Introduction: The Roma Mentor Project has originally been the experimental educational model of Open Society Institute for multiply disadvantaged Roma and non-Roma youth in the period 2006-2013. Following the closure of OSI's experimental and alternative educational projects, it has been run further, during the 2016/17 academic year, with the…

The creation and use of models in science is of great importance for knowledge production and communication. For example, toy models are often used as idealized explanatory models in physics education. Models can be a powerful tool for exploring phenomena in ways that facilitate learning. However, careful consideration of instruction and…

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) project refers to experiments conducted to address problems, make improvements, or discover new things in those fields that can be tested using the scientific method. This paper describes a long-term STEM project in which pre-service science teachers (PSSTs) have a chance to discover new…

It may be asserted that there is no more effective deterrent to crime than the certainty of detection. Equally true is that there is no surer way to establishing identity than by fingerprints. The detection of fingerprints at the scene of crime is therefore one of the most powerful tools available in casework investigations. However, if the crime…

Teaching alternating currents, ac or sound waves, is incomplete without an introduction to the oscilloscope. An oscilloscope is a tool that graphically displays electrical signals and shows their time dependence. However, due to the pandemic, triggered by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, many students do not have the opportunity to master the use of an…

This study reports on a case study about multimodal work in a primary physics classroom focusing on forces. Previous research reports that students benefit from multimodal work in science classrooms. Yet, few systematic studies have been performed to reveal how students represent their experiences and ideas of science phenomena over time within…

In this study, we analyzed how general chemistry students generated experimental designs corresponding to general chemistry questions such as the ones typically found in general chemistry textbooks. We found that students were very successful in including experimental design aspects that were explicitly mentioned in the general chemistry…

Here we showcase an undergraduate teaching laboratory in which students synthesize and characterize colloidal nanoparticles of organic semiconductors and assess their suitability for applications in printed electronics such as solar cells and bioelectronics. Scanning electron microscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy…

In view of the mounting requirements for courses in nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry, hands-on experience in the separations of radioisotopes is imperative. Three separation techniques commonly used were introduced, coprecipitation, liquid-liquid extraction, and ion-exchange chromatography. Their principles and the associated fundamental…

In pharmaceutical laboratory teaching and learning, students' written reports allow them to document their understanding. Therefore, feedback on these reports is crucial for the students' continued learning. This study investigates written feedback on laboratory reports and compares the students' perceptions with teachers' intentions. The study is…

In chemistry, a eutectic mixture refers to a mixture of two or more components at which the lowest possible freezing point is observed. This phenomenon is covered in a wide range of curricula such as physics, chemistry, chemical engineering, and pharmacy to various depths. Despite the significance of this phenomenon in pharmaceutical compounding…

The pharmacologically active lignans sesamin and sesamolin are minor components of sesame oil and ingredients in OTC dietary supplement capsules. We report an introductory undergraduate organic laboratory experiment combining natural product isolation and spectral analysis in which students isolate a mixture of sesamin and sesamolin by either (1)…

Hydrogels are soft water-rich materials with physical properties that can be easily tuned by modifying their network structure. For instance, increasing or decreasing the cross-linking density has a profound effect on their water absorption capabilities and mechanical strength. These physical changes are showcased in a new experiment for organic…

The carbonyl group of an aldehyde or ketone reacts with different types of nucleophiles through a nucleophilic addition reaction. When the nucleophile is water, the product obtained is a "gem"-diol or geminal diol. This functionalization is unstable and quickly reverts to the parent carbonyl group. The chemistry of "gem"-diols…

Enzyme-like catalysis is the use of artificial catalysts to catalyze chemical reactions, which has the characteristics of enzymatic catalysis, such as high selectivity, high efficiency, and mild reaction conditions. In recent years, 2D materials, thickness ranging from a single to several atomic layers, have become a hot research topic in the…