School Science Research Articles

Developing preservice elementary teachers’ self-efficacy toward teaching science

ABSTRACT Having a negative attitude toward science plays a major factor in elementary teachers avoiding teaching science in elementary school. This mixed methods study examined changes in pre-service elementary teachers’ (PSETs) attitudes toward teaching science. PSETs (n=59) engaged in a semester-long university course in the Southeastern United States. The course focused on demonstrating and applying knowledge of scientific concepts and inquiry-based teaching. PSETs took a Dimension of Attitudes toward Science (DAS) questionnaire before and after the course. Six of the PSETs were interviewed in a focus group and asked how the course impacted their attitudes toward science. Data were analysed quantitatively through frequency of responses and mean values. Qualitative analysis was done through concurrent triangulation design analysis of focus group interviews and survey responses. Results show that PSETs had more positive attitudes toward science in feelings attached to teaching science and their confidence in teaching science. Follow-up focus group interviews indicated that some of the PSETs highlighted verbal persuasion, the Cognitive Pedagogical Mastery (CPM) experience of engaging in hands-on activities, and the Cognitive Content Mastery (CCM) experience of using learning technologies as factors in positive changes in self-efficacy and feelings toward teaching science. Implications for PSETs methods courses are discussed .

Who teaches place-based education: identifying relationships between environmental value orientation and pedagogical values

Place-based education (PBE) offers teachers a unique opportunity to increase engagement and academic outcomes while strengthening students’ connections to their environment and inspiring future conservation. In most instances, classroom teachers must independently choose to implement PBE, such as when discussing topics surrounding wildlife and the environment. Environmental values orientations of teachers may explain teachers’ implementation of PBE. Through thematic analysis of phenomenological interviews with 11 middle and high school science teachers in Colorado we identified their environmental value orientations. We found that teachers with predominantly mutualist environmental value orientations were associated with high levels of implementation. Our findings can inform professional development of teachers learning about the relationship between PBE and pro-environmental value ­orientations and behaviors among future generations.

АЛГОРИТМ – МЕТОДИЧЕСКАЯ ПОДГОТОВКА БУДУЩИХ УЧИТЕЛЕЙ НАЧАЛЬНЫХ КЛАССОВ В ОБУЧЕНИИ НАЧАЛЬНОМУ ЕСТЕСТВОЗНАНИЮ

The article “Algorithm - methodological training of future primary school teachers in teaching primary natural science” is devoted to the urgent problem of teacher training in teaching primary natural science at school for children of primary school age. The authors of the work conducted a study of teaching methods in the process of teaching primary science in primary schools, necessary for the methodological training of school teachers. A detailed analysis of teaching methods made it possible to identify the shortcomings and advantages of the analyzed methods and showed the possibility of their improvement through a successful combination of various methods in the course of teaching primary science to children of primary school age. The authors of the article, using their own examples, convincingly proved the effectiveness of a combination of traditional and innovative teaching methods. In addition to traditional teaching methods such as conversation, story, explanation, practical methods, in modern conditions of informatisation of society, methods such as the use of audio and video films and the use of the latest computer systems play an important role in the methodological training of future primary school teachers in teaching primary science.

Five Essential Features of Scientific Inquiry in Bahraini Primary School Science Textbooks and Workbooks

Five Essential Features of Scientific Inquiry in Bahraini Primary School Science Textbooks and Workbooks

Brushstrokes of Thoughts and Perceptions in Science Learning

According to J. Epstein’s (2022) Theory of Overlapping Spheres of Influence, three influential spheres are symbiotic and overlap: school, family, and community. Social networks and social capital are rendered through the implementation of cooperative, interactive partnerships among families, educators, and communities when they are centered on children's growth and development. Additionally, L. S. Vygotsky’s (1978) Theory of Cognitive Development asserts social interaction between learners is central to learners developing understanding, as concepts are first formed on the social level followed by the individual level. This qualitative research study examined the thoughts, perceptions, and acuities of students, parents, and teachers as they partnered during high school science inquiry investigations and their perceptions regarding social interactions and cognition. This qualitative phenomenological study examined the development of social skills in students and influencing factors in motivating students to take ownership of the learning. This study also examined the assimilation and accommodation of cognition in study participants’ perspectives as they engaged in scientific, experiential learning with implications for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) teaching and learning.

Self-Perceived Assessment Skills and Professional Learning Priorities of Filipino Secondary Science Teachers in Flexible Instruction Delivery

As a context-dependent process, the role of assessment in the practice of flexible instruction delivery during the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic paved the way to rethink teachers’ assessment practices that respond to the demands of the context. This further forced teachers to capacitate themselves with the new platforms for assessing students’ learning and engagement. This descriptive study aimed to delineate Junior High School science teachers’ perceived assessment skills and professional learning priorities and preferences in the areas of assessment in flexible instruction delivery. Results uncovered that they generally perceived themselves as proficient in all the surveyed assessment skills and responsibilities, having the foundation of assessment dealing with the traditional nature of assessment strategies and their purposes, as the area in which they are more skilled. Regarding professional learning priorities on assessment, they deduced moderate interest in integrating and communicating assessment practices and aligning current assessment theories, principles, and practices. This further implies that they pay interest not only in learning the contemporary approaches to assessment but still the traditional tasks and responsibilities associated with it. In the delivery of professional learning activities, professional development activities in person are still the most preferred mode.

Management of work stress among arts and science school administrators in Nigeria using rational emotive occupational health coaching: A randomized controlled trial evaluation.

The working circumstances of the administrators are appalling due to the nature of education in Nigeria. These administrators put in a lot of overtime to fulfill the expectations of their positions, which stresses them out. But there is no information in the literature about how administrators of science schools deal with their demanding environments. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate how administrators of secondary scientific schools in the Southeast could manage work-related stress by using rational and emotive occupational health coaching. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) experimental design was used for the investigation, with 106 people divided into 2 groups-one for the intervention and one for the control. A selection of these participants came from southeast Nigerian special scientific schools. The Occupational Stress Index (OSI) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) served as the foundation for our data collection procedure. A posttest was given following the 12-week intervention, and then there was a 2-month follow-up assessment. Repeated analysis of variance (ANOVA) was utilized to ascertain the effects both within and across groups. It was revealed that rational emotive occupational health coaching had significant effect on the management of work stress among southeast secondary arts and science school administrators, F (2, 208) = 1452.484, P = <.050, ŋ2 = .933, and F (1, 104) = 18076.988, P = <.050, ŋ2 = .994). The management of work stress among southeast secondary arts and science school administrators was significantly improved through rational emotive occupational health coaching.

The influence of self-efficacy and experience of Sri Lankan teachers on their experience of occupational stress and resilience

Back ground: The study focussed on the teaching community of Sri Lanka which examined, sense of efficacy, stress, years in service and resilience. Aims: There were two objectives in the study. First objective was to examine whether there was a relationship between a teacher’s sense of efficacy and the perceived occupational stress. Second objective was to understand whether a teacher’s years in service had an impact on their resilience. Method: A questionnaire with few demographic questions and three scales which assessed their sense of efficacy, occupational stress and resilience were presented via Qualitrics. Participants were attracted through a social media advert. Approval was granted to conduct the study under reference number UG7496 by the ethics panel of Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences. A quantitative research was conducted and the collected data was analysed using SPSS. Results: A total number of 113 responses were collected where 89 responses were used for analysis. Spearman’s correlation tests were carried out, and the computed results indicated a moderate negative relationship between teacher’s sense of efficacy and occupational stress, r=-0.56, n=89, p&lt;.001. Further, a strong positive relationship was indicated between years in service and resilience of a teacher, r=0.70, n=89, p&lt;.001. Conclusions: Both hypotheses which were tested were supported by the obtained results. Therefore, it was suggested that teachers with greater sense of efficacy perceived less occupational tress and teachers with more work experience had higher levels of resilience.

Teaching cataloguing after RDA 3R project

This paper describes how RDA 3R was incorporated into a two-semester cataloguing course syllabus for first-year students and investigates students’ perceptions and feelings about the courses taught. The information gathered will guide the further development and improvement of the course to fully meet the needs of students and the requirements of the market, especially with the emergence of new resource description standards. Following the course teacher’s approval, the researchers distributed questionnaires during class hours. This method ensured that all students participated. The questionnaire was completely anonymous. It included two demographic questions and the CEQ 23 instrument with a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Besides that, a self-assessment questionnaire was employed to better understand their confidence in the knowledge gained. Quantitative analysis was carried out on the data related to 63 individual students. The quantitative analysis employed the statistical package SPSS. The findings revealed that students are reasonably confident in their new skills but prefer more practice over theory. Finally, they mentioned that they would like more precise goals and an extension of the courses to three semesters, as the workload is quite heavy. Overall, students feel relatively confident about the knowledge gained and believe they can catalogue in a library setting. The CEQ 23 instrument can be used in various knowledge organisation courses. It can provide a better understanding, with the ultimate goal of changing the curriculum or repurposing information organisation courses, allowing any Library and Information Science (LIS) school to judge the future of studies and their direction.

Unveiling the production of non-participation in the primary school science classroom

This paper originates from experiences of low participation in science teaching in primary school during ethnographic fieldwork. Focusing on these observations and inspired by other studies conceptualising non-participation, this paper examines how non-participation is shaped and produced in primary school science. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and interviews with students in year six (12 years old), three forms of non-participation are analysed as well as the various forms and shapes they take, namely non-participation: 1. through exposure; 2. through being overlooked; and 3. through being disciplined. Using the theoretical concepts of performativity and positionality, the paper analyses how the production of non-participation emerges as rigid positions, hard to negotiate and thus quite stable over time, as well as interfering with intersections of gender, race/ethnicity and social background. At the end of the paper, we discuss how the positions' displays of stability serve as barriers to students’ ability to form identities as science learners in different contexts and over time, and we argue that teachers play an important role in disrupting these positions. Moreover, we point towards future research to continue the work on conceptualising non-participation, and we suggest that there is potential in combining research on emotions and affect with understanding how non-participation is formed and shaped not only inside the classroom but also in other science settings outside school.

Teaching Science Education in an Era of Artificial Intelligence

School science instruction builds the groundwork for a generation of scientifically literate people who are equipped to handle and navigate the complex issues of the twenty-first century. If artificial intelligence (AI) is included into science courses, it could have a profound impact on how science education is provided. Teachers may develop more dynamic and interesting lessons that are tailored to the needs of each individual student by utilising artificial intelligence (AI) solutions like intelligent tutoring systems, virtual reality simulations, and personalised learning platforms. The main goal of the study is to establish a framework for investigating the possibilities of science education in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). This paper aims to examine the history of artificial intelligence (AI) and its application in science education, curriculum development, and classroom instruction in the current day. Furthermore, it will expand on the current corpus of information and offer insights into the possible advantages of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into science education to improve teaching methods and speed up student learning.

Digital K–12 STEM Education through Human–Robot Interaction: Investigation on Prerequisites

This article aims to explore, investigate, and determine the prerequisites that learners (students) should possess for participating in and being adequately benefitted from digital (robotics-enabled) K–12 STEM education offered through intuitive human–robot interaction. We selected 23 middle school mathematics and science teachers who received training on how to design, develop, and implement robotics-enabled lessons. The teachers then implemented robotics-enabled lessons in actual classroom settings, and separately responded to a survey based on their training, classroom experiences and observations, and self-brainstorming. We derived a set of prerequisite knowledge, skills, and abilities, including their relative importance for the students by analyzing the survey responses. The results showed that the students should not only possess prerequisite knowledge in the subject matter, but also possess behavioral, social, scientific, cognitive, and intellectual skills and abilities to participate in and receive benefits from robotics-enabled human–robot interactive digital STEM education. Out of the many prerequisites, the computational thinking ability of students was identified as one of the most required prerequisites to participate in robotics-enabled digital STEM education. To validate the derived prerequisites, teachers separately assessed the fulfillment of prerequisites by 38 participating students, and the results showed user acceptance, effectiveness, and suitability of the derived prerequisites set. We also identified a set of limitations of the studies and proposed action plans to enable students to meet the prerequisites. The results presented herein can help determine required instructional efforts and scaffolds before implementing robotics-enabled digital STEM lessons, and thus foster incorporating technology-enhanced (robotics-enabled) digital STEM education into K–12 curricula.

Sleep Hygiene Intervention Improves Sleep Time and Duration in High School Students.

Objective To evaluate the effects of a sleep hygiene education program for adolescents to address excessive daytime sleepiness, insomnia, and sleep-related behaviors. Materials and Methods The participants were 98 high school students from the 11th and 12th grades. A day-long health promotion action was conducted at their school science fair to disseminate relevant information about sleep disorders. Social status and sleep perception and habits were evaluated through the following validated questionnaires: the Brazilian Economic Classification Criteria, a questionnaire on sleep habits for adolescents, the Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale, the Insomnia Severity Index, and the Sleep Time-Related Information and Communication Technology questionnaire. The questionnaires were administered before the fair and 12 months after participation, and the results before and after the intervention were compared by means of the Student t -test and the Fisher exact test. For the correlations involving the results, the Pearson correlation was used with the level of significance of p < 0.05. Results A qualitative reduction in poor bedtime habits was observed after the intervention, such as watching television and leaving a cell phone on with sound. A higher frequency of use of electronic devices can affect school performance and contribute to later bedtime on weekends ( p < 0.001). Excessive daytime sleepiness was correlated with the excessive use of electronic devices ( p = 0.017). Conclusion Some habits changed after the awareness intervention. There was an impact of the use of electronic devices on academic performance, on the regularity of bedtimes, and on excessive daytime sleepiness. We emphasize the importance of health education programs with sustainable actions following actual changes in behavior.

Generating learning through the crowd

Social media and higher education pedagogy have enjoyed a chequered relationship with significant debates about the efficacy of social media as a site of student centred learning, the manager/host of an individual’s learning trajectory and as a tool of facilitating collaborative learning at scale. This paper presents the findings from the evaluation of Constitution UK, an innovative civic engagement and open learning project run by the London School of Economics and Political Science (UK). This was the lead initiative in an institution-wide shift in pedagogical approach, designed to transform the learning experience through supporting students to be co-producers of knowledge. We argue that some of the behaviours inherent in social media learning (centred on fleeting connections, digital identity and discontinuous engagement) can create the conditions for effective learning through experience and practice, both at scale in open, online modes as well in the face-to-face delivery environment. Challenging the dominant pedagogical approaches of other massive online programmes, Constitution UK brought together a civil community of people engaging in the process of digital citizenship that produced a crowdsourced constitution for the United Kingdom. The learning design of the project successfully engineered both learning and problem solving at scale. The key aspects of the project arising from how social media can facilitate critical thinking, engagement, peer and crowd learning have informed pedagogical change within the mainstream provision of the School for initiatives such as Students as Producers, civic engagement over Brexit and games-based learning.

Understanding the Process of Changes in Science Beliefs and Classroom Practices from Immersive Research Experience for Science Teachers

This study explored 8 high school science teachers’ experiences in an 8-week immersive research laboratory professional development program. The aim was to understand their motivation for participating and what factors influenced changes in beliefs about science instructions. Mentor scientists and their lab members hosted teachers for the duration of the program allowing teacher participants to become active members of research. Results showed that participants used three major lenses to understand their research experience: self as educator, self as learner, self as researcher. The use of overlapping lenses provided participants with the impetus to change beliefs about science and research practices in their classrooms. Ample time and collaboration in professional development is critical to changes in beliefs about science instruction.

Extending science instruction beyond the CER: Use of critical questions in the argumentation of middle school science students

AbstractCritiquing arguments is important for K‐12 science students to learn but not emphasized by the predominant claim‐evidence‐reasoning (CER) argumentation model. Drawing on the work of Yu and Zenker (2020), and Dove and Nussbaum (2018), we developed a tool for supplementing CER with critical questions (CQs) from philosophy that cover most, if not all, the logical dimensions of argument critique. Six middle school science teachers designed lessons involving argumentation, including the use of CQs. We assessed the effects on student self‐efficacy for engaging in argument critique, teacher self‐efficacy for using argument pedagogy, and teachers’ perceptions of the value of CQs. Qualitative data included teacher interviews, lesson transcripts, and student work samples. Quantitative data included surveys of student self‐efficacy administered at the beginning and end of the school year. There was evidence suggesting an increase over time in students’ confidence for engaging in argument critique and teachers’ confidence with argument pedagogy. However, only four of the six teachers were confident and skilled enough to include CQs in their lessons. Those who did use CQs tended to perceive them as providing a helpful structure for critique, prompts for deeper thinking, and a tool for fostering critical classroom norms. Discussion of CQs may have benefitted students’ writing by promoting peer critique and encouragement to elaborate. Overall, CQs afford students with a framework for judging argument strength. Scientific argumentation involving CQs provides a more contemporary philosophical basis for scientific argumentation than CER or the Toulmin model as it emphasizes the critical and dialogic nature of science.

Pengembangan Bahan Ajar Perubahan Iklim Berbasis Literasi Sains Bermuatan Karakter Rasa Ingin Tahu Peserta Didik SMP

This study aims to describe the validity of climate change teaching materials based on science literacy and curiosity character of junior high school students. The research method used is research and development (R&amp;D) through the modified four-D (4 D) model. This modul development procedure includes three stages, whisch are define, design and develop. The subjects of this research and development include 5 expert validators. The type of data obtained is quantitative data in the formdof product validation questionnaire scores. The results of research and development of junior high school science teaching materials based on science literacy and characterised by curiosity on the topic of climate change by expert validators obtained validity results with a total of 0.90 with valid criteria. This is reviewed from three aspects: (1) content feasibility scored 0.90 with valid criteria, (2) presentation feasibility aspect scored 0.88 with valid criteria, (3) linguistic feasibility aspect scored 0.92 with valid criteria. So it can be concluded from all the validity tests that the teaching materials developed are classified as valid criteria.

Research on the Construction of Legal and Business Integrated Course Groups in Political Science and Court Schools Under the Guide of New Liberal Arts

Research on the Construction of Legal and Business Integrated Course Groups in Political Science and Court Schools Under the Guide of New Liberal Arts

Effect of Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy on the Tongue Dorsum on Reducing Halitosis and the Duration of the Effect: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment that is gaining popularity in modern clinical medicine. However, little is known about the effect of PDT alone on reducing oral halitosis and the duration of the effect. This trial examined the effect of PDT on the tongue dorsum on reducing oral halitosis and the duration of the effect. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Okayama University Hospital (CRB20-015), and it was registered in the Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (jRCTs061200060). Twenty-two participants were randomly assigned to two groups: an intervention group and control group. PDT was performed in the intervention group using red laser emission and methylene blue gel on the middle and posterior area of the tongue dorsum. The concentration of volatile sulfur compounds, bacterial count on the tongue dorsum, probing pocket depth, bleeding on probing, and simplified oral debris index score were determined before and 1 week after PDT. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to assess the significance of the differences in each parameter between the two groups. We found that the hydrogen sulfide concentration and bacterial count on the tongue dorsum were decreased in the intervention group, but there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. These results indicated that performing only PDT on the tongue dorsum may not contribute to reducing halitosis.

Turning the Art of Karanga Beer Brewing Into a Science: An Example of Humanising Biology Teaching and Learning

South African National Senior Certificate examination reports consistently reflect poor performance in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects when compared to other subjects. This has resulted in a decline in the uptake of STEM subjects because many students perceive them as being difficult to learn. This phenomenon is not unique to South Africa, as many other African and developed countries are facing similar difficulties in terms of student participation in STEM subjects. Reasons for the low uptake of STEM subjects include perceived difficulty, perceived lack of ability, classroom experience of STEM subjects, and lack of enjoyment. Thus, STEM educators across the globe are confronted with the challenge of making the subjects attractive, accessible to, and relevant for students. Humanising the teaching of STEM subjects by building on Indigenous knowledges has been suggested as a way that secondary education could deal with these challenges, and turn them into STEM capabilities. The incorporation of Indigenous and other local knowledges into STEM subjects could promote authentic learning experiences, relevance, and inclusivity if teachers were prepared for this, and appropriate resources made available. In Africa, many children enrol in school while they are concurrently engaged in subsistence economic activities rooted in Indigenous practices. Leveraging the insights gained from these activities could humanise and enhance the relevance of school STEM curricula. Karanga beer brewing is one such activity that we participated in as children and, in this paper, we report our exploration of the science related to Karanga beer brewing and how it can be a way of humanising and promoting the relevance of school science and other STEM subjects.