Science Education Research Research Articles

Mastering the Albanian Language as a Developed Language Skill and Capacity in Universities Abroad

This paper will present several ideas regarding the strategies that should be followed during the professional and scientific research teaching of the Albanian language in universities outside of Albania. Language education in such a context should focus on developing the communicative competence of the language of origin. The subject of this study is Albanian students in foreign universities, including those of Albanian descent (primarily those born in host countries), students who have left Albania to fulfill their educational ambitions, and students who have emigrated, different times. This perspective also includes foreign students who show interest in the Albanian language. In addition to mastering contemporary knowledge of the Albanian language, special attention will be given to knowledge of the history of the Albanian language, the culture of the Albanian people, and the Albanians' vision of the surrounding world. The study also aims to unveil models that would serve to stimulate research in the field of Albanology, particularly in the study of the Albanian language in these universities. Received: 26 October 2024 / Accepted: 31 December 2024 / Published: 05 January 2025

African American Language in science education: A translanguaging perspective

AbstractIdeologies of language and race are deeply connected in the United States. Language practices associated with racially marginalized communities, such as African American Language (AAL) or Spanglish, are often heavily stigmatized. Such stigma is not grounded in empirical research on language, but rather in “raciolinguistic ideologies” that reproduce white supremacy and oppression in teacher education and in US classrooms—including science classrooms. Science education need not be this way, however. Translanguaging pedagogies can create space for students to use any and all types of languaging practices to engage in scientific sensemaking. Implementing translanguaging pedagogies to support scientific sensemaking will require science teachers to develop inclusive ideologies of language—not only the knowledge that multiple varieties of language are valid tools for sensemaking, but also the inclination and ability to formatively assess student thinking even when that thinking is not couched in canonical “science language.” In the present manuscript, we explore the relationships among teachers' language ideologies, their racial ideologies, their knowledge of language as an epistemic tool for teaching science, their self‐reported assessment practices, and their actual responses to several different samples of student science writing—including a writing sample that includes an oft‐stigmatized feature of African American Language. We show that teachers with more language‐inclusive ideologies—that is, those who take a translanguaging stance, and thus value the use of AAL in classrooms—appear to be better at formatively assessing and responding to student science writing compared to teachers with more language‐exclusive ideologies. We also show that seemingly race‐neutral ideologies of language are in fact strongly associated with oppressive ideologies of race, and that these language ideologies predict teachers' science formative assessment practices independently of existing measures of pedagogical knowledge. We discuss implications for science teaching, teacher education, and science education research.

Asia-Pacific Science Education (APSE): Advancing Innovation, Equity, and Collaboration in Science Education Research

Asia-Pacific Science Education (APSE): Advancing Innovation, Equity, and Collaboration in Science Education Research

A Systematic Review of Research on Cooperative/Collaborative Learning in Science and Engineering Education in the Republic of Korea

Abstract Constructivist learning theories have emphasized learners’ interactions with the environment, which includes their peers. Therefore, student cooperation/collaboration has been considered crucial in science education. However, although there have been many science cooperative/collaborative learning (CCL) studies reported in Korea, there has been a lack of review studies done to delineate trends and elicit implications for future science education research. This study systematically reviewed empirical science and engineering CCL studies reported in Korea. The researchers collected literature via the Korea Citation Index repository and selected 121 papers to be reviewed. The analytical framework was adapted from the cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT). The results of a review by two science education experts showed patterns revealed in each component of CHAT, which led to a discussion aimed at comprehensively understanding Korean science and engineering CCL research. Implications for future research and teaching were elicited.

The Effect of Human Presence on the Representations of Children 4-6 Years Old in the Case of Air Within Vases

A distinctive direction within the framework of Early Childhood Science Education research is the study of young children's mental representations of natural world phenomena and concepts in science. The study of representations offers the possibility of developing activities that address the real difficulties of children and lead to the construction of new representations compatible with school science knowledge. The current research presents a study on the potential effect of the presence of humans on the representations of children aged 4-6 years regarding the case of air within vases. 41 children attending a kindergarten in Patras (Greece) participated in the study. During individual semi-structured interviews, children were presented with 3 different images displaying a vase with people standing next to it in different settings and were asked to indicate whether there is air in the vase and whether this is related to that people. The results showed that the presence of air in the containers was best identified in the outdoor environment, while few children attributed the air to human presence, especially when the vases were placed indoors. Based on the frequency table, it seems that regarding the outdoor environment, there are more adequate responses, as the presence of human elements influences less the participants, while in indoor settings there are more intermediate and inadequate responses, suggesting that the presence of the human element has a greater impact in participant's responses.

Participation in a discipline-based education research project mitigates barriers and enhances drivers to teaching reform differently across faculty positions and departments

Participation in a discipline-based education research project mitigates barriers and enhances drivers to teaching reform differently across faculty positions and departments

Sensemaking as a goal of science education, abduction as a process of scientific sensemaking

AbstractCurrent science education reform efforts have identified sensemaking as an important goal of science education, and science education researchers have studied what constitutes the sensemaking process in the science classroom. Because the studies of sensemaking are loosely linked to those of scientific reasoning, however, they have provided little practical insight into how students can make scientific sense, rather than any sense, of natural phenomena. Therefore, in this position paper, we discuss the close relationship between sensemaking and abduction. Sensemaking refers to a prolonged process of resolving a gap or inconsistency in current knowledge and understanding by constructing an explanation of a phenomenon. Abduction is a form of scientific reasoning to generate explanatory hypotheses about the evidence embedded in a phenomenon based on available resources. Abduction can play a crucial role in sensemaking by providing a mechanism for generating a plausible explanation of a target phenomenon and should be adapted for science teaching and learning for students' sensemaking through engagement in science practices. In particular, to develop scientific sensemaking in students, the teacher should help students identify critical evidence, provide students with critical resources, and encourage students to use the method of multiple working hypotheses, so that the students can construct scientifically sound and valid explanations of natural phenomena. It is suggested that further research explore and collect exemplary cases of science teachers effectively supporting students to achieve scientific sensemaking through abduction.

The role of arts-based methods in supporting safe and participatory research addressing sexual violence with young people

Background: The use of participatory visual methods in humanities, health, education and social science research to study ‘sensitive’ subject matter with children and young people is growing. Such approaches have been widely – though sometimes uncritically – celebrated for contributing to safe data elicitation, promoting participant influence and strengthening research dissemination and impact. Some authors have pointed to their political contributions – challenging the traditional politics of representation and fostering critical consciousness and thinking. Methods: This article explores these claims, reflecting on a study using creative and participatory methods to explore the concept of ‘resistance’ among young people affected by sexual violence. It begins by outlining the background, rationale and use of creative methods in the project, moving from plans to utilise ‘Photovoice’ methods to a more diverse and responsive set of creative methods. Findings: The paper presents evidence for the contribution of such methods to creating safety and fostering participation while developing new conceptual thinking among researchers and participants. Conclusion: In this project, the success of creative methods is rooted in the dynamics of what we term spaciousness and playfulness which support dialogical practice. These dynamics are critical to enabling a safe participatory culture that bridges divides between stakeholders of different status, identity and ownership.

TRENDS OF COMPUTATIONAL THINKING RESEARCH IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AREA: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

This study aims to map the evolution of research on computational thinking (CT) within the context of science and technology, with a particular focus on science education and physics learning. Through a content analysis of a corpus of scholarly publications from 2015 to 2023, this study seeks to identify annual trends in research on computational thinking and computational thinking skills in the context of science and technology, with a deeper exploration of the context of science education and physics learning. A content analysis guide was employed as the research instrument. In synthesizing the articles, four main aspects were examined: (1) the number of publications per year, (2) research subject areas, (3) research types, and (4) the treatments and variables measured in computational thinking research in science education and physics learning. An analysis of the number of publications, research areas, methodologies, treatments, measured variables, and findings revealed a significant increase in interest in CT in 2022, particularly in the social sciences. Quasi-experimental research emerged as the dominant approach, with a focus on developing and evaluating learning interventions that integrate CT. The use of technology in computational thinking activities to enhance students' computational thinking skills in science education and physics learning was highlighted. The findings of this study have important implications for future research, such as expanding the diversity of research methodologies, delving deeper into CT instruments and data analysis techniques, conducting more in-depth studies on technology products designed to enhance computational thinking skills, and exploring a wider range of learning contexts.

Enhancing research insights: the impact of phenomenographic analysis in educational studies

PurposeThe primary purpose of this paper is to articulate the pivotal function of phenomenographic analysis in advancing the depth and breadth of insights into doctoral research in educational studies. By examining the distinctive contributions and advantages afforded by phenomenographic analysis, the paper aims to highlight its profound capability to reveal the intricacies and variegated dimensions of human experiences and perceptions. It advocates for the integration of phenomenographic analysis into social science research methodologies to foster a deeper, more nuanced appreciation of its utility and impact.Design/methodology/approachThis article leverages empirical evidence from a specific educational research project to provide an in-depth examination of phenomenographic analysis. It meticulously outlines the procedural application of this methodological approach, showcasing how it enriches research outcomes by offering a profound exploration of the complex layers and subtle variations present within social phenomena. The study employs phenomenographic analysis to amplify the nuanced understanding and inherent value of research findings in educational studies.FindingsThe findings demonstrate that phenomenographic analysis significantly enriches research outcomes by offering a comprehensive exploration of complex social phenomena. The method’s capability to uncover the intricacies and variegated dimensions of human experiences and perceptions enhances the quality and relevance of research conducted within the domain. By providing empirical evidence and detailed procedural application, the paper illustrates how phenomenographic analysis contributes to the enrichment of academic discourse and elevates the caliber of research in the social sciences.Originality/valueThis article offers invaluable perspectives to both researchers and practitioners by providing a comprehensive analysis of phenomenographic methodology. It underscores the indispensable contribution of phenomenographic analysis in fostering a deeper understanding of educational research findings. The work advocates for its integration into social science research methodologies, highlighting its unique value in enhancing the quality and relevance of research. By illuminating the method’s profound capability to reveal complex human experiences, the paper significantly contributes to the enrichment of academic discourse in the social sciences.

Bibliometric analysis of augmented reality research in educational sciences

The aim of this study is to determine the distribution of articles on augmented reality in the WOS database in the field of educational sciences by years, keywords and active concepts, active countries, active countries by total number of citations, active countries by citation averages, active authors, active authors by local citation rankings, active researches by global citation rankings, active journals by number of articles, active institutions, country-author-keyword network and popular topics by years. The study used bibliometric analysis, which is one of the quantitative approaches. The data set consisted of 1759 augmented reality articles in the field of educational sciences in the WOS database between 1999 and 1 September 2024. The "Biblioshiny" package program in the "R" programming language was used to analyse the data. The results of the research indicate that the annual growth rate for articles in the field of educational sciences utilizing augmented reality is 24%. The most common keywords are education, augmented reality, students, technology, system, design, science, challenges, performance and virtual reality. The countries with the highest levels of activity in this field are China, the USA, Spain, Turkey, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Serbia, Korea and Japan. China, the USA and Spain are in the first three places in the citation ranking of the countries. According to the citation averages, the ranking is as follows: It was determined that Hwang GJ is the most influential author, Chang HY is the most cited author in the local context, and Wu HK is the most cited author globally. The most influential journal is "Education and Information Technologies," and the most influential institution is National Taiwan Normal University. Popular research topics in augmented reality for 2024 include laboratory skills, virtual reality, and K-12 concepts.

A systematic review of afterschool STEM literature in education

In this study, the literature on Afterschool STEM education was reviewed from the Proquest database. Within the scope of the research, 25 theses and dissertations that met the criteria were examined. The year, type, a method used, data collection tools, study group and number, and keywords of the theses were systematically analyzed. The systematic review method, one of the qualitative research methods, was used to examine the graduate theses on Afterschool STEM. As a result of the findings obtained by examining the theses related to Afterschool STEM; it was found that the first thesis study was a doctoral dissertation in 2003, there was a great increase in the number of theses published in 2015, and no thesis was published between 2004-2013, and most of the published theses were in the doctoral thesis type. In addition, in the distribution of theses according to the fields selected in the Proquest database, it was determined that most theses were published in the field of Science Education, qualitative and mixed research methods were used equally and mostly as research methods, and survey, interviews, and observation were mostly used as data collection tools. In the analyzed theses, data were collected mostly from Middle school students. When the number of participants in the theses was examined, the participants between 31-100 were mostly preferred in the studies. According to the keywords used in the theses, the words "education", "out of school time", "afterschool", "STEM" and "STEM education" were preferred.

A reduced-dose recombinant pertussis vaccine booster in Thai adolescents: a phase 2/3, observer-blinded, randomised controlled, non-inferiority trial

A resurgence of pertussis has increased the demand for low-cost vaccines. The aim of this study was to test the immunogenicity of a booster acellular monovalent pertussis vaccine containing reduced-dose (2 μg) recombinant pertussis toxin (PT) and 5 μg filamentous haemagglutinin (FHA; apgen) against a version of apgen containing tetanus and reduced-dose diphtheria toxoids (Tdapgen) and a licensed vaccine containing chemically detoxified PT and FHA combined with tetanus toxoid and reduced-dose diphtheria toxoid (Tdapchem). This phase 2/3, observer-blinded, randomised, controlled, non-inferiority trial was done in adolescents aged 9-17 years at two clinical research centres in Bangkok and Pathum Thani, Thailand. Eligible participants were screened and randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive one booster dose of apgen, Tdapgen, or Tdapchem vaccine. Participants were followed up until day 336 post-immunisation. The primary endpoint was non-inferior seroconversion rates in Tdapgen and Tdapchem vaccine groups, with seroconversion rate defined as the proportion of participants with at least a four-fold increase on day 28 post-immunisation relative to baseline of anti-PT and anti-FHA IgG. The non-inferiority for seroconversion rates of anti-PT and anti-FHA IgG was defined as the lower bound of the two-sided 95% CI of the seroconversion rate for Tdapgen compared with Tdapchem exceeding -10%. Immunogenicity was analysed in the per-protocol population. All safety data were collected, and the prevalence of adverse events was analysed in the intention-to-treat population. This trial was registered on the Thai Clinical Trial Registry (TCTR20181031001). Between June 18, and Aug 3, 2019, 450 adolescents (mean age 12·1 years, SD 2·5) were enrolled and randomly assigned (150 participants in each group). Day 28 anti-PT IgG seroconversion rates were 141 (94%) of 150 participants who received Tdapgen (95% CI 88·8-97·0) and 105 (71%) of 149 participants who received Tdapchem (62·7-77·2; p<0·0001). Day 28 anti-FHA IgG seroconversion rates were 144 (96%) of 150 participants who received Tdapgen (91·4-98·3) and 124 (83%) of 149 participants who received Tdapchem (76·4-88·4; p<0·0001). The difference in seroconversion rates was 23·5% (95% CI 15·3-31·8) for anti-PT IgG and 12·8% (6·0-19·6) for anti-FHA IgG, when comparing the Tdapgen versus the Tdapchem vaccine group. No vaccine-related serious adverse events were reported. Recombinant Tdapgen vaccine showed non-inferior immunogenicity compared with Tdapchem at day 28 in terms of seroconversion rate of anti-PT IgG and anti-FHA IgG relative to baseline. The reduced-dose approach for Tdapgen vaccines thus presents as a potentially cost-saving booster strategy to protect adolescents against pertussis. Office of National Higher Education Science Research and Innovation Policy Council (Programme Management Unit Competitiveness), Thailand, and BioNet-Asia.

Trending Themes on the Nature of Science in Science Education: A Bibliometric Analysis with VOSviewer

This study aimed to identify themes that indicate trends in the nature of science (NoS) in science education. The Web of Science (WoS) database was used for this purpose. A bibliometric approach was adopted, and the VOSviewer software was used to identify and systematically map research trends in the field of scientific innovation and to identify intellectual relationships in this network. In this context, the study covered the years 2013-2023. The categories “Education &amp; Educational Research” and “Education Scientific Disciplines” were selected in the WoS database, and only article-type studies were included by excluding other publication categories obtained in the breakdown of the results. Finally, 263 articles were analyzed . According to the findings, the “Education Educational Research” WoS category is at the forefront. The publications made according to the years show alternating trends of increase and decrease. Lederman, N.G. is the author with the highest number of citations. Erduran, S. is the author with the highest number of studies and the highest total link strength. The majority of publications were in the journal “Research In Science Education.” The words “scientific literacy” and “history of science” were used most frequently after “nature of science” and “science education” among the keywords. The most frequently repeated words in the abstracts of the articles were "questionnaire" and "interview". Finally, the countries ranked in the top three in terms of total link strength and the most cited countries were the USA, England, and Türkiye, respectively.

Fostering scientific reasoning competencies: investigating impacts of cross- and within-content area experimentation using the competency triad

ABSTRACT Educational standards and science education research suggest that experiments can be used to foster scientific reasoning competencies. So far, little is known about whether to sequence experiments from one or multiple content areas for this purpose. Therefore, we compared two sequences in an experimental study to investigate the influence of content areas of experiments on competencies’ development: Based on the same underlying structure, the first, homogeneous sequence includes four kinetics experiments. The second, heterogeneous sequence involves experiments from kinetics, thermodynamics, and redox chemistry. A total of 97 students participating in undergraduate chemistry lab courses were randomly assigned to one of the sequences. The changes in competencies within the sequences were compared based on the ‘competency triad’ differentiating between underlying knowledge (dispositions), the use of this knowledge (processes), and the quality of the resulting investigations (products). The results show that both sequences are comparably suitable to foster scientific reasoning competencies. However, in the post-experiments, we found a tendency of increased inadequate or irrelevant content-related reasoning by bringing in and conflating concepts from previous experiments such as activation energy or the chemical equilibrium (in particular Le Chatelier's principle). We discuss these findings concerning the consequences of sequencing experiments for fostering scientific reasoning.

Reflective documentation in arts education – Expanding ways of thinking through multimodal, embodied practices

Purpose of this article is to describe the development of a pedagogical research approach entitled reflective documentation. Context for this inquiry is an Erasmus+ project entitled Pedagogy of Imaginative Dialogues (PIMDI). The practical examples are drawn from the PIMDI project. For fuller appreciation of the multimodal nature of reflective work and reflective documentation, we have created an exposition on Research Catalogue portal. As the outcome of this artistic pedagogical research project, we propose that reflective documentation can be seen in connection with artistic research and visual ethnography as an open-ended process, without the traditional requirement to show what really happened.

Abstract Su1105: Healthcare Students' Attitudes on Adult Basic Life Support Training via Virtual Reality: An Exploratory Study

Introduction: Adult Basic Life Support (BLS) is a crucial skill for healthcare professionals. In recent years, the use of immersive technology, such as virtual reality (VR), has increased in educational research projects. However, published data have yet to show significant advantages over traditional methods for BLS education. Research Question: Does providing adult BLS content through VR fit the new generation of healthcare students? Goal: To assess student perspectives after a novel BLS educational program involving an interactive 360° VR environment. Methods: In June 2024, the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Maribor (Maribor, Slovenia) hosted 24 healthcare students from the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, USA) for an interactive 360° video-based VR adult BLS training session. The training employed Meta Quest 3 headsets (California, USA), featuring an adult BLS scenario developed by the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Maribor called InTECHiE360. After the VR training, the students completed a 21-question Likert scale questionnaire to evaluate their experiences, with a rating of 1 indicating "totally agree", and a rating of 7 indicating "totally disagree". Prior to the study, participants provided written consent, and data were collected anonymously to ensure confidentiality. Results: A total of 21 participants, with a mean age of 20 years (SD±0.7), took part in our study. The majority were female (17/21; 81%) and medical students (12/21; 57%). Most participants (16/21; 76%) had previously used VR, primarily for recreational gaming, rather than for educational purposes. The participants strongly agreed that the VR experience made them feel physically present in the adult BLS training session (mean score 1.9; SD±0.8), was realistic (mean score 2.0; SD±0.9) and provided a better learning experience compared to traditional lectures (mean score 1.5; SD±1.0). They also felt that they learned something new about adult BLS through the VR training (mean score 1.6; SD±1.1) and that adult BLS content was well presented in VR (mean score 1.4; SD±0.6). None of the participants experienced cybersickness, such as nausea or dizziness, and all of them would recommend this VR experience. Conclusion: We developed an interactive, immersive, evidence-based educational tool with a low risk of cybersickness, designed to appeal to the current generation of healthcare students and enhance their cognitive, behavioral, and affective learning outcomes.

“It's Just a Hot Mess”: Supporting Teacher Praxis to Challenge Barriers for Multilingual Learners

ABSTRACTThis paper examines a professional learning (PL) program for upper elementary teachers focused on developing instructional practices to support multilingual learners (MLLs) in science. The PL sought to support teachers' praxis, which we describe as their sense of agency to critically analyze and take action against barriers to MLLs’ opportunities to learn. We analyzed pre‐PL interviews with teachers to identify the ways that they framed MLLs from asset‐ and deficit‐based perspectives and the barriers that they identified that undermine MLLs' science learning. Then, we analyzed the extent to which the teachers' participation in the PL shifted their framing of MLLs and fostered their sense of agency to challenge the barriers faced by MLLs. We found that teachers shifted toward more asset‐based views of students' existing language resources and deepened their sense of agency to employ scaffolds that engage these resources in their own instructional practice. However, teachers continued to surface barriers in their organizational contexts, including the emphasis placed on standardized language assessments and the misalignment between English language instruction and science learning. Our analysis shows that the PL did not adequately support teachers in navigating these particular institutional barriers. Based on our analysis, we argue that teachers and science education researchers should expand their focus beyond teachers’ instructional practices and work together to remove barriers for MLLs in the larger organizational systems of schooling.

Antecedent and Consequence of Innovation Output: Evidence from Thailand

The study aims to examine the impact of research and development (R&amp;D) investment (the antecedent) on competitive advantage (the consequence) for the innovation output of private firms in Thailand. The population of this study includes all private Thai firms which have registered with the Office of National Higher Education Science Research and Innovation Policy Council. Path analysis and factor confirmation, including correlation matrix, are used to test the mediator effect of innovation output on the relationship between R&amp;D investment and firm performance competitive advantage. The research data are tested and analyzed by the structure equation model. The results reveal that R&amp;D investment was not found to directly influence competitive advantage, while R&amp;D investment indirectly affects competitive advantage through innovation output. The findings of this study demonstrate that innovative output plays a mediating role between R&amp;D investment and competitive advantage. In addition, dynamic capability theory can be used to explain the influences of R&amp;D investment and innovation output on competitive advantage for private firms in Thailand.

The effect of calculus and kinematics contexts on students’ understanding of graphs

In this study, we compare students’ understanding of the derivative as slope and the antiderivative as the area under the curve using isomorphic graph-based problems in both calculus and kinematics contexts. Drawing from previous research, we designed two isomorphic tests, each with 12 items, and administered them to 543 university students. Our findings show that students performed significantly better on the kinematics test, with a higher rate of correct answers in some items. We also identified the most frequent errors and general trends in students’ selection of incorrect answers across both contexts. Based on these results, we provide specific recommendations for improving the instruction of these concepts. The analyses, recommendations, and tests included in the study can serve as valuable resources for mathematics and science education researchers and instructors teaching these topics. This study offers insights into how context influences students’ conceptual understanding, with implications for enhancing calculus and physics education.