Nonscience Majors Research Articles

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards COVID-19 among undergraduates during emergency remote learning

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic paralyzes the education sector. To minimize the interruption of teaching and learning, most universities in Malaysia shifted to virtual mode during this unprecedented period of the pandemic. With an ever-increasing number of Malaysians fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the education system is expected to switch back to face-to-face mode this year. It is crucial to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of COVID-19 among emergency remote learning undergraduates before reverting to physical teaching and learning. Hence, a study was conducted with this aim in mind.MethodsA total of 299 Malaysian undergraduates were recruited through a snowball sampling approach. The online questionnaire encompassed three main segments: informed consent, sociodemographic information, and KAP questions on COVID-19.ResultsThe mean scores for knowledge, attitude, and practice were 4.05/6, 11.14/12, and 5.07/7, respectively. The results of the present study showed that year 1 respondents had significantly higher levels (p < 0.05) of KAP scores than year 4 respondents. In addition, the attitude score of science majors respondents was significantly greater (p < 0.05) than those of nonscience majors. The KAP scores showed no significant difference among groups with different sexes, ethnicities, and COVID-19 histories. Partial correlation analysis revealed that the overall knowledge score was positively correlated with attitude (r = 0.193, p = 0.001) and practice (r = 0.343, p < 0.001) scores whereas the total attitude score was positively correlated with the total practice score (r = 0.149, p = 0.010).ConclusionOur current results suggest that COVID-19 workshops, seminars, or training programs for year 4 students could be conducted to enhance their KAP levels.

The Suitability and Characteristics Analysis of Key Science Inquiry Activities in the 2015 National Science Curriculum in Korea

Abstract The suitability and characteristics of middle school inquiry activities in the 2015 National Curriculum of Science in Korea were studied from the perspective of eight science teachers with rich experience in teaching science inquiry activities. In-depth interviews revealed problems teachers experienced while conducting inquiry classes. Problems were classified into five categories: inquiry level, method, tool, inquiry result, difficulty in guidance, and safety. Based on this analysis, strategies for an inquiry improvement plan are suggested, including that quantitative inquiry requiring numerical interpretation of data obtained from the process of inquiry should be emphasized. Concrete guidance of inquiries should be provided for non-major science teachers to help them instruct inquiries more easily. Institutional improvement is needed to develop curriculum activities and the improvement of science lab and classroom environments are necessary for conducting inquiry activities utilizing technology. The results of this study can contribute to the development of science inquiry activity programs.

Effectively Illustrating Nature’s Magic with Magic

There is an ongoing challenge with STEM education: making physics, math, and science, in general, interesting, understandable, and retentive for college science and non-science majors, K-12 students, and the public. If not imparting detailed knowledge, at least one would like to introduce important concepts that will be remembered, appreciated, and hopefully would be pursued in more detail by audience members. One solution: as noted by Socrates, “Wisdom begins in wonder.” Indeed, magic as a form of wonderment dates back to Socrates and even earlier. One of the first magic books, The Discoverie of Witchcraft by Reginald Scot, was published in 1584, predating publication of many science texts. In this paper the author, based on recent research, advocates using special forms of magic to both amaze and teach, and in particular to illustrate the wonders of modern physics, i.e., Nature’s magic, but with connections also to classical physics.

Using “Limits to Growth” Modeling Software in an Environmental Physical Science Lab

Although teaching of environmental physics and energy-related topics has increased in the last several years, only a small portion of that has been for non-science majors. Environmental physical science can be used to teach physics to non-science majors by applying learned physics concepts to current issues of interest such as climate change, population growth, sustainability, and renewable energy. The combination of the subject of the environment and a more student-centered learning environment improves the learning experience of the student. It increases the understanding non-science students have for physics. Teaching a physical science class with emphasis on the environment requires labs that engage the students. This lab, in particular, is intended as a final lab in the semester, which shows the students that all the environmental topics are intertwined and influence each other. It ties population growth, climate change, and resource use to show the effects they have on the economy, pollution, ecological footprint, and the welfare of humanity as a whole.

Socio-demographic Heterogeneity in Prevalence of SARS-COV-2 Infection and Death Rate: Relevance to Black College Student Knowledge of COVID-19 and SARS-COV-2.

Black and Brown communities are affected disproportionately by COVID-19. In an attempt to learn if young Black college students unknowingly contribute to the spread of the COVID-19 in their communities, using surveys, this pilot study gauges the general safety knowledge and basic scientific knowledge of Black college students about SARS-COV-2 virus and COVID-19 at an HBCU. We also investigated whether students enrolled in chemistry courses designed for STEM (Science, Technology, and Engineering Majors) majors displayed increased knowledge of SARS-COV-2 and COVID-19 in comparison to their non-STEM major peers. Two sets of surveys with multiple choice questions, one with 25 and the other with 34 questions, were designed to assess general safety knowledge and basic scientific knowledge of the students about COVID-19 and the SARS-COV-2 virus. Survey questions were administered through Blackboard learning management system to one hundred eighty-seven (187) students in the summer of 2020 to two freshman non-science majors and in the fall of 2020 to one freshman non-science-major class, two freshmen STEM-major classes, and one senior STEM-major class. All students self-registered in the 6 chemistry classes at North Carolina A&T State University at random with no predetermined criteria. Results of the study show that regardless of their year of study, majority (> 90%) of the students possess basic scientific knowledge and are aware of the safety precautions concerning SARS-COV-2 virus and COVID-19. Majority of non-science major freshmen answered the basic safety questions correctly but were not able to choose the correct answers for the more specific scientific questions concerning SARS-COV-2 and COVID-19. Surprisingly, there was no significant difference in basic scientific knowledge regarding SARS-COV-2 and COVID-19 between STEM and non-STEM student populations, and first year STEM students were just as knowledgeable as senior STEM students. Based on these data, we speculate that students surveyed here have an acceptable basic understanding of how SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted, and therefore, they may not be a source of COVID-19 transmission to Black and Brown communities as this study confirms they are receiving accurate information about SARS-COV-2 and COVID-19. Possession of crucial timely and accurate knowledge about the health and safety is important in fighting racism and to gain equity within the society at large. By sharing the acquired knowledge, students can serve as positive role models for others in the community thus encouraging them to pursue science. Education brings equity, sharing the acquired knowledge encourages others to continue their education and succeed in obtaining higher degrees and better jobs as remedies for social inequality. Spread of accurate knowledge on various aspects of COVID-19 will also help remove fears of vaccination and hesitation towards visits to health clinics to resolve health issues. Relying on the results of this pilot study, we plan to explore these important factors further in our next study.

Science, Poetics, and Immersive Field Ecology

Complex global challenges and declining scientific literacy demand novel approaches to engaging students with science and the natural world. While evidence supports integrating creative and scientific modes of inquiry, these approaches are often separated in undergraduate education. We designed Ecology Through the Writer’s Lens (ETWL) to allow students to explore an ecosystem of critical importance, the tall grass prairie, through an interdisciplinary field experience. Co-taught by Biology and English professors and open to students of all majors, ETWL leverages classroom activities to prepare for and process the immersive field experience over the course of one semester. Field-based exercises include natural history observations, hypothesis building, experimental design, analysis of the literature, and creative/reflective writing. Learning was assessed through multiple assignments, including a final creative project that spanned diverse writing genres. Students met and exceeded expectations with respect to course objectives. Non-science majors learned how scientific knowledge is generated; science majors learned how creative approaches can open new pathways for exploration. Many students overcame fear of natural spaces. Several students independently engaged with tall grass prairie in post-course activities. We conclude that interdisciplinary approaches to field-based inquiry can generate transformative experiences, even when the immersive component is short-term and close to home. ETWL provides one model by which different modes of inquiry can be blended to enhance student appreciation of science, literature, and the environment.

Physics in James Joyce’s Ulysses

Ulysses by James Joyce (1882–1941) has a surprising amount of 19th-century, classical physics. The physics community is familiar with the name James Joyce mainly through the word “quark” (onomatopoeic for the sound of a duck or seagull), which Murray Gell-Mann (1929-2019 – Physics Nobel Prize 1969) sourced from Joyce’s Finnegan’s Wake. Ulysses, however, was ranked number one in 1998 on the Modern Library “100 Best Novels” list and is, in whole or in part, in the literature curriculum in university English departments worldwide. The fact that Ulysses contains so much classical physics should not be surprising. Joyce’s friend Eugene Jolas observed: “the range of subjects he [Joyce] enjoyed discussing was a wide one … [including] certain sciences, particularly physics, geometry, and mathematics.” Knowing physics can enhance everyone’s understanding of this novel and enrich its entertainment value. Ulysses exemplifies what physics students (science and non-science majors) and physics teachers should realize, namely, physics and literature are not mutually exclusive.

Science and Non-Science Majors’ Mental Models of Nuclear Power: Does the Program of Study Matter?

"Abstract: The purpose of this study was to characterize science and non-science majors’ mental models of nuclear power plants through their drawings. For this purpose, a total of 27 Theology and 26 Science Education college students were participated in the study. To collect data, students were first asked to state their decisions about the construction of nuclear power plant in the city they live, and then to think about nuclear power plants in their minds and draw the revived images on a paper. Data were analyzed through content analysis based on the SEE-STEP model. Findings revealed that religious beliefs and/or education may affect college students’ reactions to nuclear power plants. That is, while most theology majors approached the construction of nuclear power plants positively, majority of science education majors did not. Theology majors referred mostly to economy in their drawings, while science education majors mostly to environment. Regardless of the program of study, on the other hand, the codes emerged from the drawings were mostly about environment, which was followed by technology, economics and science. Ethics was the least common subject area referred in the drawings of the students from both programs of study."

Learning of uncertainty in an introductory astronomy course in remote asynchronous delivery during Covid-19 lockdown

The teaching of an introductory astronomy course in remote delivery during Covid-19 lockdown encountered a unique issue in terms of a mixture of three student groups. They are the science majors, science-interested students, and non-science majors to satisfy science requirement in our Two-year community college located in New York City. The learning of how to assess uncertainty would be of a universal concern in the three groups. Uncertainty examples includes shoe size selection experience in daily life for non-science majors, distance measurement uncertainty for science-interested students who are parents, and simulation uncertainty for science majors. Reciting or memorizing a narrative in remote learning should be supplemented with a discussion using an alternative perspective with intellectual maturity, and the uncertainty theme would fit well for the learning of any chapters in an astronomy textbook. Assessment exercise questions are developed. The strategy to discourage rote learning and plagiarism in the remote asynchronous delivery of introductory astronomy at the college level is discussed.

First-year Academic Performance of Pharmacy Students Based on High School Status and Major

The purpose of the research is provides a descriptive first-year academic performance of pharmacy students based on high school status and major. This research is a descriptive research with cross-sectional method using all pharmacy students as sample. The results of this research are percentage of pharmacy students from public high schools is 33% and 67% from private high schools. The percentage of specialization majors in high school is 6% pharmacy, 85% science and 9% non-science. The academic performance of students from private high schools is better than that of public high schools. Pharmacy majors in high school produce the highest academic performance, meanwhile, non-science majors show the lowest academic performance, the principal results. Conclusions in this research is first-year academic performance for pharmacy students from private high schools is better than public high schools, as well as pharmacy major in high school showing the highest GPA and non-science major showing the lowest GPA

Gender and STEM background as predictors of college students’ competencies in forming research questions and designing experiments in inquiry activities

ABSTRACT This study examined the roles of gender and STEM major status as predictors of performance in formulating a research question and designing experiment among 70 undergraduate Taiwanese college students participating in inquiry-based learning (IBL). Student participants in this study were involved in discrepant demonstrations of scientific events and hands-on activities to introduce conceptual knowledge with the goal of motivating their learning interest in explaining phenomena scientifically. In addition, historical cases of scientific inquiry were utilised to scaffold and support inquiry procedures. At three time points during the semester, learning sheets were used to assess student performance in scientific inquiry practices (generating research questions and designing experiment). Results revealed that female students showed greater ability to form a research question than males. Additionally, while female science majors showed greater ability to generate a research design than female non-science majors, the opposite was true for males. Finally, the challenges and difficulties encountered by students in formulating research question and designing experiments are addressed. The findings of students’ significant and positive progress on formulating research question in the three consecutive assessments reveal the potential benefits of pedagogical approaches used in this study. On the other hand, the variety of students’ learning outcomes provide insight into potential ways that specific student subgroups may respond to pedagogies within an inquiry-based context. The initial findings also provide a starting point for instructors to begin debating the most productive ways of planning and delivering scientific inquiry instruction.

Teaching Your Students How to Manipulate Molten Glass. Lampworking: Chemistry’s Original “Maker Movement”

Lampworking is a valuable skill for students in Chemistry and others in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) related fields. The activity described here provides instructors the resources to both learn and teach the fundamentals of lampworking. Soft glass, which can be shaped and fused with a Bunsen burner, is used to improve the accessibility of this activity. The Bunsen burners have been modified so that the angle of the flame is between 45 and 60° rather than 90° relative to the base. This modification significantly improves the lampworking experience according to student feedback. Students ranging from Freshmen to Seniors have participated in this activity. This activity introduces students to skills that can be later used with borosilicate glass for scientific glassblowing projects. This activity is both educational and fun for students in STEM fields as well as nonscience majors. Furthermore, this is an excellent professional development opportunity for educators.

Marine Mystery Organisms: Learning Marine Ecology with Whales, Not Flashcards

My college introductory oceanography students—mostly non-science majors—think scientists sit around making up new terms. Despite my teasing warnings that I want to ban flashcards (and online versions such as Quizlet) from my classroom, my students enthusiastically embrace the cards as a study method for learning all those new words. And indeed, we must learn the definitions of words before we can use them. But memorizing definitions is a lowest-level activity in Bloom’s influential taxonomy of learning (Bloom et al., 1956), updated by Anderson et al. (2001). My students don’t aspire to be scientists, but I aspire for them to learn at a higher level. I don’t just want “remembering,” I want “comprehending,” “applying,” and maybe even a touch of “analyzing.” I want them to practice as they learn, a point emphasized over and over again in my class.

Use of a Simple Homemade Apparatus to Teach Basic Thermal Concepts – Six Qualitative Demonstrations/Experiments

Understanding thermal concepts constitutes one of the most important challenges in teaching science as these concepts are central to the principals of science and allow students to build connections among scientific disciplines. From an early age, students’ interaction with daily phenomena and real situations comes to shape their conceptions of thermal concepts, which continues to guide them throughout their education. Conceptions that are sometimes different from the scientific norm. This article presents six qualitative experiments/demonstrations using a low-cost, easy to make apparatus that introduces students to thermal concepts such as heat conduction in solid bodies and thermal expansion. These are appropriate for high school or college students enrolled in non-major science courses (e.g., departments of primary education) and can easily be performed by elementary or middle school students, but care must be taken when dealing with tealight candle flames.

Context-Based Testing as Assessment Tool in Chemistry Learning on University Level

Testing as an assessment technique has been widely used at all levels of education—from primary to higher school. The main purpose of the paper is to evaluate the effect of context-based testing in teaching and learning of analytical chemistry in a Russian university. The paper formulates the objectives of context-based testing, discusses its features and compares with conventional testing; proposes a model of constructing and administering context-based testing; provides examples of context-based tests. The experiment was conducted at the Ural Sate University of Economics (Russia) with bachelor’s degree students with nonscience majors. Students were assigned to one of the experimental conditions: in the control group, traditional tests were carried out, while the experimental group students experienced context-based testing. The statistical data—students’ test scores—obtained at all stages of the experiment were analyzed on the basis of statistical criteria (Shapiro–Wilk, Student’s T, Fisher). The findings of our experiment enable us to answer the guided research questions. Context-based testing may be considered as an essential component of context-based teaching and learning. In comparison with conventional testing, context-based testing could impact developing knowledge of fundamental analytical chemistry concepts and contribute to more solid knowledge.

Exploring Mathematics of the Sociopolitical Through Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in a College Algebra Course at a Historically Black College/University

In collegiate mathematics, college algebra continues to be a barrier to graduation for students (specifically non-science, mathematics, engineering, and science majors). Each year, nearly half of enrolled students struggle to “pass” this course with a grade of C or better (Herriott, 2006). Using innovative constructed lessons geared towards African American students, this research study was designed to investigate the effects of a sequence of such lessons grounded in the principles of culturally relevant pedagogy on students enrolled in an introductory college algebra course at a historically Black college/university. Using critical race theory as a lens, along with culturally relevant pedagogy, this study explored students’ abilities to apply mathematics to address contentious and present-day sociopolitical problems through eight in-depth semi-structure student interviews. Further, findings also suggest the need for collegiate mathematics instruction to have more emphasis on cultural components to build students’ sociopolitical consciousnesses, because this is integral in helping students be able to think critically and use mathematics in their everyday lives. Students in this experimental course were able to discuss difficult issues, such as the pervasiveness of racism in America (DeCuir &amp; Dixson, 2004) and the importance of cultural identity for African American students (Martin, 2009).

Teaching topography using 3D printed terrain in an introductory earth science course: A pilot study

Topographic maps are a common form of 3D surface elevation data represented as a 2D display. Despite their use in geoscience courses, many students find learning to effectively read and interpret these maps challenging. Here, we present a tool for teaching topographic map interpretation using 3D printed terrain. The terrain was 3D printed from a portion of the quadrangle map used in an introductory earth science course for non-science majors. Students placed the ∼12 cm square terrain directly on the corresponding area of the paper topographic map, in order to see the landscape. Student learning was compared between an original version of the topography lab and the same lab with the addition of the 3D printed terrain, using the Modified Topographic Map Assessment (MTMA) administered as a pre- and posttest with each group. As measured by pretest scores on the MTMA, students in the original (n = 54) and 3D print terrain tool (n = 24) groups had comparable incoming topographic map interpretation skills (t(75) = .98, p = .33). Pre- to posttest MTMA scores did not significantly improve in the original lab group (M = 0.63, SD = 3.13, t(53) = 1.48, p = .15) but did in the 3D print terrain group (M = 1.96, SD = 2.97, t(23) = 3.23, p = .004) with a moderate effect size (d = .53). Results of this pilot study suggest that 3D printed terrain shows promise as a teaching tool that could be adapted to multiple uses including K-12 classes and upper division earth science courses.

Student Success in Five Concepts: A Six-Year Study in an Introductory Chemistry Course for Non-Science Majors

Introductory chemistry courses are normally designed for different students in colleges and universities. In many cases the Introductory Chemistry course is offered to students to satisfy a general science prerequisite and in other courses. At Stephen F. Austin State University, the Introductory Chemistry Course is taken by a majority of students who are declared nursing majors. This study examined the performance of student scores in five concepts in an Introductory Chemistry course. The data compares student performance for five randomly chosen concepts, namely; significant figures, reactivity of isotopes, half-lifes, electron configuration of ions, and equilibria. Standardized exams were used to assess and evaluate performance and trends of students (N = 841) in the five concepts for the academic years 2012 – 2018. Except for the “Equilibria” concept, many students showed performance that was greater than 55% or better. This study helps provide information that (i) can be used to improve areas where students may have poor understanding, (ii) is useful to instructors to decide on the time to spend in concepts in which students struggle. The reason(s) for the observed trends may stem from various factors, which include outside forces affecting students, or certain concepts may need more time for comprehension vis-a-vis others, and/or students not having strong previous foundations, especially in mathematical skills. The results of the study provide helpful information for instructors in science/education since these concepts may pose special challenges to different levels of difficulty. Overall, this study will help create a more successful classroom environment that is beneficial and enriches both the instructor and students.

The use of 3-D modeling and printing to teach the central dogma of molecular biology

Molecular processes are highly complex, and are frequently difficult for high school and college students to comprehend. Because of the importance of visualization in learning, along with formative assessment of student understanding, utilization of 3D modeling software aids both educators and students alike. The activity described below required non-science majors in a college-level general education biology class to build a model of the central dogma of molecular biology and the relationships between DNA, RNA, and protein using the TinkerCad website, and describe their model in relation to the cellular processes. Examples of student work are included, along with a discussion of the application to high school students, connections to the NGSS, and future directions for the activity.

Science knowledge and attitudes of lifelong learners in an astronomy massive open online course

ABSTRACT The basic science knowledge and attitudes toward science have been compared for (1) adult free-choice learners in an astronomy online course or MOOC, (2) undergraduate non-science majors, and (3) professional scientists from graduate student to professor level. The adult MOOC learners have a higher level of science knowledge than the college students, as measured using an NSF instrument, and they display fewer science misconceptions and a deeper view of how science works. They also have more positive attitudes toward science and technology and lower levels of belief in pseudoscience and superstition. Compared to professional scientists at any level, both student groups showed a more limited and shallow view of how science works. These results inform efforts to help free choice learners engage in science so that they can meaningfully participate in the many societal and policy debates that hinge on science.