High School Science Students Research Articles

Relationship between Nature of Science Tenets and High School Students’ Acceptance of Evolutionary Theory in Cameroon

Purpose: Low levels of evolution acceptance have been reported among students in several articles using the Measure of Acceptance of the Theory of Evolution (MATE) instruments. Amongst possible causes listed in literature are students’’ religious, sociocultural background and educational approach used in teaching. Some studies have revealed that students who have a better understanding of the nature of science (NOS) are more likely to accept evolution, but the relationship between NOS and MATE has not been scientifically established. This article seeks to establish the relationship between NOS and MATE. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional survey was done using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) techniques to investigate the extent to which NOS tenets enhance biology students’ acceptance of evolution using 482 purposeful and convenient sample size. The validity and reliability of the NOS and MATE instruments were investigated and standardised using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Thereafter, a hypothesised SEM model was conceptualised and tested. Findings: The model provided a reasonable good overall fit. Only understanding of three NOS tenets namely: The empirical nature of science; use of observation and inferences in science; and the nature of scientific laws and theories has a strong positive statistically significant direct effect on acceptance of evolution. The tentativeness, subjectivity and objectivity of science, and the use of creativity and imagination in science did not significantly enhance acceptance of evolution. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: This can serve as a candidate theory for further investigation. It could have implication in the development of didactic strategies to overcome misconceptions in evolution.

Dynamic Evaluation of the Merdeka Curriculum: Unveiling the Effectiveness of Science Lesson Planning, Implementation and the Response of Junior High School Students

Merdeka curriculum is an education initiative in Indonesia that gives educators the flexibility to create learning that is more in-depth and suited to the needs of learners. This curriculum focuses on strengthening character and developing essential competencies, allowing students to go deeper into concepts and develop skills that are relevant to the challenges of the times. However, there are many obstacles in its implementation, especially in science learning, so it needs to be analyzed more deeply. The purpose of the research is to describe the planning, implementation, assessment, and students' responses to the implementation of the Merdeka curriculum in junior high school science subjects. The method used in this research is descriptive-quantitative. The subjects of this study were junior high school science teachers and students in grade VII in one of the private schools in the city of Bandung. The instruments used in this study were observation sheets and questionnaires. Based on the data analysis above, it can be concluded that the average score of science learning planning in the independent curriculum is 3.15, so it is in the good enough category. The average score of the science learning assessment obtained is 2.5, so it can be said that teachers still do not carry out learning assessments well. The average for all aspects of learner response has a good category, namely 73.62%. Thus, it is suggested that the teacher prepare everything related to learning activities to the maximum so that maximum results can be obtained

Science Teacher Competence and Implementation of Authentic Learning Approach in Online Learning Modality and Student Academic Performance in Science

The science curriculum is designed to be learner-centered, constructivist, and inquiry-based, using evidence to build explanations. This study aimed to investigate the competence level of teachers in the implementation of an authentic learning approach. It employed a quantitative descriptive correlational design using an online survey among grade 10 junior high school science teachers and students from seven (7) private schools in Butuan City during the academic year 2021-2022. Results consistently indicated high teaching competence among science teachers in most schools; however, certain indicators such as gamification, Phet simulations, and conducting small-scale research still need to be implemented in some schools. Significant differences in competence and implementation of authentic learning approach were noted based on schools, attributed factors such as the use of learning management system, resource availability, and online training for teachers. Moreover, a significant relationship was found between the competence of teachers and the implementation of an authentic learning approach. The study also found a commendable level of proficiency in the academic performance of students. However, no significant relationship was observed between teacher competence and the implementation of an authentic learning approach to students' academic performance. These findings suggested that students cultivated a sense of independence in their learning process. It emphasized that empowering students to take ownership of their learning journey and leveraging teachers' expertise as facilitators lays the foundation for enhanced academic success in science education.

Rain Gardens and Rain Gauges: Students Get Hands on With Data While Evaluating Green Infrastructure at Their School.

Two modules were designed for high school science students to investigate the performance of a rain garden installed on school property. The rain garden, a green infrastructure system which allows soil infiltration, was installed to reduce impacts to urban streams and can increase the community's resilience to flooding. By involving students in the analysis of this mitigation strategy, students learned new technical skills, gained varied experiences in collecting and analyzing data, were exposed to new STEM careers, and learned about local issues that impact their community while collaborating with local professionals. In each module, students used their authentic data to address research questions. In the first module, students conducted a land survey and calculated the volumetric capacity of the rain garden. In the second module, students collected rainfall data using rain gauges and analyzed various aspects of rainfall collection. Although these modules were focused on a rain garden already installed on school property, they can be implemented at schools without this mitigation strategy present. The surveying module can easily be applied to measure any land surface feature, and the rain gauge module can be implemented anywhere as it is focused on rainfall collection.

Large-scale experiment in STEM education for high school students using artificial intelligence kit based on computer vision and Python

This study proposes an artificial intelligence (AI) kit for high school students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The AI kit includes an edge AI machine and electronic components. A compact, purpose-built kit resembling a laptop was designed for ease of replication and portability. Utilizing pre-trained convolutional neural network models and computer vision algorithms, five Thai schools participated in on-site instructions. A quasi-experimental study assessed the students' learning outcomes using a paired sample t-test. Results revealed improved knowledge and reduced score variation. Additionally, gender analysis confirmed that both male and female students met the learning criteria. The students expressed satisfaction with the distinctive hardware and learning method employed during the class activities. Notably, the test results demonstrated that the AI kit enhanced students’ enthusiasm and facilitated comprehension.

과학고 학생들의 R&E 연구활동반에 따른 화학 과목의 인식론적 신념과 화학 학업성취도에 미치는 영향

Objectives This study studied the epistemological beliefs and effects of the science and mathematics R&E research activity group on chemistry academic achievement in the first year of science high school.
 Methods 96 first-year G Science High School students in Gyeongnam were surveyed and analyzed for epistemological beliefs in chemistry for six months from April to September 2023. The academic achievement of chemistry subjects was used by dividing the grades at the end of the first semester of chemistry in the first semester of the first year by ‘high’ and ‘low’ levels. Descriptive statistics, cross-analysis, and nonparametric tests were analyzed with SPSS 28 programs to compare epistemological beliefs in chemistry subjects according to the R&E research activity group.
 Results In the results of a survey on epistemological beliefs in chemistry subjects for each R&E research activity group, the chemistry R&E class showed a higher favorable response rate than other R&E classes, and in particular, there was a statistically significant difference in the ‘outcome’ factor. The higher the favorable response rate of epistemological beliefs to chemistry subjects, the higher the chemical academic achievement, and there was a statistically significant difference between the ‘upper’ and ‘lower’ levels in the ‘math link’ and ‘concepts’ detailed factors.
 Conclusions Since chemistry R&E classes are selected by students who are interested and interested in chemistry subjects, it is recognized as an academic field with a high favorable response rate for chemical knowledge to be applied to technology and contribute to society. Therefore, through creative chemical R&E research activities, they recognized that chemical knowledge (theories, concepts, etc.) is helpful in explaining surrounding phenomena, and a high favorable response rate was found in detailed factors such as ‘outcome,’ ‘laboratory,’ ‘visualization,’ etc. Science high school students selected the R&E class to understand the characteristics of each subject and to match the characteristics of the subject with their interests and areas of interest, and based on the understanding of the contents of the field, they wanted the results of their R&E inquiry activities to be combined with technology and contributed to society.

Exploring student experiences of learning chemistry using holism evolution infused poetry

Holism evolution states that although energy, matter, life, consciousness and the human personality are independent and different substances/levels of evolution, they are holistically and intimately related.This paper presents the findings from teaching chemistry to high school science students and post-graduate university science-education students using poetry constructed from physical science ideas embedded in holism evolution. The research findings are based on observations of student behaviour and their written feedback from being taught chemistry using poems on the periodic table and acids and bases. Both poems demonstrate the holism intimacy between various substances/levels of evolution, with the periodic table poem also presenting groups of chemical elements as representing the characteristics of infant, teenager, adult and old age of matter, presenting a holistic relationship between matter and life. The findings indicate that using holism evolution infused content led to a personally meaningful engagement with chemistry even among students with limited previous interest in the subject. Many post-graduate students expressed new levels of engagement with chemistry as well as new insights to enliven their teaching practice.

Consequences of Correction: Learner’s Uptake and Perceptions through Written Corrective Feedback

This study investigates the effect of written corrective feedback (WCF) styles on high school science students’ second language writing. A descriptive-correlational design explored student uptake (revision based on feedback) and perceptions on WCF, having been exposed only to the indirect and the metalinguistic WCFs. Students revised outputs in writing with both styles, and a survey assessed their perceptions. Uptake was high for both WCFs. Students’ perceptions on WCF was generally positive across variables such as sex, section, and type of school graduated from. Despite exposure to only two methods, students generally preferred the direct feedback and found the red ink helpful. No significant relationship between uptake and preferences was found. The study highlights the value of WCF as a formative assessment tool of language teachers in an ESL classroom.

Turkish science high school students’ mental models of the electron cloud

This study focuses on examining the mental models of 11th and 12th-grade students attending a science high school in Turkey regarding the concept of the electron cloud. The study involved 72 students and employed the case study method. The precondition for selecting the sample was that the students had covered the unit on modern atomic theory in their chemistry classes. The concept of the electron cloud chosen for the study is integrated into the units of “Atom and Periodic System” and “Modern Atomic Theory.” To guide the research questions, the progression of the lessons and activities within the unit were observed in three-week intervals across different classes taught by the participating teacher. Research data were collected using a data collection tool consisting of 7 open-ended questions, considering the high school chemistry course objectives. The research questions were prepared in three categories: conceptual, relational, and visual. A rubric was developed for data analysis, and codes corresponding to levels of understanding were determined. At the end of the evaluation, three mental models were identified: the electron cloud model, the hybrid/synthesis electron cloud model, and the primitive model. For these models, eight mental model categories have been determined: fully scientific, partially scientific, conceptual, relational, conceptual–relational, conceptual-visual, relational-visual, and incompatible. At the conclusion of the study, only 5.56% of students provided answers at the scientific understanding level for all categories, placing them in the full scientific model category under the electron cloud model. 16.67% of students fell into the partial scientific model category, while 75.29% demonstrated a hybrid/synthesized electron cloud model. A small portion, 2.78%, adopted a primitive model.

Effects Of ADDIE Model As An Instructional System Design For Senior High School Students In Natural Science Through Alternative Delivery Learning

The nature of science learning is to teach students to be involved in the investigation. Investigations in science can help improve the performance and skills of students. The purpose of this study is to plan to design instructional strategies after crafting the Sustainability Action Plan in the school context. Specifically, it attempts to answer the following research objectives: (1) To determine the pretest and post-test scores of the experimental group after their exposure to the ADDIE model in teaching natural science, and (2) To determine the significant improvement in the students’ scores before and after exposure of the ADDIE model. Using a quasi-experimental design with non-probability sampling, the two experimental groups (n=30) per section taking up General Chemistry 2, and General Physics 2. The results revealed that the respondents obtained closer mean values of the pretest (M=10.80, M=9.03) but the mean value of the post-test for General Chemistry is greater than General Physics (M=23.00, M=12.27). Likewise, there is no significant difference in improvement between the means of General Physics (t =1.8959; p=0.0630) compared to General Chemistry which is significant (t = 13.6640; p=0.0001) when tested at α 0.05. The data suggest that students need a strong focus on the competencies taken from the modules on whatever modalities of learning are utilized. A parallel study is recommended to enhance the students’ problem-solving skills at the junior high school level to establish the effectiveness of ADDIE Model.

Current Experiences and Factors of Future Enrollment in Computer Science for High School Students

Current Experiences and Factors of Future Enrollment in Computer Science for High School Students

Are We Really Falling Behind? Comparing Key Indicators Across International and Local Standardised Tests for Australian High School Science

AbstractThere has been a strong narrative in Australia of falling attainment in high school science, with much of the campaign informed by results from international standardised tests such as Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which shows a year-on-year decline in scientific literacy of Australian 15-year-old students. These results have been used to justify significant policy and curriculum reform, despite the known limitations of PISA and a lack of additional evidence to support this decline in other tests. In this paper, results from standardised tests administered in Australia will be compared to create a fulsome picture of attainment for high school science students. Reports include both the compilation of data from existing reports and new analyses. With the latest (2018/9) reports from PISA, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and National Assessment Program for Scientific Literacy (NAP-SL) (an Australian test of Science Literacy) and data shared by the NSW Department of Education on ‘The Validation of Assessment for Learning and Individual Development’ (VALID) test for the years 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, this offers the most complete picture of student attainment in science to date. Results show that there are disagreements between tests on cohort achievement over time and distribution of attainment at different ‘proficiency levels’. These results suggest caution when using these key results from these tests to inform policy and pedagogy.

과학영재 학생과 일반 고등학생의 과학 논문 특징 비교

Research is an effective way for high school students to develop critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and communication skills. However, students often need help writing papers and need systematic training in writing papers. For this purpose, it is necessary first to understand the characteristics of students’ papers. Therefore, this study analyzed the science papers written by science-gifted students in science high schools, gifted schools, and general high school students in science core schools by analyzing each step of the science paper structure to compare their features and errors. The analysis utilized a self-developed step-by-step checklist of science paper structure for 17 science papers of gifted students and 40 science papers for general high school students. The results of the study were as follows. First, both groups lacked structure and volume in the abstract and limitations of the study in the conclusion and suggestion section. The general high school students’ deficiencies included irrelevant theories in the theoretical background, inaccurate data visualization in the results and discussion, missing citations, and formal reference errors. Second, students’ errors in their science papers varied across the stages of the science paper structure. From the above results, both groups commonly offer paper writing education regarding the abstract, conclusion, and recommendation stages. In contrast, other stages of paper structure and research ethics education are more necessary for general high school students. We hope paper writing education related to scientific research activities will be systematized.

How Does an Inquiry-Based Instructional Approach Predict the STEM Creative Productivity of Specialized Science High School Students?

Creative productivity has not been studied much as an outcome of specialized science high schools. Rather, STEM career choices, acquisition of a STEM degree, and taking advanced STEM courses were taken as outcomes. This study examined whether the inquiry-based instructional approaches experienced by students predict their creative productivity and whether its effects are mediated through co-cognitive factors, school engagement, and school GPA. This study is part of a national longitudinal study about students from Science Academies, a type of specialized science high school in South Korea. A total of 599 students at Science Academies were surveyed on experiences of inquiry-based instructional approaches, co-cognitive factors, school engagement, and school GPA in math and science in their second year, and on creative productivity in their last year at Science Academies. Creative productivity was measured by the number of awards received from STEM competitions for research, problem solving, or projects. Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the convergent validity of the measurement model. Structural equation modeling analysis and bootstrapping analysis revealed the direct, indirect, and total effects of inquiry-based instructional approaches on creative productivity. Inquiry-based instructional approaches experienced by students at Science Academies had a sequentially positive impact on co-cognitive factors, school engagement, and school GPA, ultimately contributing to creative productivity.

AN INVESTIGATION OF THE VARIABLES AFFECTING CAREER ANXIETY OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE CONTEXT OF FAMILY INFLUENCE ON THE CAREER PROCESS AND DESCRIPTIVE VARIABLES

Career includes a process from birth to death. There are many factors that affect the shaping of this process. The aim of this study is to examine some descriptive factors and family-related variables that affect the career anxiety of science high school students. The study group consists of 267 students from the first, second and third grades studying at Samsun Science High School. The findings obtained as a result of the study show that the career anxiety levels of female students are higher than that of males. At the same time, family interventions on students' career choices were found to have a partial effect on students' career anxiety. The reason for this is that there are many social and economic factors other than family that increase career anxiety.

Psychological symptoms in high achieving students: The multiple mediating effects of parental achievement pressure, perfectionism, and academic expectation stress

AbstractThe study aimed to investigate the correlations between psychological symptoms in high‐achieving students with performance‐oriented assessment, parental psychological control, parental achievement pressure, perfectionism, and academic expectation stress. The study group consisted of 1134 science high school students (658 females [57.1%], 486 males [42.9%]) aged between 14 and 19 years (mean = 16.26, SD = 0.871). In the research, the Classroom Assessment Environment Scale, Leuven Adolescent Perceived Parenting Scale, Parental Achievement Pressure Scale, Academic Expectation Stress Inventory, Child and Adolescent Perfectionism Scale, and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale‐21 were used as data collection tools. The research, using the correlational survey model, analyzed the data with structural equation modeling. In the structural model, performance‐oriented assessment and parental psychological control significantly predicted parental achievement pressure, while parental achievement pressure significantly predicted perfectionism, academic expectation stress, and psychological symptoms. Parental achievement pressure had a mediating role in the relationship between performance‐oriented assessment and parental psychological control with psychological symptoms. Performance‐oriented assessment and parental psychological control indirectly predicted psychological symptoms mediated by parental achievement pressure, perfectionism, and academic expectation stress. Based on the multigroup structural equation model, it was also seen that the structural model did not differ by gender.

Investigation of the Relationship Between Physical Activity Level and Sleep Quality of Secondary School Students

This study aims to examine the relationship between physical activity levels and students’ sleep quality at the secondary school level. A total of 334 students, 176 female, and 158 male students, studying in Elazığ province participated in the study. The "Physical Activity Scale for Adolescents" and the "Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index" were used as data collection tools. In the analysis of the data, the independent-sample T-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analysis were used. In the examination of physical activity level and sleep quality in terms of the gender variable, the physical activity level and sleep quality of male students were found to be significantly better than the physical activity level and sleep quality of female students. In the examination of physical activity and sleep quality in terms of the school type variable, it was found that the physical activity levels and sleep quality of Sports High School students were significantly higher than those of Anatolian High School and Science High School students. A medium-level significant relationship was found in examining the relationship between physical activity level and sleep quality scale scores (r=-0.478, p=0.000). It has been determined that increasing the level of physical activity increases sleep quality. After all; a medium-level significant relationship was found between the physical activity level and sleep quality of the students studying at the secondary education level.Keywords: Physical Activity, Secondary Education, Sleep Quality, Student

A Research on Presenteeism in Students Who Attend Bilsem and Project Schools

The aim of this research is to investigate presenteeism levels of high school students who attend science and art centers and project schools in Bursa. The research is a descriptive research designed in survey model. A quantitative research methods was used. Personal Information Form prepared by the researchers and Presenteeism Scale for Students were used as data collection tools in the study. 705 high school students who attend BILSEM and project schools in Bursa participated in the research. In the study, it was found that students' level of presenteeism did not differ statistically according to gender and attendance at BILSEM, but differed according to grade level and school type. It has been observed that science high school students focus more on the school academically than Anatolian high school students, they feel included in the school environment not only physically but in every sense when they are at school, they feel high sense of belonging to their school, they are better than the Anatolian high school students in focusing on the lesson, managing their stress and completing their homework. It is suggested that an in-depth examination together with different variables for other research studies, to reveal the presenteeism levels of students especially who have passed certain academic processes, exams and tests and who are considered more successful than other students, will be guided for future studies.

Development of Guided Discovery-Based Mathematics Learning Devices for High School Science Students

This research is motivated by low student learning outcomes because they have difficulty understanding the subject matter, recalling the material that has been studied, not being active in the learning process, and low motivation to learn. Therefore, learning devices are needed that can actively increase student involvement in building their understanding of mathematical concepts. The purpose of this study is to produce learning devices in the form of guided discovery-based RPP and LKPD for class XI science students of SMAN 16 Padang that are valid, practical, and effective. This type of research is development research with the Plomp model which consists of three phases, namely preliminary research, development or prototyping phase, and assessment phase. The instruments used are interview guidelines, observation sheets, checklists, questionnaires, and learning outcomes tests. The results showed that (1) Guided discovery-based mathematics learning devices have met valid criteria, both in terms of content and construct, (2) Guided discovery-based mathematics learning devices are practical because they can be implemented and used well by teachers and students in mathematics learning, especially the limit material of algebraic functions, and (3) Guided discovery-based mathematics learning devices have been effective in small group evaluation because the percentage of classical completion has exceeded 70%.

Developing Website-based Interactive Learning Media Integrated with Kirchhoff's Law Experimental Tools

Understanding the correct concept is a fundamental goal of learning physics. One material that is still vulnerable to conceptual understanding is Kirchhoff's law. For that, we need media that can bridge the understanding of the concept of this material. Media development by integrating real experimental tools with digital technology is the right solution to answer this problem. Integrated interactive Google site with tool practice form senior high school tool simplification designed for upgrade understanding concept science high school students on the material Kirchhoff's law electricity dynamic. Development used R&D with 4D stages (Define, Design, Development, Disseminate). Media implementation used limited tests with some students and implementation through one class in a high school in Bandung. Data analysis used the Rasch model. Based on the results of Rasch Model analysis, students tested have a medium category, and the given predictions in the Google Sites were high and low. Based on the analysis results of student responses to tools, students who used the tool directly agreed and strongly agreed that it and Google Sites could improve their conceptual comprehension skills.