Student Ideas Research Articles

Student reasoning about quantum mechanics while working with physical experiments

Instruction in quantum mechanics is becoming increasingly important as the field is not only a key part of modern physics research but is also important for emerging technologies. However, many students regard quantum mechanics as a particularly challenging subject, in part because it is considered very mathematical and abstract. One potential way to help students understand and contextualize unintuitive quantum ideas is to provide them opportunities to work with physical apparatus demonstrating these phenomena. In order to understand how working with quantum experiments affects students’ reasoning, we performed think-aloud lab sessions with two pairs of students as they worked through a sequence of quantum optics experiments that demonstrated particle-wave duality of photons. Analyzing the in-the-moment student thinking allowed us to identify the resources students activated while reasoning through the experimental evidence of single-photon interference, as well as student ideas about what parts of the experiments were quantum versus classical. This work will aid instructors in helping their students construct an understanding of these topics from their own ideas and motivate future investigations into the use of hands-on opportunities to facilitate student learning about quantum mechanics. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Student conceptual resources for understanding electric circuits

Physics Education Research has a rich history of identifying common student ideas about specific physics topics. In the context of electric circuits, existing research on students’ ideas has primarily focused on misconceptions, misunderstandings, and difficulties. In this paper, we take a resource-oriented approach to identifying common student ideas about circuits by characterizing ideas we see as generative “seeds of science” that could form the basis of more sophisticated understandings. Based on our analysis of 1557 university physics student responses to five conceptual questions, we identify four common resources for understanding circuits. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Developing a studio/group class toolbox of ideas for advanced string students: Best Practices of Master Teachers

Developing a studio/group class toolbox of ideas for advanced string students: Best Practices of Master Teachers

The life world of students with disabilities on the university campus: tempora mutantur

Introduction. The extensive scientific base on the issues of inclusive higher education is characterized by a class of studies, mainly theoretical, with an emphasis on criticism of social and material barriers preventing access to education for people with disabilities. The article offers a solution to the problem of the gap between the theory and practice of inclusive higher education and provides reasons showing that barrier-free does not completely solve the problem of socialization of students with disabilities. For the first time in the subject area, a solution is proposed to the pedagogical problem of the development of social values of the personality of students with disabilities based on the study of their life world. The research is interdisciplinary in nature. Materials and Methods. The scientific argumentation is based on the environmental approach and the provisions of personal development pedagogy. The research was conducted in line with the phenomenological approach; the author's survey and in-depth interview techniques were applied. The study involved 157 students with disabilities and 12 experts. To identify the characteristic features of the life world of students living on and off the university campus, the study uses the method of comparative analysis. Results. Significant differences have been identified in the design of the life world of students with disabilities living on campus and students living off campus. Living on campus is associated with a variety of communications that contribute to the formation of social values among students, for those living off campus (mainly with their parents), the effect of socialization is not so obvious. For the first time in the subject area, the results characterizing the different ideas of students with disabilities about study, leisure, relationships to others and the prospects of their postgraduate development were obtained. Typical problems associated with on-campus/off-campus living are shown. Discussion and Conclusions. The study confirmed the hypothesis that the development of social values of a student's personality is conditioned by the intensity of communications in the space of joint activity of students with disabilities with the social environment. The problem raised is related to a number of issues that are promising for scientific coverage. The article may be of interest to researchers and practitioners of inclusive education.

Investigating early childhood education students’ ideas about microorganisms

ABSTRACT Various age groups of students often hold alternative ideas regarding aspects of microorganisms, such as their biological functions, activity and typical habitats. Taking into account that (a) although there are research data on school students’ ideas about microorganisms, there do not seem to be much data on the ideas of university students, and (b) the ideas early childhood education students hold about microorganisms are of particular importance as preschool educators are called to support the building of a proper understanding of microorganisms by preschoolers, we investigated the ideas of 84 early childhood education students about microorganisms, focusing on their perceived locations, beneficial/harmful activities and biological functions. The results reveal a significant number of students associating microorganisms with surfaces, objects we touch and the human body. The prevailing conceptualisation portrays microorganisms as a threat to human health, with the most common harmful activity being the induction of diseases and the most beneficial activity being the stimulation of antibody production that follows the intrusion of microorganisms into the body. Regarding biological functions, there is a limited understanding, with only about one-third of students attributing all essential functions to microorganisms. We discuss relevant literature and explore the potential implications of our findings.

Addressing diversity: An analysis of German curricula for history

AbstractThis article analyses the extent to which German history curricula address aspects of diversity. The curricula are analysed in terms of whether they include diagnostic phases to identify students' individual interests. It also examines whether the historical experiences of minorities and the agency of subaltern groups are addressed. The extent to which the curricula abandon a Eurocentric perspective and integrate global historical aspects will also be considered. Methodologically, the curricula of two main school types in all German states were analysed by means of a qualitative content analysis. The focus was on curricula for lower and upper secondary schools. The results show that diversity is usually addressed only from the perspective of established narratives. A national and Eurocentric history continues to dominate the curricula. Only a few curricula explicitly address the diagnosis of students' performance and ideas. Finally, the paper discusses the evolving nature of curricula, influenced by societal needs and growing sensitivity to social diversity. It highlights the need for future research on diversity in teacher education and the practicality of implementing complex concepts such as postcolonial thought in the classroom. More empirical research is needed on current curricula and the teaching of history in different regions and types of school.

Computational models as tools for supporting responsive teaching

ABSTRACT It is widely agreed that science instruction should help students build new knowledge on the foundation of their prior knowledge. Responsive teaching refers to a family of teaching strategies that pursue and build on student ideas. We introduce a particular approach to responsive teaching and examine how it can be supported by the use of computational models. We analyse an 8th grade science teacher’s facilitation of a class discussion near the end of a lesson on sound. We present a moment-by-moment characterisation of her responsive teaching moves, highlighting the ways she used a computational model to help students articulate and examine their thinking. Our findings make empirical contributions to literature concerned with responsive teaching and literature concerned with the role of computational models in constructivist approaches to instruction.

Neurodiversity in the Minds of Students: From Perception to Campus Programming.

Neurodiversity is a social justice movement at the nexus of neuroscience, academia, and public policy. A contemporary view of neurodiversity is one that embraces neurological differences, encompassing all "neurotypes," including more specific identifiers like autistic or dyslexic. The goal of this study was to investigate student awareness and perception of neurodiversity since they are the next generation of public policy makers. Students enrolled in Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience (N=146) were exposed to different information sources (popular, academic, TED talk, or choose/find their own) on the topic of neurodiversity. They then wrote a paper where they summarized: a) the information source used, b) their ideas to better support a neurodiverse society, and c) their opinions on aspects of neurodiversity. Several important findings emerged. First, 64% of the sample had never heard of the term neurodiversity; this class was their first exposure to it. Second, students conducting their own searches on neurodiversity had the highest level of optimism (p < 0.05) that society was ready to accept neurodiversity. Students identified even higher rates of receptivity (85%) amongst their friends. Third, student ideas to advance neurodiversity were organized into more salient categories for campuses to consider. Our findings challenge neuroscience programs to consider their role in providing "first exposure" opportunities to students in the diversity, equity, and inclusion realm, especially in areas directly related to our field. We also discuss the growing relevance of neurodiversity in research and academia and offer programming possibilities to enhance neurodiversity awareness and support on college campuses.

Роль преподавателя и педагога в трансляции культуры: состояние и задачи

&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;In modern conditions, questions about the transmission of culture, about the factors of socialization of people remain relevant. Social institutions for the transmission of culture and the formation of social ideas of young people are secondary and higher educational institutions, the key persons being teachers and lecturers. Purpose of the study: to study the ideas of teachers and students about the &amp;ldquo;standard qualities&amp;rdquo; of a person (man, woman, husband, wife). Hypotheses: 1) ideas about the &amp;ldquo;standard qualities&amp;rdquo; of a person are formed through various social mechanisms. 2) the effects of teachers&amp;rsquo; direct influence on the formation of students&amp;rsquo; ideas about &amp;ldquo;standard qualities&amp;rdquo; are limited; The perceptions of teachers and students differ. Sample: 1st and 2nd year students, boys and girls aged 18-20 years: 32 &amp;mdash; technical university (RTU MIREA, Moscow), 33 &amp;mdash; humanitarian (GAUGN, Moscow), 47 &amp;mdash; sports (GTSOLIFK); 37 nurses undergoing retraining, 22-38 years old; 36 teachers of the same universities (men and women); women aged 25-60 years). The working hypotheses are confirmed; the data obtained are consistent with the results of the first studies (Tolochek, 2023), expand and develop them.&lt;/p&gt;

Analysis and Countermeasure Research on the Current Situation of the Establishment of Career Committee Members in Colleges and Universities under the ' College System ' Education Mode

In recent years, the college system, as a student management system combining quality education and professional education, has gradually become popular in domestic universities. In the face of employment challenges, it is very important to carry out career planning and employment guidance education for college students under the ' academy system ' mode guided by high-quality talents. This paper focuses on the role of introducing student backbones in career planning and employment guidance under the ' college system ' mode. Taking Boya College of Ningxia University as an example, this paper studies the effectiveness, problems and countermeasures of establishing career committee members, and provides new ideas for college students ' career planning and employment guidance.

Neurodiverse inclusive social work education considered through a student partnership

ABSTRACT To improve inclusion in one social work teaching department, a ‘Students-as-Partners’ project employed four social work students with lived experience of neurodiversity to work in partnership with staff on pedagogical design. The student partners’ role was to evaluate teaching and learning through neurodivergent lenses and co-design strategies to enhance provision. Higher education can often adopt an individualized, adaptive approach to difference , rather than a social approach to inclusion where whole courses and environments are designed with neurotypical and neurodivergent learners in mind. ‘Neurodiversity’ offers social work education a constructive new paradigm for understanding learning experiences and for considering individuals’ strengths alongside challenges . Using a reflective, critical storytelling approach , this article weaves published research findings with the experiences of three student partners and one staff partner, to reflect on and analyze a Students-as-Partners neurodiversity pilot. We conclude that educational designs which actively include the perspectives and ideas of neurodivergent students can deepen understanding of individual challenges and strengths and facilitate the co-creation of more inclusive teaching and assessment strategies.

Perceptions and attitudes of Nursing students towards end-of-life care: a Phenomenological Study at a tertiary hospital in Uganda.

Clinical practice is an important part of nursing education as it helps nursing students transition into competent health professionals who can provide quality services. However, research studies convey it as a significant stressor for nursing students when they are obliged to end of life during clinical practice. The perceptions of nursing students on caring for end-of-life care have not been exhaustively studied in the Ugandan context. This study was conducted to understand nursing students' perceptions of end-of-life care during clinical practice at Mulago Hospital. It was a qualitative study with a phenomenology method carried out among 15 nursing students from Makerere University who were assigned to Mulago Hospital for clinical practice. Data was gathered using an in-depth interview guide, audio was captured, and transcriptions were analyzed thematically using Atlas.ti version 6. Three main themes emerged from the data; two themes on perceptions were (i) reactions when nursing students were informed about the physical process of caring for dying patients and (ii) how student ideas about the care changed during the process of caring for end-of-life. The third theme was the attitude of students towards patients when offering end of life care. participants described their reactions as chaotic, devastated and scared about their first-time encounter with caring for dying patients, the physical process also required preparation to handle the situation and understanding, and for positive personal values felt respected, appreciated, trusted and valued when informed about the physical process of caring for the end-of-life. In this study, nursing students held divisive attitudes on care for dying patients. However, nursing students appear to transition from unfavorable impressions of the process and encounter of caring for dying patients to positive perceptions during the actual caregiving experience. Despite their differing perspectives on caring for dying patients, students were typically empathic towards them.

Resilience and Suicide Idea of First Year Students of D-III Nursing Blitar

First-year nursing students are required to integrate material with skill laboratories and practice areas, which puts pressure on students who can lead to the emergence of suicidal ideation so that an ability called resilience is needed. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the level of resilience and the level of suicidal ideation of first year students of D-III Kpeerawatan Blitar. The method used is correlation method with cross sectional design. The sample in this study were 101 D-III Nursing Blitar 1st year students who were taken using the total sampling technique. The instruments used were ARS and SSI questionnaires. The results showed that there was a relationship between the level of resilience and suicidal ideation with a p-value of 0.002. the higher the resilience, the lower the suicidal ideation and vice versa, the lower the resilience, the higher the suicidal ideation. Keywords: Resilience; suicidal ideation

Reviewing assessment strategies in European dental schools

ObjectivesEffectively assessing dental students’ knowledge and skills is an important part of their education. Assessment techniques available to teachers, have become more diverse as new technologies are introduced. This study aimed to investigate what dental educators thought about current and future assessment techniques. MethodsThis was a mixed method study; quantitative data being collected at an annual dental educators’ conference, via on-screen questions requesting: i) demographic information; ii) type of student assessment currently used; iii) impact of Covid-19 on student assessment, and iv) future perceptions of assessment. Questions were posed in real time using the ‘Vevox’ platform. Descriptive statistical analysis was employed. Qualitative data were collected on ‘post-its’ and analysed thematically. Results101 participants attended the study. 59.1% (n = 60) had >11 years’ experience. 64% (n = 55) considered their summative and formative assessments were effective in developing student learning. Few participants reported students’ involvement in creating their own assessments (n = 8; 9.75%). 41.68% (n = 36) participants agreed it was a good idea for students to be involved in developing assessments, but only 9.75% (n = 8) reported it was already happening. Qualitative data indicated a reluctance to wholeheartedly embrace technology (including AI) when planning assessments. Most participants were not in favour of Co-creation or the use of some technologies. ConclusionsParticipants, reflected on the challenges of adopting a universal assessment approach. Dental educators should be given the institutional support and autonomy to implement the best assessment methods for their students. Most of this cohort of experienced dental educators reported that assessments facilitated student learning. Clinical significanceThe role of assessment for dental students is essential as dental educators must ensure that dental students graduate with appropriate knowledge and technical skills to be safe when in general dental practice. The use of various assessment techniques needs to reflect the diversity of skills the students need to demonstrate.

Middle school students' use of the energy concept to engage in new learning: What ideas matter?

AbstractOne reason for the widespread use of the energy concept across the sciences is that energy analysis can be used to interpret the behavior of systems even if one does not know the particular mechanisms that underlie the observed behavior. By providing an approach to interpreting unfamiliar phenomena, energy provides a lens on phenomena that can set the stage for deeper learning about how and why phenomena occur. However, not all energy ideas are equally productive in setting the stage for new learning. In particular, researchers have debated the value of teaching students to interpret phenomena in terms of energy forms and transformations. In this study, we investigated how two different approaches to middle school energy instruction—one emphasizing energy transformations between forms and one emphasizing energy transfers between systems—prepared students to use their existing energy knowledge to engage in new learning about a novel energy‐related phenomenon. To do this, we designed a new assessment instrument to elicit student initial ideas about the phenomenon and to compare how effectively students from each approach learned from authentic learning resources. Our results indicate that students who learned to interpret phenomenon in terms of energy transfers between systems learned more effectively from available learning resources than did students who learned to interpret phenomena in terms of energy forms and transformations. This study informs the design of introductory energy instruction and approaches for assessing how students existing knowledge guides new learning about phenomena.

Students' and junior doctors' perspectives on radiology education in medical school: a qualitative study in the Netherlands.

Modern medicine becomes more dependent on radiologic imaging techniques. Over the past decade, radiology has also gained more attention in the medical curricula. However, little is known with regard to students' perspectives on this subject. Therefore, this study aims to gain insight into the thoughts and ideas of medical students and junior doctors on radiology education in medical curricula. A qualitative, descriptive study was carried out at one medical university in the Netherlands. Participants were recruited on social media and were interviewed following a predefined topic list. The constant comparative method was applied in order to include new questions when unexpected topics arose during the interviews. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded. Codes were organized into categories and themes by discussion between researchers. Fifteen participants (nine junior doctors and six students) agreed to join. From the coded interviews, four themes derived from fifteen categories arose: (1) The added value of radiology education in medical curricula, (2) Indispensable knowledge on radiology, (3) Organization of radiology education and (4) Promising educational innovations for the radiology curriculum. This study suggests that medical students and junior doctors value radiology education. It provides insights in educational topics and forms for educational improvement for radiology educators.

Pendampingan Penyusunan Proposal Program Kreativitas Mahasiswa (PKM) Prodi Manajemen Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Bima

The PKM program is a routine grant program every year which will be participated in by PTN and PTS which is organized by the Belmawa Directorate as a forum for channeling student creative ideas. The hope is that by launching the Student Creativity Program (PKM) in various fields, it will train students to be able to present solutions to problems faced by the government, society, or the world of work/industry, so that the life of the nation and state moves in a better direction. The participation of students and accompanying lecturers in PKM activities can support the achievement of their higher education's IKU. Especially at IKU 1 (graduates get decent work), IKU 2 (students get experience outside campus), IKU 3 (lecturers carry out activities outside campus), and IKU 5 (the results of lecturers' work are used by the community). Apart from that, the output of this PKM program can be in the form of articles that are declared to have passed by reviewers and can be published in a scientific journal, which is a form of dissemination of activities carried out by students and indirectly contributes to progress and technology. However, the problem in 2024 is that there is still low student participation in taking part in PKM grants and low knowledge and understanding of students in preparing proposals and taking part in PKM and difficulty finding ideas to put into writing. The community service method uses a participatory method through a preliminary stage, core stage and advanced stage. The results of the activity show that it was carried out according to the timeline and increased student interest in developing ideas and skills as well as student interest in proposing PKM, this is proven by the increase in the number of PKM proposals proposed in the Simbelmawa system.

Challenges and Drivers of Industrialist Propensity Among Chemical Engineering Students in STEM Institution in Zimbabwe: Towards A Conceptual Framework

NUST in Zimbabwe grapples with a significant challenge. Despite enrolling many students in chemical engineering, the nation lacks operational industries. Consequently, graduates often encounter difficulties securing employment or attachment placements post-graduation. This underscores the critical need to foster student entrepreneurship, encouraging innovation and idea generation. The study employed a mixed-methods research design to address this issue, combining qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The quantitative aspect utilized a quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test design, while the qualitative component involved conducting focus group interviews with chemical engineering students in the experimental group. The findings from both approaches complemented each other, providing a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing entrepreneurial propensity among NUST chemical engineering students. Data collection involved distributing research instruments and questionnaires to NUST students and individuals associated with the mining and pharmaceutical industries. The collected data were then entered into an Excel spreadsheet, allowing for the recording of respondents' numbers alongside their respective responses. The study applied descriptive statistics to evaluate responses and their alignment with research objectives, revealing barriers to entrepreneurial inclination among NUST chemical engineering students, such as limited resources, risk aversion, inadequate entrepreneurial education, and cultural norms. Students benefited from personal motivation, a supportive educational atmosphere, networking opportunities, and exposure to innovative ideas. These factors nurtured self-determination, social networking, and an entrepreneurial mindset. To foster entrepreneurial spirit among NUST chemical engineering students, the study suggests educational reforms, mentorship programs, and potential policy changes create an enabling environment, empowering students to pursue entrepreneurship and contribute to economic growth.

Asset and deficit discourses of student ideas in science formative assessment co‐design

AbstractThe Framework for K‐12 Science Education set an ambitious goal of broadening participation in science learning for all students. Meeting this vision will involve supporting teachers in making meaningful connections with the cultural and linguistic resources their students bring to school; in essence, developing pedagogies that frame these resources as assets important to learning. In this manuscript, we present a qualitative case study of one community of high school science teachers who participated in a year‐long professional learning focused on formative assessment co‐design related to natural selection. Findings show that the process of formative assessment co‐design surfaced both deficit‐ and asset‐based statements about students' contributions. Teachers were more likely to share deficit‐based statements as compared to facilitators, whose statements were more asset‐based. This was particularly true with reference to students' prior knowledge and linguistic resources. At the same time, our analysis suggests that teachers were more likely to share more asset‐based framings of learners when practicing for and reflecting on enactment of formative assessment tasks. These findings suggest that supportive co‐design environments can encourage teachers to take more asset‐oriented views of learners. We discuss the implications of these findings for professional learning and science classroom practice.

Cultivating a higher level of student agency in collective discussion: teacher strategies to navigate student scientific uncertainty to develop a trajectory of sensemaking

ABSTRACT In a traditional lecturing environment, students possess limited agency in accepting or rejecting information provided by teachers. A higher level of student agency involves opportunities and actively identifying uncertainties and collaborating with peers to deepen understanding within the classroom community. Teachers play a crucial role in guiding students through sensemaking by addressing uncertainties and assisting in solution development. Student uncertainty is recognized as a pedagogical resource, engaging them in sensemaking and enhancing agency levels. This study analyzed 28 whole-class discussions led by seven science teachers, identifying three phases: problematization, coherence negotiation, and new understanding enactment. The teachers employed eight strategies leveraging student scientific uncertainty as pedagogical resources within three sequential methods: eliciting awareness of uncertainty (e.g., creating hybrid, ambiguous, and problem-solving spaces), seeking a coherent understanding (e.g., connecting students' lived experiences to empirical data for coherence, juxtaposing different interpretations to build consensus, and weaving together student ideas for coherence), and demonstrating new understanding (e.g., transference, translation). By embracing uncertainty, students become agents of sensemaking, contributing to a collaborative learning environment.