School Science Research Articles

Perceptions of Allied Health Students about lecture and peer‐assisted learning

Background. Students’ perceptions of the educational methodology are valuable for improving the quality of the educational environment. However, there is limited literature on students’ perceptions of lectures and peer-assisted learning (PAL) within the School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences. Objectives. To determine the perceptions of allied health students across different study levels regarding the effectiveness of lectures and PAL as educational strategies. Methods. This cross-sectional study involved 213 Allied Health students from levels 200 to 400 at the University of Ghana. Data were collected using an adopted perceptions questionnaire. Perceptions of lectures and PAL were analysed using means and mean percentages. A one-way ANOVA test was performed to compare differences in perceptions among students at various study levels, while the independent sample t-test was used to compare differences in perceptions between male and female students. Results. PAL had the highest mean scores, with a global rating of 4.1 (standard deviation (SD) 0.8) compared with 3.5 (SD 0.8) for lectures (p<0.00). There were no differences in perceptions about lectures and PAL among levels 200 to 400 students. Female students had a more positive perception of PAL, while both male and female students had the same positive perceptions about lectures. Conclusions. Students generally had positive perceptions about lectures and PAL; however, PAL was acknowledged as an alternative that provides students with active educational experiences. PAL may be incorporated into the standard curriculum alongside lectures.

A Study on Teaching the Ability to Find Points of Agreement in Elementary School Science

A Study on Teaching the Ability to Find Points of Agreement in Elementary School Science

Meta-Analysis Study: The Influence of Project Based Learning Models on Creativity and Science Learning Outcomes of Elementary School Students

The project based learning (PjBL) model is expected to be able to change students' learning styles by increasing motivation in learning, creativity in work, generating creative ideas, and being able to think critically. The meta-analysis research aims to find out how big the effect of the PjBL model is on the creativity and science learning outcomes of elementary school students?; Does the implementation of the PjBL model affect the creativity and science learning outcomes of elementary school students? Collecting articles using the publish or perish application with the keywords PjBL model, creativity, and elementary science learning outcomes. The data obtained was analyzed by calculating the effect size of each journal. Analysis of the average effect size of 0.92 is in the large category. The PjBL model influences the creativity and learning outcomes of elementary school students with r RE = 0.925 in the high category. This shows that the PjBL model can increase student creativity and learning outcomes in elementary school science learning. The PjBL model can improve and develop creativity and high-level thinking skills based on the demands of the 4.0 era.

Impact of school gardens on secondary schools' agricultural science education in east Berbice Corentyne, Guyana

This study aimed to investigate gender disparities among Agricultural Science teachers in Region 6, East Berbice Corentyne, Guyana, focusing on their perceptions of school gardens and their influence on the pedagogy of agricultural science in secondary schools. Data were collected via electronic questionnaires from 30 teachers across 17 secondary schools to examine the integration of school gardens and their impact on teaching agricultural science. The results revealed that students participating in school gardening activities showed a greater propensity towards considering agriculture as a potential career and demonstrated an enhanced understanding of its practical aspects. Furthermore, incorporating school gardens facilitated interdisciplinary learning, bridging agricultural science with subjects such as social studies, language arts, and mathematics. This interdisciplinary approach promoted a deeper understanding of real-world applications across various disciplines. The findings emphasised the significance of creating conducive learning environments to support effective agricultural science instruction. Providing teachers and students with comfortable teaching and learning spaces fosters engagement and enhances pedagogical efficacy. This study contributes to the expanding body of literature advocating for integrating school gardens into educational curricula, particularly in agricultural science instruction. By recognising the multifaceted benefits of school gardens, educators and policymakers can better support the development of holistic and engaging learning experiences for secondary school students.

Overview Of Family Informative And Emotional Support About FE Supplementation To Anemia In Adolescent Girls At Stikes Rajekwesi Bojonegoro

Background: Adolescent girls are one group that is prone to suffering from anemia, This is because young women lose iron (Fe) during menstruation so they need more iron (Fe) intake. TTD is given to rheumatism and WUS through supplementation containing at least 60 mg of elemental iron and 400 mcg of folic acid. Objective research is to discribe the informational dan emotional family support to fe suplementation Method: This research uses descriptive research where researchers search description of the object under study. the number of samples was 45 respondents Adolecent girls in High school of science Rajekwesi Bojonegoro, Data collection used a questionnaire instrument and displayed in percentages Result: Research is known that of the 45 respondents, the majority of respondents, namely 22 (48.89%) did not receive enough family informative support is known that of the 45 respondents, the majority of respondents, namely 20 (44.43%) did receive enough family emotional support. Conclusion : Most families provide insufficient informational support to adolescents regarding Fe supplementation in preventing anemia in adolescents, whereas Most families provide sufficient emotional support for Fe supplementation in adolescents at Rajekwesi Bojonegoro High School of Science

Teacher Outcomes of an Intensive STEM-Focused Professional Learning Initiative: An Examination of Their Beliefs, Practices, and Perceptions

The purpose of this paper is to describe teacher outcomes from participating in an intensive science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professional learning (PL) initiative for middle school science teachers in the United States. The initiative included intensive summer coursework and ongoing support (e.g., individual coaching, professional learning communities), and focused on enhancing teachers’ STEM instruction and their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), with the ultimate goal of improving student outcomes. In this mixed method study, we examine change across time in teachers’ beliefs, use of STEM instruction, and PCK. In general, we did not observe statistically significant change in teachers’ beliefs, use of STEM instruction, or PCK from the beginning to the end of Year 1. In follow-up focus groups, ten teachers described their perceptions of student outcomes of STEM instruction and identified tensions related to implementation. We offer implications intended to inform future work in the area of STEM PL.

The Degree of Possession Digital Skills by Science School Teachers in Ein Al Basha Directorate of Education, from their point of view

The Degree of Possession Digital Skills by Science School Teachers in Ein Al Basha Directorate of Education, from their point of view

The Development of 2D Android Learning Application on the Topic of Light Properties for Elementary School Science Subject

The Development of 2D Android Learning Application on the Topic of Light Properties for Elementary School Science Subject

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

Critical Perspectives of School Science: A Science Teacher’s Self Reflective Study of Science Classroom Interactions with Students

ABSTRACT Critical perspectives of science (CPS) elucidates science as a human endeavor that not only embodies the rigorous process of knowledge construction but also reflects the inherent flaws arising from unequal and unjust power relations among humans and between humans and nature. Science teachers need opportunities for self-examination to learn CPS and apply it to their teaching practices, supporting students in developing CPS in the context of school science and using it for what matters to their lives. This self-reflective study applies the CPS as a conceptual framework to reexamine my past experiences teaching science at public middle schools in Korea, particularly the in-classroom interactions with students in science classrooms. As a result, I identified classroom episodes from which I inferred opportunities I could have facilitated students’ engagement with CPS in science classrooms. Three ways to facilitate students’ CPS were inferred from the episodes: (1) probing unjust practices of science hidden from school science; (2) addressing the linguistic and epistemic whiteness implicit in school science; and (3) identifying the relevance of school science to students and what matters to them. Implications for science teacher education are discussed, including how teacher educators can facilitate teachers’ self-reflective examination of their classroom interactions and integration of CPS into daily classroom discourse.

A Conversation with Professor Clare Hemmings

Clare Hemmings is a Professor of Feminist Theory at the Department of Gender Studies (formerly Gender Institute), London School of Economics and Political Science, where she has worked since 1999. Her research focuses on feminist and queer studies, examining the relationship between these fields and their institutionalization at national and international levels. She is interested in how participants in these fields narrate their history and current form, and how these narratives align with conservative agendas.

The Influence of Problem Based Learning on Problem Solving Ability in Science Materials in Elementary Schools

Problem solving abilities have a significant role in increasing students' cognitive capacity, however, there are still difficulties in developing these skills. This research aims to assess the influence of the Problem Based Learning Model on students' problem solving abilities. This research is a quasi-experimental quantitative type with a pretest-posttest control group design. Fourth semester students in classes C and D of the PGSD Study Program were taken as samples using the Purposive Sampling technique. Data was collected through a research instrument in the form of a problem solving ability test in the Elementary School Science Learning Materials course. The results of hypothesis analysis using the Mann-Whitney test show the Asymp value. Sig. (2-tailed) is 0.000, which is smaller than 0.005. Therefore, it can be concluded that Hypothesis is Accepted. This means that there are differences between the experimental class which uses the PBL model and the control class with conventional learning. Thus, it can be concluded that the PBL model has an influence on the problem solving abilities of PGSD students.

Exploring the Integration of Virtual Laboratories in Science Education

The advantage of VLs lies in their capacity for simulating real-world lab experiences within a fully immersive digital environment, yet the uptake in rural schools in developing countries remains low. To understand this paradox, this study explores the perceptions of seven secondary school science teachers in a rural district in South Africa. Through a qualitative case-study methodology guided by the interpretive paradigm, this research adopts a phenomenological approach to gain insights into teachers' attitudes, understandings, and the factors influencing their acceptance or rejection of this technology. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology is employed as a theoretical framework. The study finds that despite potential educational benefits, the actual use of VLs is largely influenced by teacher perceptions and experiences, rooted in context-specific challenges. The findings reveal that teachers perceive VL as a beneficial and practical tool providing access to high-quality lab equipment necessary for student experiments, which could otherwise be cost-prohibitive.

Examination of studies on artificial intelligence and chatbots in the context of secondary school science course: content analysis

This study aims to investigate the applications of artificial intelligence and chatbots in secondary school science lessons through descriptive content analysis. Using a qualitative case study approach, 20 theses from YÖKTEZ database and 10 international articles from Google Scholar were analysed, focusing on chatbots in science education. The results of the analysis revealed a notable increase in AI and chatbot-related theses between 2012 and 2023, especially in the last two years, highlighting the growing interest in e-learning and AI in STEM fields. Positive effects on student and teacher attitudes towards STEM education have been widely reported. However, besides the limited number of international studies, the discovery of only one secondary school thesis on chatbots unrelated to Science in Turkey points to a significant research gap in AI and chatbot integration into Science education. Addressing this gap may improve the application of AI and chatbot technologies in science teaching and reveal the need for further research to explore their potential benefits and applications in educational settings.

Leading Elementary School Science: Taking a Multilevel Distributed Perspective to Explore Leadership Practice

Purpose: Most empirical work using a distributed perspective to frame research on leadership practice uses the school as the unit of analysis, focusing on how leadership is stretched over people and aspects of the situation within schools. This study investigates leadership practice for elementary science, using a multilevel distributed framework, to understand the interrelationships among educational leaders operating at various levels—from classrooms, to schools, to educational systems, and, beyond, to the educational sector. Research Methods/Approach: Using an embedded, comparative case study design, we analyzed leadership practice for elementary science reform in 13 school districts in the U.S. as leaders worked to bridge from the Next Generation Science Standards learning ideals to classroom instruction. Data collection included interviews, observations, and documents. Findings: Leading elementary science reform involved three core components of leadership practice: (1) garnering attention for science in a situation that prioritized the instruction of English Language Arts and mathematics; (2) cultivating and channeling essential relationships not only within the system but also in the broader education sector to access the resources needed to (re)build an educational infrastructure for elementary science instruction; and (3) supporting the use of educational infrastructure in everyday practice in schools. Implications: This study makes the case for using a multilevel distributed leadership perspective to frame studies of leadership practice to understand how efforts at different levels interact in shaping the practice of leadership.

Encouraging STEM Careers among Minoritized High School Students: The Interplay between Socio-Environmental Factors and Other Social Cognitive Career Constructs

Performance in math, particularly algebra, is a major barrier to student success and participation in STEM among under-represented minoritized students, particularly Black U.S. high school students. This research applies social cognitive career theory (SCCT) to measure the impacts of an afterschool algebra for engineering program on math self-efficacy and interest in STEM among high school students in a large urban district. To study the program’s effects, a mixed methods research design was used where schools were assigned to either treatment or control conditions. Students in treatment schools accessed algebra for engineering modules, STEM professional role model videos, and field trips, while students in control schools accessed role model videos and field trips only. Surveys measuring math self-efficacy and STEM interest, outcome expectations, and choice goals were completed by participants in both conditions at the beginning and end of two separate program years, 2021–2022 and 2022–2023. Across both years, quantitative results suggest some positive effects of participation, particularly for STEM choice goals, but benefits depend upon student participation levels. Qualitative data offer student voice around prior experiences in math and science and the development of postsecondary plans in STEM. In combination, the results suggest that for students who do not initially identify as STEM career-bound, afterschool programming may not necessarily promote preparation for STEM careers due to an accumulation of weak math and science school experiences and other socio-environmental influences.

Article Integrating STEAM education in the school science teaching at Gorkha district

This article explores the integration of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education into the secondary school science curriculum. It provides an in-depth analysis of the current state of STEAM education, challenges, successes, and future directions. The article draws on literature reviews, theoretical frameworks, and interviews with science teachers to offer a holistic view of the benefits of STEAM education integration at school-level science teaching. This study was carried out by selecting three schools in the Gorkha district and three science teachers who are implementing separate types of STEAM-based project approaches in science teaching. This study found that science teachers attempted to implement the project-based technology-friendly STEAM approach in their classrooms. However, they faced several obstacles to the integration of STEAM into the present school science curriculum due to the limited availability of internet facilities. It suggests that policy level and curriculum designers prepare the STEAM-based curricula for transdisciplinary (STEAM-based) school science teaching.

Improving Argument-Based Explanation Writing in Inclusive High School Science Class for Students with and without Exceptionalities

ABSTRACT There have been many calls for the development of discipline-specific argument writing interventions to integrate science-specific and general literacy standards and goals. Yet, adolescents with and without exceptionalities struggle to meet existing writing demands. This explanatory sequential mixed methods design draws from the strengths of multiple baseline design and integrates rich qualitative data, from a student perspective, to better understand the elements that contribute to effective discipline-specific writing instruction. The study examined the effects of implementing Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) through a writing-to-learn sensemaking framework adapting the DEFEND strategy to improve students’ written argument-based explanations across inclusive science classrooms and focus learners with exceptionalities. A ninth-grade science teacher delivered science and writing instruction and collected quick writes before, during, and after SRSD implementation. Results indicated that students’ argument-based explanations improved in discipline-specific components (i.e. claim, evidence, reasoning, knowledge) and general components (i.e. organization and writing quality). Students discussed the challenges of using their developing knowledge to write argument-based explanations using the DEFEND strategy, with particular difficulties in expressing reasoning and an appropriate counterclaim. Issues of feasibility and usability are discussed.

Árvores sobreviventes ao bombardeamento atómico de Hiroshima

The objective of this article is to publicize the social action project EC-614 of the University of Costa Rica “Trees of peace surviving the Hiroshima atomic bomb: Phase 1: establishment of seedlings in Costa Rica”, as well as the impact it has had especially in public libraries and as a contribution to the fulfillment of objective 16, “Peace, justice and solid institutions”, of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. Therefore, a contextualization of libraries as peace-promoting entities is carried out and the project, its genesis and significance are described. Likewise, the conclusions and learning that have been obtained so far with the development of this collaborative project between the School of Biology and the School of Library and Information Sciences of the University of Costa Rica are presented.

An Interview with Martin Robillard - 2024 SIGSOFT Awardee

Martin Robillard received the 2024 SIGSOFT Influential Educator Award for his significant contributions to hands-on software design education, including a textbook (Introduction to Software Design with Java) and a learner-focused software modeling tool (JetUML). He is currently a Professor in the School of Computer Science at McGill University, Montréal, Canada, he is a Distinguished Member of the ACM and a Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of British Columbia. His research interests fall within the area of software engineering, focussing on human-centred software development. He was awarded six ACM SIGSOFT Distinguished Paper Awards for his work on recommendation systems, software traceability, and software documentation. Recently, he has been working on software documentation generation, test suite quality, and information privacy.