivation of students toward learning physics upon applying the Nikola Tesla Center (NTC) learning system. The research was conducted using a quasi-experiment with a pretest-posttest non-equivalent control group design. The participants considered were a large group of 1371 students, from various grades and…

With the implementation of Next Generation Science Standards, educators shifted from lecturer to facilitator using inquiry-based learning approaches. Teachers may express anxiety about this role reversal in providing scientific instruction. This study addressed conflicting perspectives in the implementation of inquiry-based learning approaches as…

Game-based learning refers to establishing learning environments that involve digital or non-digital games to enhance students' knowledge and skill acquisition. Previous studies indicated that game-based learning is superior to the conventional instructional method, but few compared the differences between different game types. This study examined…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the student and teacher-level predictors of Turkish middle school students' engagement in science classes. Students' engagement was examined in terms of agentic, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement. The participants of the study were 134 Turkish science teachers and their 3394 grade 7…

A high self-efficacy in teaching is sometimes used as a kind of litmus test of science teaching practices. However, the connection between self-efficacy and teaching effectiveness is not well established. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the connections between self-efficacy and enacted science teaching of preservice elementary…

There is a national need to recruit more science teachers. Enhancing pathways to teaching for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors could help to address this need. The Learn By Doing Lab is a course in which STEM undergraduates teach hands-on life science and physical science to local third- through eighth-grade…

Science education is shifting from a vision of students memorizing facts towards engaging in figuring out the natural world as students build ideas from their own experiences and backgrounds. This shift is hard for teachers. One way to support teachers is curriculum-based professional development, which pairs high-quality instructional materials…