The Teacher Assessment in Primary Science (TAPS) Focused Assessment approach embeds assessment within normal classroom science activities. Essentially, a Focused Assessment is a lesson plan for a science inquiry, with an identified focus for assessment and guidance on how to interpret the children's responses in relation to expectations for that…

Physical and virtual labs have unique capabilities that can influence how students learn from them. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of physical and virtual manipulatives on students' learning of heat and temperature and to examine the influence of various combinations of physical and virtual manipulatives. A total of 205…

In this Educational Leadership Portfolio (ELP), I focus on how to create an elementary-level STEM program. Improving STEM education is a priority for the economic health of the United States. Preparing college and secondary students to enter advanced coursework falls on K-8 teachers to build foundational skills and interest in STEM fields. Yet,…

Background: The question of the efficiency of withholding answers and the physical manipulation of material in science education has become the target of a large number of researchers (proponents of the Cognitive Load Theory) in recent years. However, no research has been found examining the contribution of these elements of teaching to the…

Teaching a field experience course during a pandemic resulted in unique challenges because preservice teachers could not visit classrooms like they would in a traditional field experience. This article is a self-study exploration of the tensions experienced by a doctoral student teaching an elementary math and science field experience in a fully…

We describe the development, design, implementation, and preliminary classroom results of an innovative curriculum, "Focus on Energy," that supports learning about energy in Grades 4-5. The curriculum is grounded in the concepts of science as practice, model-based reasoning, and learning progressions, and builds on students' pre-existing…

This study aims to investigate the effect of the Project-based Learning (PjBL) learning model and class differences based on online learning settings (synchronous, asynchronous, and mixed) on the analytical abilities of the Discovery Learning (DL), Interactive Demonstration (ID), and Inquiry Lessons (IL) models after adjusting for IQ of…

The role of virtual simulations in the evolution of primary school students' mental models about electrostatics is investigated by analysing the answers of two groups of 9-10 years old pupils inside instructional sequences that combine two hands-on activities using balloons and jackets with the same activities using PhET simulations: one group…

The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of activities based on scientific process skills on problem-solving skills of 4th grade students in science lessons. In the study a non-equivalent control group pre-test and post-test design type of quasi-experimental method was used. The research study group was composed of 30 students with 15…

This study aims to explore the impact of an augmented reality (AR) scientific inquiry tool based on a brain-computer interface (BCI) on students' scientific performance, flow experience, self-efficacy, and cognitive load of primary school students. The BCI-based AR inquiring tool provides real-time attention feedback to students' activities in an…

Multilingual learners (MLs) often struggle with science conceptual learning partly due to the abstractness of the concepts and the complexity of scientific texts. This study presents a case of a Virtual Reality (VR) enhanced science learning unit to support middle-school students' science conceptual learning. Using a transformative mixed methods…

Statistics need data and data need context. Contexts from across the curriculum can be the most powerful in creating interest, reward, and enthusiasm for both teachers and students. The activity described here is based in STEM, employing aspects of each field to create and solve a hypothetical problem of escaping from an erupting volcano (Science)…

The integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-based digital learning has shown a significant impact on enhancing the 6C skills (character, citizenship, critical thinking, creative thinking, collaboration, and communication) of elementary school students. This quasi-experimental study, involving 200 participants from…

This study utilizes the meta-analysis method described by Timulak (Psychother Res 19(4-5):591-600, 2009) to create a more cohesive understanding of culturally responsive (CR) science teaching for in-service science teachers. Through the lens of Critical Race Theory, this study explores two questions: (1) What common themes emerge in studies…

The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the adoption of online learning methods worldwide, including in Malaysia. The Ministry of Education (MoE) in Malaysia has recognized the importance of online learning due to the implementation of Movement Control Order (MCO). However, the limitations of online learning, such as reduced interaction between…