Academic Achievement In Science Research Articles

A Meta-Analysis on the Effect of Context-Based Learning on Students' Science Academic Achievement in the Turkish Education System

In this study, the effect of context-based learning (CBL) on Turkish students' science academic achievement was calculated using the meta-analysis method. The Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) 2.0 program was used to calculate the effect size. The effect size of the CBL on the achievement of the students was determined to be 0.928 and this result is interpreted as “large level” in the relevant literature (Cohen 1988; Thalheimer & Cook, 2002). It was determined that the effect of context-based learning on students' science academic achievement was p<0.05. According to all the results obtained within the scope of the research, it can be said that CBL has a significant effect on Turkish students' science academic achievement. As a result of the statistical calculations made within the scope of the research, it was concluded that context-based learning did not make a significant difference on the academic achievement of students in terms of teaching level and science field.

Effects of Early Childhood Education on Students' Academic Achievement in Science at Elementary School Level

This study aimed to find the effects of Early Childhood Education (ECE)on students’ academic achievement in science at elementary school levelin district Haripur. The study's objectives were: 1) to investigate theimpacts of ECE on students’ academic achievements, 2) to compare theacademic achievement of students who have attended ECE with those whohave not attended ECE over the categories of male and female schools. Allstudents at the elementary school level were considered as the populationof the study. The study was delimited to grade 7th of the elementary schoollevel. Ten (10) schools (five male and female schools each) were randomlyselected as sample of the study. Four hundred (400) students (200 for ECEand Non ECE each) were randomly selected. Data were collected throughacademic achievement test having reliability coefficient 0.87. Data wereanalyzed by using SPSS software. ECE (Male) group was found superiorto Non ECE (male and female groups); ECE (Female) group was foundbetter than Non ECE (male and female groups). However, both the maleand female of Non ECE groups were equal; and both the male and femaleof ECE groups were equal in their science academic achievement.Government may encourage ECE by providing pre-primary educationalfacilities (classrooms, instructional materials, and equipment) and byorganizing in-service teachers’ trainings to enhance teaching skills and tomake it more successful

Senior High School Students' Multiple Intelligences and their Relationship with Academic Achievement in Science

Purpose of the study: This study aims to investigate senior high school students’ multiple intelligences and their academic achievement in science.
 Methodology: This study employs a descriptive correlational research design. The respondents of this study were 300 in the 11th Grade of senior high school students. The Multiple Intelligences Inventory is used to assess students' intelligence, while their final grade in science measures academic achievement.
 Main Findings: The results of this study showed that senior high school students possess all intelligence to a great extent. Existential intelligence obtained the highest mean score of 3.96, as possessed by the respondents. On the other hand, musical intelligence got the lowest mean score of 3.60. It also showed that all multiple intelligences correlate with academic performance achievement. The correlation analysis showed that all multiple intelligences were statistically significant and could positively predict academic achievement in science.
 Novelty/Originality of this study: This present study may give insights to teachers about integrating multiple intelligences in the classroom.

The ‘Homework Gap’ and Academic Achievement in High School Science: An Ecological Perspective for Policymakers and Practitioners

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are increasingly required within K-12 educational settings, yet the impact of youth’s access to and use of digital resources outside of the classroom on academic achievement is only beginning to be explored in the literature. This study used data from the Fragile Families & Child Wellbeing Study to assess the relationship between grades in high school science and digital equity across the learner’s ecological environment. Digital inequities experienced by school-aged youth are referred to as the homework gap. The COVID-19 pandemic placed new urgency on resolving the homework gap as millions of students shifted to full-time online or learning at home during the pandemic. Study findings show that ICT access and use across ecological domains is a significant predictor of urban youths’ academic achievement in science.

Effect of Collaborative Learning on Elementary School Students’ Academic Achievement in Science

Effect of Collaborative Learning on Elementary School Students’ Academic Achievement in Science

Prediction of primary education HSEE (LGS) science achievement through artificial neural networks

This study aimed to investigate the prediction level of science success in high school entrance exams (HSEE /LGS) using artificial neural networks (ANNs) by associating students’ success in science classes from the 4th-grade elementary level. The Pearson Moment Product Correlation analysis results were analyzed using the SPSS program to examine the connection between students' performance on the LGS science subtest and their academic achievement in science. In the MATLAB program, artificial neural network modeling performance was examined to understand the level of prediction. The data sets were obtained from the electronic school system of the Ministry of National Education for the 4th to 8th- grades of 1027 students graduating from 24 schools in 17 districts of Bursa in the 2017-2018 academic year and entered the 2018 LGS and LGS result documents without personal information. When the correlations between the LGS science sub-test and science test success were examined (p <.001), the highest and lowest correlations were found in the 8th-grade science exams (r = .70) and the 4th-grade ones (r=.57), respectively. The highest performance values were learning R=.80, verification R=.74, and test R=.75, RMSE=2.35 at the network architecture, generated in the second sub-problem and the trained network with 845 student data. A high-level relationship with r=.75 (p<.001) using the data of 182 students was obtained, while the correct numbers of simulated real LGS science sub-tests compared with the correct numbers predicted by the computer after the training process of the network. In addition, it was obtained that 124 students out of 182 were correctly estimated in the [+ 2, -2] error value range.

Do Students' STEM Skill Levels Affect Their Math and Science Achievement?

The aim of this study is to determine the academic achievements of 8th graders in mathematics and science courses and STEM skill levels. The research has been carried out with the survey model. The sample of the study consists of 251 8th grade students in the 2020-2021 academic year. Math and Science academic achievement tests and STEM skill levels scale was used for data gathering. The scores obtained within this framework have been analyzed using arithmetic mean, standard deviation, t and Pearson r correlation and regression analyses. As a result of the research, we have reached that the means of the students in science and mathematics courses are similar and low. STEM skill levels of male and female students have been found to be similar in terms of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology factors, but male students are more successful than female students in both math and science courses. It has also been found that STEM skill levels influence students' math and science academic achievements, and STEM skill level perceptions influenced students' math and science achievements.

Invisible multilingual Black and Brown girls: Raciolinguistic narratives of identity in science education

AbstractBlack and Brown girls are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Although studies have examined the reasons for this by exploring Black and Brown girls' experiences based on culture, gender, and race, there is a need for specifically understanding how language contributes to racialized experiences in science education. This study fills this critical gap by presenting narratives of three academically talented multilingual girls from Black and Brown communities. Utilizing semi‐structured interviews, self‐identifying questionnaires, and identity‐as‐narrative analysis, this study demonstrates how the racialized experiences of these multilingual Black and Brown girls influenced their relations to science, ideas about the attributes of a science person, and developing science identities. The findings suggest that although the girls had a strong affiliation with science and academic achievement in science, the girls' experiences were racialized through raciolinguistic ideologies and dominant cultural practices of science, which left them invisibilized and unsure about pursuing a future career in STEM. The implications of this study underline the importance of looking at the problem of underrepresentation as an issue of identification, belonging, and representation rather than an of academic skill or interest.

Investigation of the Effect of the Simulation Method on Academic Achievement in Science with 7th graders in Science Course

This study aimed to investigate the effect of the simulation method on the academic achievement of the 7th-graders in secondary school in the science course. The 'Light' unit was selected as a subject. The research was carried out with the participation of 98 students (Experiment, n = 52 and Control, n = 46) at a secondary school in the city center of Çanakkale in the spring term of 2013-2014 academic year. It was an experimental study with the pretest-posttest control group. This study collected data with the Science Academic Achievement Test (SAAT) developed by Benli, Sarıkaya and Kayabaşı (2012). Since the validity and reliability studies of the SAAT were conducted in Çanakkale, it was recalculated and found suitable in terms of validity and reliability. In the control group, the constructivist approach was employed while in the experimental group, the simulation method was implemented. The pretest results showed no significant differences between the experimental and control groups in terms of academic achievement. When the SAAT posttest scores of the students in both groups, that is, in the control and experimental groups, were examined, the average score in favor of the experimental group was found to be higher. At the end of the study, when the SAAT posttest scores of the students in both groups were examined, the average score in favor of the experimental group was found to be higher.

Let’s Escape! The Impact of a Digital-Physical Combined Escape Room on Students’ Creative Thinking, Learning Motivation, and Science Academic Achievement

Digital and physical escape rooms have been suggested as practical and effective approaches to game-based learning and have recently gained momentum. The deficit of scholarly works that simultaneously implement both types of escape rooms legitimizes this study’s significance and appropriateness. The researchers systematically combined digital and physical escape rooms and integrated them into fifth-grade science lessons (experimental group N = 22; control group N = 21). Considering that creative thinking is one of the essential competencies in the competitive world, learning motivation is a crucial factor contributing to students’ learning, and academic achievement is a criterion for learning outcomes. The Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration), the Learning Motivation Scale (value, expectation, affect, and executive volition), and the science achievement exam were used to quantitatively investigate students’ learning effectiveness. The results indicated that the experimental group’s creative thinking and learning motivation outperformed the control group significantly. Nonetheless, both groups showed no significant difference in science academic achievement. The present study verifies that a digital–physical combined escape room is an effective and practical approach that has the potential to be widely used in schools to benefit students’ learning. Some discussions, educational implications, and suggestions for future studies and practices are offered.

Applying functional near-infrared spectroscopy and eye-tracking in a naturalistic educational environment to investigate physiological aspects that underlie the cognitive effort of children during mental rotation tests.

Spatial cognition is related to academic achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) domains. Neuroimaging studies suggest that brain regions’ activation might be related to the general cognitive effort while solving mental rotation tasks (MRT). In this study, we evaluate the mental effort of children performing MRT tasks by measuring brain activation and pupil dilation. We use functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) concurrently to collect brain hemodynamic responses from children’s prefrontal cortex (PFC) and an Eye-tracking system to measure pupil dilation during MRT. Thirty-two healthy students aged 9–11 participated in this experiment. Behavioral measurements such as task performance on geometry problem-solving tests and MRT scores were also collected. The results were significant positive correlations between the children’s MRT and geometry problem-solving test scores. There are also significant positive correlations between dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC) hemodynamic signals and visuospatial task performances (MRT and geometry problem-solving scores). Moreover, we found significant activation in the amplitude of deoxy-Hb variation on the dlPFC and that pupil diameter increased during the MRT, suggesting that both physiological responses are related to mental effort processes during the visuospatial task. Our findings indicate that children with more mental effort under the task performed better. The multimodal approach to monitoring students’ mental effort can be of great interest in providing objective feedback on cognitive resource conditions and advancing our comprehension of the neural mechanisms that underlie cognitive effort. Hence, the ability to detect two distinct mental states of rest or activation of children during the MRT could eventually lead to an application for investigating the visuospatial skills of young students using naturalistic educational paradigms.

Teachers’ Use 0f Higher-Order Cognitive Skills, Instructional Skills in Online Science Teaching and Students’ Achievement in Elementary Science

This descriptive-correlational study investigated the relationship between the teachers’ use of higher-order cognitive skills, instructional skills in online science teaching and academic achievement of students in elementary science. The respondents of the study were 91 elementary science teachers who were randomly sampled from the 117 Grade 3-6 elementary science teachers of DepEd Division of the City of Sta. Rosa. The research instrument was validated by experts in the field and its internal consistency reliability was ascertained using Cronbach Alpha. The findings revealed that the teachers always used higher order cognitive skills in online science teaching (WM=3.28). They had very high level of instructional skills in online science teaching (WM=3.42.). Sixty-five (65) or 71.43 percent of the elementary science teachers reported an aggregated GPA of 85 to 89 for their classes; 18 or 19.78 percent had 80 to 84; and 8 or 8.79 percent got 90 to 94. There were no significant relationships between the respondents’ frequency of use of higher-order cognitive skills in online science teaching and the students’ academic achievement in elementary science (p&gt;0.05); and between the respondents’ level of instructional skills in online science teaching and the students’ academic achievement in elementary science(p&gt;0.05). It was concluded in the study that the teachers’ use of higher order teaching skills in online science teaching and their instructional skills have no bearing on the academic achievement of the students. A study on the correlation between higher-order skills of students and their academic achievement in elementary science may be conducted to verify this study’s findings and confirm the other studies’ findings.

Family Background as an Indicator of Students’ Academic Achievement in Science Subjects among High School Students in Nigeria

Research has shown that students’ home background is a major factor to consider when assessing students’ learning outcome in science subjects among high school students. This paper therefore investigates how family background determines students’ academic achievement in science among high school students in southeast Nigeria. Among the three research questions raised by the study, the main one is- how does family background influence students’ academic achievement in science subjects among high school students in Southeast Nigeria? A total N=220 randomly selected from a population of science students in senior secondary schools in southeast Nigeria formed the sample size. Student’s survey questionnaire (SSQ) on a 5-point Likert scale was used as an instrument for data collection. A quantitative research design was adopted while the collected data was descriptively measured to establish the association between the two variables. The result shows that students whose parents acquired better education and higher income levels would positively support their children’s education in science subjects compared to those with lower education and income. The study concludes that the learning outcome of students in science subjects are pre-determined by the kind of family background they have, this indicates that the socio-economic status (SES) of parents is a key determinant of students’ academic achievement in science subjects in Southeast Nigeria. Keywords: Family Background: Socio-Economic Status: Parents’ Education: Parents’ Employment Status: Academic Performance.

Teachers’ Instructional Practices and Learners’ Academic Achievement in Science

The implementation of Philippine K-12 curriculum brings hope to its educational system on lifting up the poor academic standing of Filipino learners in national and international assessments. With its implementation in 2012, rectification in the instructional practices of science teachers was expected to boost the academic performance of learners. This study aimed to document the instructional practices of teachers and its correlation to the academic achievement of learners in science. A total of 96 teachers and 240 grade 10 learners were randomly selected from 6 schools in provincial and city areas of Albay, Philippines. This was employed through paper survey to the identified respondents with focus in the quantitative aspect of the study. Results revealed instructional practices emphasizing the use of differentiation for planning, spiraling and inquiry in the delivery, and product-focused and differentiation in assessment. Negligence in the use of technology is attributed to effort and preparation issues, age, and computer anxiety. Academic achievement of learners across all curricular programs in science was below the expected standards of the national policy indicating that learning is not at par with the prospects of Philippine K-12 curriculum. Correlational test revealed high relationship between academic achievement and instructional delivery, while moderate relationship to planning and assessment of instruction. It was concluded that teachers were not proficient enough in applying K-12 curriculum instructional practices to enhance the academic achievement of learners. The need to participate in ICT-based seminars in science, and paralleling instructional planning, delivery, and assessment practices were suggested.

Analysis of Korean Middle School Students’ Scientific Interpretation Differences With or Without Arrows in the Energy Pyramid

This study analyzed differences in Korean middle school students’ scientific interpretation of the energy pyramid diagram, which is a central concept of ecosystem learning, based on whether or not arrows were presented in the chart. Two classes that did not show statistically significant differences in school science academic achievement were selected. One class was shown the energy pyramid diagram with arrows, and the other without. A quasi-experimental design was adopted for quantitative research. The study found that the group interpreting the energy pyramid with arrows had a statistically significant scientific interpretation than the group interpreting the energy pyramid without arrows. In other words, arrows aided understanding of the concepts of size, biomass, and energy transfer of biological elements in the energy pyramid. In addition, the arrows aided understanding of the meaning of each piece of a pie chart, as the amount of biomass or energy being transferred to the next level of nutrition as pieces of a pie chart. Thus, it was concluded that the arrows in the energy pyramid were efficient visual elements in conveying the flow of matter and energy between living creatures. Based on the results, this study recommends that science textbooks should use arrows for more efficient understanding of scientific phenomena throughout textbooks beyond only the “ecosystem” topic.

SDGs 기반 STEAM 프로그램이 학습부진학생의 수업참여행동과 수업방해행동 및 과학학업성취도에 미치는 효과

The purpose of his study was to study the effect of the SDGs-based STEAM program on the class participation behavior, class interference behavior, and science academic achievement of students with underachievers. The subject of this study was three underachievers in B middle school selected by convencience target sampling, and the experiment was conducted in the baseline, intervention, and maintenance stages by multiple baseline design across subjects among the single target research methods. The effect on scientific achievement was examined by conducting pre-tests. Classes applied to the SDGs-based STEAM program were conducted four times a week for a total of 12 weeks, and each session was conducted for 45 minutes during each science class and science-related topic selection time. The results were as follows. First, the SDGs-based STEAM programs showed a positive effect on the underachiever's participation in the class, and the total incidence of the undertaking's participation on the participant was increased and the intervention effect was maintained. Second, the STEAM program based on SDGs had a positive effect on reducing the incidence of class disturbance behaviors of underachievers. Third, the STEAM program based on SDGs had a positive effect on improving the academic achievement of underachievers. After the intervention of the SDGs-based STEAM program. The above findings suggest that the SDGs-based STEAM program should be applied to science-centered curriculum classes of under-achieved students because the SDGs-based STEAM program has a positive effect on students' learning behavior, class obstacle behavior, and science achievement.

Findings From a Two-Year Effectiveness Trial of the Science Notebook in a Universal Design for Learning Environment

This cluster randomized control trial examines the effects of the Science Notebook in a Universal Design for Learning Environment (SNUDLE) on elementary school student science academic achievement and motivation outcomes. Multilevel analyses examined the impact of SNUDLE for all students and important student subgroups. Overall, students who received the SNUDLE intervention had similar motivation and academic achievement in science to their peers who did not receive the SNUDLE intervention. However, relative to students with disabilities in the comparison group, students with disabilities who used SNUDLE scored significantly higher on motivation in science and science academic achievement, with effect sizes (ES) ranging from 0.82 to 1.01. Furthermore, SNUDLE appeared to have a small but statistically significant positive impact on science academic performance among students whose home language is other than English or Spanish with an ES of 0.35. Fidelity of implementation analysis shows sufficient teacher training but fidelity of teacher and student usage of SNUDLE needs to be improved. The qualitative analysis of teacher interviews suggests that teachers perceived benefits of SNUDLE in support language acquisition and science writing skills. Both quantitative and qualitative findings suggest that SNUDLE holds promise for improving academic performance in science and confidence and motivation among some of the most vulnerable student populations.

Secondary Students’ Sensory Preferences and Their Influence on Science Academic Achievement

Evidence has been found that some students seem to have learning obstacles associated with particular sensory preferences when dealing with instructional materials. Therefore, knowing students’ sensory preferences could help teachers improve instructional resources. Our objectives were: (1) to describe Secondary students’ sensory preferences according to gender and age; (2) to analyse the possible association between students’ sensory preferences and their general academic achievement in science. We conducted a synchronic, cross-sectional descriptive study in a sample of 582 male and female students from 7th to 11th grade using the VARK questionnaire. There was a significant predominance of sensory preferences containing the Kinesthetic mode, and the preferences containing the Visual mode were the least frequent. Girls or boys showed similar distributions of sensory preferences. Using linear regression to predict students’ general academic achievement from VARK scores, we obtained a significant contribution of the Kinesthetic score, and a minor but still significant single contribution of the Reading/Writing score.

A quantitative investigation of the effects of new generation vs traditional upper secondary schools in Cambodia through the lens of STEM transfer model

PurposeThis study aimed to examine the effects of Cambodia's New Generation Schools (NGS), as compared to their traditional counterparts, in enhancing the seven constructs: (1) science and math achievement, (2) science and math self-efficacy, (3) science and math outcome expectations, (4) attitudes toward science, (5) interactive science and math lessons, (6) support from science and math teachers and (7) encouragement and support in science from family.Design/methodology/approachThe two observations data was collected using self-rated questionnaire from 301 11th graders from five upper secondary schools located in three provinces of Cambodia. Independent samplet-test, Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and dependent samplet-test were used to analyze the repeated measures data.FindingsThe study revealed that students from the NGS exhibited statistically higher scores for most constructs, especially for attitudes toward science. However, when controlling for the differences in the first observation data, the significant effects of the three constructs have been neutralized. Moreover, though there was an increase in science activities outside school, there was a negative trajectory in the other two sub-constructs of attitudes toward science and support from science and math teachers, both in NGS and traditional schools.Practical implicationsThese findings point some practical implications for enhancing the effectiveness of the two school types and further research.Originality/valueThere is heavy investment in new form of schools across the world to enhance students' learning and academic achievement in science and math in K-12 and to promote their interest in STEM in higher education. However, there is little document on the effectiveness of this new form of school, particularly in the Cambodian context.

A Study on the Improvement Plan of the Middle School Science Academic Achievement: Focused on the National Assessment of Educational Achievement(NAEA)

본 연구에서는 학업성취도 평가 개선을 위한 방안을 제시하기 위한 연구로 최근 4년간 중학교 3학년 학생들의 과학 성취수준별 학생 비율의 변화 추이를 분석하였다. 중학교 과학에서 우리나라 학생들의 전반적인 학업성취도는 점진적으로 낮아지는 경향을 보였는데, 우수학력 비율이 줄고 기초학력 미달 비율이 늘어나는 경향이 나타났다. 이러한 학업성취도 하락 추세의 원인을 파악하기 위해서는 인지적 영역의 학업성취도 저하만으로는 전체적인 교육의 성과를 판단하기 어려우므로 현행 지필 평가 체제로 파악할 수 없는 성취기준에 대한 평가 방안도 모색하여야 한다. 이를 위해 과학 학업성취도 평가 문항 분석을 통해 성취수준별 학생들의 학업성취 특성을 분석하고, 학교 교육과정 운영 현황 조사 등을 수행한 후 평가도구 개발 등 학업성취도 평가의 개선을 위하여 출제 과정에 참여한 출제위원과 검토위원을 대상으로 설문조사를 실시하였다. 제기된 주요 개선 과제는 출제위원 대상 사전 워크숍 강화, 인지적 요소 외 교육 목표 달성도를 확인하기 위한 학업성취도 평가 문항 개선 등이다. 이를 토대로 개선 방안에 대한 시사점을 도출하였다.