School Science Curriculum Research Articles

Educational Robotics and Preservice Teachers: STEM Problem-Solving Skills and Self-Efficacy to Teach

Integrating STEM education within the elementary school science curriculum in Ontario, Canada, elevated the expectation for elementary preservice teachers to teach STEM skills such as problem-solving through coding. Research shows that educational robotics can promote STEM knowledge and skills. This mixed methods study investigates the effect of an educational robotics intervention on preservice teachers’ STEM problem-solving skills and their self-efficacy to teach with educational robotics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data sources included a pre- and post­questionnaire on problem-solving, a pre- and post- self-efficacy teaching questionnaire, a problem-solving worksheet, and transcripts of group interactions. Quantitative findings were statistically significant for preservice teachers’ self-efficacy to teach with educational robotics (large effect size) and for problem-solving competencies (small effect size). Using a STEM problem-solving framework, two preservice teacher group interactions were analysed. Qualitative findings indicated that preservice teachers exhibited similar problem-solving processes as STEM experts, but preservice teachers’ prior STEM knowledge limited the types of decisions considered at the problem-solving stages. The study provides an example of how preservice teachers’ self-efficacy to teach with educational robotics was developed within a science education course and lends unique insights into the problem-solving processes these preservice teacher groups engaged in.

Artificial Intelligence Technology Embedded in High School Science Learning: A Study of Teacher Perception

This study examines teachers' perceptions and acceptance of using artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the teaching of Sciences (IPA) in Vocational High Schools (SMK). Based on quantitative and qualitative data, the results indicate that the understanding and use of AI in teaching are still limited. Quantitative data were collected through a structured questionnaire to assess teachers' knowledge, confidence, and AI usage frequency, while qualitative data were obtained through in-depth interviews exploring their views and challenges. Although some teachers see the great potential of AI in enhancing student engagement and learning outcomes, various obstacles such as lack of training and technological infrastructure hinder optimal implementation. This articles also offers strategic recommendations for integrating AI into the science curriculum in vocational schools. Although AI has significant potential in vocational science education, its effective implementation is hindered by limited teacher training and infrastructure, necessitating strategic improvements to fully leverage AI's benefits in schools.

From argumentation to real-world action: a way to realize scientific literacy

ABSTRACT While current science teaching aims to cultivate students’ argumentation abilities on socioscientific issues, engaging them in social actions on these issues contributes to the realisation of the goal of science education. Consequently, instructing students toward action in the social milieu and helping them comprehend actions that ought to be taken afterward allows for an understanding of how science teaching benefits the world. This qualitative study implements issue-based and action-oriented instruction in a junior high school science curriculum with 66 ninth-graders participating. The quality of their argumentation was recorded during the solar cell utilisation argumentation activity, and three years later, 31 of them reported taking subsequent actions. The results show an enhanced effect on students’ argumentation quality. Most actions students reported are attributed to personal and participatory categories with a few critical actions focusing on fundamental changes. Also of note, a high proportion of students with high-level argumentation quality understood but failed to take any action to solve confronting problems. Therefore, in addition to stressing argumentation ability as a crucial part of cultivating scientific literacy, it is rather important to awaken students consciousness of the existence of social problems and to conduct small-scale actions with collective visions and strategies.

What’s the Future for Science in the New Zealand Curriculum?

AbstractThis commentary article considers the current contentious debates over the national school science curriculum in Aoteaora New Zealand. The co-authors of this commentary are members of a group of science teacher educators and science education researchers who met recently to discuss concerns over aspects of these debates in the context of a wider political contest over the control and direction of education policy.

Developing and implementing an Einsteinian science curriculum from years 3–10: A. Concepts, rationale and learning outcomes

Abstract There has been a growing realisation that school science curricula do not adequately reflect the revolutionary changes in our scientific understanding of the 20th century. This discrepancy between current school education and our modern scientific understanding has led to calls for the modernisation of the science curriculum. Although there have been attempts to introduce topics of Einsteinian physics (i.e. quantum physics and relativity) to school education, often at the secondary level, we still lack a seamless curriculum in which modern science concepts are gradually introduced in primary and middle schools. Guided by the Model of Educational Reconstruction and following a mixed-methods research design, the Einstein-First project aims to address this gap. Einstein-First has developed and implemented an Einsteinian curriculum from Years 3–10 (students aged 7–16) that resolves the disconnect between science in schools and modern scientific understanding. This paper presents the concepts and rationale for the Einstein-First learning approach, as well as a summary of learning outcomes in six Australian schools with 315 students across Years 3–10. Our generally positive findings lay the foundation for informed curriculum development and school education that provides all students with awareness and appreciation of the fundamental concepts that underpin the technologies of the modern world.

Life-Saving-Experiments; Primary School CPR Skills Instruction Improves Teaching in Basic Science Knowledge Support

Basic Life Support (BLS) improves survival in patients after cardiac arrest. Consequently, several worldwide efforts have been made to train all school children in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills. Until now, no methodology has been applied to the school science curriculum that facilitates the teaching of CPR at school.

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 6th Grade Students’ Creative Problem Solving Skills Through Plugged and Unplugged Computational Thinking Approaches

In the digital age in which we live, one of the primary goals of education is to nurture individuals who are capable of thinking creatively, solving problems, and being innovative and productive. Computational thinking is an analytical process that requires defining problems and at the same time solving these problems by proceeding in creative ways. Based on this possible pattern of relationship between computational thinking and creativity, the aim of this study was to determine how two different versions of the computational thinking approach (plugged and unplugged) affect 6th-grade students' creative problem-solving skills (CPSS). Thus, two different teaching modules were designed on the circulatory system with a focus on plugged and unplugged computational thinking. A quasi-experimental design was used. Experiment group 1 utilized the plugged teaching module, experiment group 2 worked with the unplugged teaching module, and the control group in the Turkish middle school science curriculum's inquiry-based science activities. All three groups participated in 16 h of lessons over a 4-week period. We utilized the Creative Problem Solving Skills Inventory (CPSSI) for data collection. The results demonstrated that both the plugged and unplugged teaching modules were more successful at enhancing the CPSS than the inquiry-based science activities. Furthermore the unplugged teaching module was significantly more successful in developing CPSS compared to inquiry-based science activities. Hence, this empirical study demonstrated that both plugged and unplugged computational thinking approaches can enhance CPSS, but also reveals the greater effectiveness of unplugged approaches in fostering middle school students' CPSS.

From vision to enactment: reflections on the practical impact of the Beyond 2000 report

ABSTRACT The Beyond 2000 report (Millar & Osborne, 1998) argued that the school science curriculum of the late twentieth century was designed primarily to provide a sound preparation for progress to more advanced courses in science. It proposed that the curriculum for students up to the age of 16 should instead be designed to develop all students’ ‘scientific literacy’, through a focus on the major ‘explanatory stories’ of science and a set of key ‘ideas-about-science’. Have the recommendations of Beyond 2000 had any lasting impact on curriculum and instruction? I will explore this question by considering the most explicit effort to act on these recommendations, the Twenty First Century Science project (Millar [2006] Twenty First Century Science: Insights from the design and implementation of a scientific literacy approach in school science. International Journal of Science Education, 28(13), 1499–1521.). The development of this curriculum programme for 14–16 year old students in England illustrates the scale and nature of the task of transforming a curriculum vision into an operational reality, and highlights the challenges of achieving significant change, and the main sources of difficulty and resistance. Despite evidence of positive impact on student engagement, external influences have steadily diminished its initial impact and the science curriculum has returned to its late twentieth century emphasis. Yet the Beyond 2000 critique remains as valid today as twenty-five years ago. The science curriculum in most countries does not reflect a clear vision of the contribution of science to a general education. The practical response to Beyond 2000 suggests that significant change requires clarity on intended outcomes and how they might be assessed, and the building of professional and social consensus around them.

Omicron Variant of COVID-19 Pandemic as Correlates of Periods Allocation of Basic Science Curriculum Implementation in Junior Secondary Schools in Nigeria

This study investigated the Omicron Variant of the COVID-19 pandemic as a correlate of Periods Allocation of Basic Science Curriculum in Junior Secondary Schools in Ekiti State. The research procedure involves descriptive research of survey type. Participants were 320 Basic Science students who were randomly selected across four Local Government areas in Ekiti State. Data were collected with the instruments titled Implementation of “Basic Science Curriculum Questionnaire (IBSC) and Teachers Assessment Questionnaire (TAQ).” The reliability of the instruments was determined through Cronbach Alpha, and this yielded a correlation coefficient of 0.74 and 0.78 for IBSCQ and TAQ, respectively at 0.05 level of significance. Descriptive statistics such as frequency count, percentages, means, graphs and standard deviation were used to analyse the data. The results revealed that the Omicron Variant of the COVID-19 Pandemic affects enough periods on the school timetable for the implementation of the Basic Science curriculum.

Epistemic agency, Indigenous knowledge, and the school science curriculum: reflections from Aotearoa New Zealand

ABSTRACT In this article, we take up ongoing questions about relationships between epistemic agency, Indigenous knowledge, and the school science curriculum. We were brought together as curriculum advisors to provide guidance in the form of a conceptual framing for teams working on updates to Aotearoa New Zealand’s national curriculum and assessment frameworks. We contribute, therefore, to this critically important discussion from within the context of an ethical and political imperative that is currently driving curriculum reform in our context: he mana ōrite mō te mātauranga Māori (equal status for Māori knowledge). It is from this context that we share how we have arrived at a ‘multiple knowledge systems’ approach to science curriculum reform. We argue that a science curriculum for the Anthropocene must afford teachers the creative space to bring together multiple knowledge systems in the form of a local curriculum, supporting students’ inventiveness, empathy, and epistemic agency.

Techniques and a Model for the Incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge Systems Into the Natural Science Curriculum in Schools

Techniques and a Model for the Incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge Systems Into the Natural Science Curriculum in Schools

Assessing Pre-Service Teachers‘ Competencies in Teaching Basic School Science Curriculum: A Case Study

The purpose of the study was to assess pre-service teachers’ competencies in teaching basic school science curricula, and the challenges they encountered in teaching basic school science. A case study approach was used as the research design, which is qualitative in nature. Forty (40) research pre-service teachers were selected for the study to gain a deeper understanding of the phenomenon under investigation. The researchers used interviews and observation schedules. An observation checklist was also used during the macro-teaching to collect data by ticking appropriately between 1 and 5 on a Likert ranking scale list of the competencies pre-service teachers exhibited in the teaching process. The semi-structured interview schedule called the preservice teachers’ interview schedule (PTIS) consisted of open-ended interview questions. The interview was audiotaped, coded, and edited to find similar themes that emerged. The interview for each research participant lasted for 15–20 minutes. Thematic analysis was used to examine the data from the interviews and classroom observations. The study findings revealed that preservice teachers demonstrated knowledge and understanding of lesson planning and delivery. Most of the schools visited for the study showed a paucity of curriculum materials for science teaching. It is therefore recommended that the government of Ghana provide adequate curriculum materials for basic school science teaching. Pre-service teachers should produce no-cost and low-cost improvised teaching and learning materials as project work. This will reduce the challenge of teaching and learning materials in basic schools.

Association between pre-service science teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and their confidence in physics content

This exploratory study examined the relationship between the knowledge of selected physics concepts from the South African National Senior Certificate curriculum and the self-efficacy beliefs of preservice science teachers. Forty-one preservice physical science teachers between the ages of 16 and 30 enrolled in a higher education institution to earn a Bachelor of Education degree made up the participants. Of these, 56.1% were female and 43.9% were male. Every respondent was a recent high school graduate from South Africa enrolled in a second-year university course on basic physical science. The preservice teachers completed the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI-B) and a teaching confidence ranking scale. A confidence ranking for teaching topics from a typical high school science curriculum was determined by analyzing the data. According to the data analysis, preservice teachers are confident and self-sufficient enough to teach science concepts.

The role of equitable classroom cultures for supporting interest in science

AbstractSupporting student interest in science is critical for broadening participation in the field because interest, even more than achievement, is associated with pursuing future science education and careers. In this study, we explore the conjecture that equitable classroom cultures can support interest in science. Specifically, we examine the idea that science classroom cultures that equitably reflect collective enterprise (where students engage collaboratively in scientific sensemaking) and care (where students believe that they are valued and respected members of the classroom community) support students, particularly those from historically marginalized populations, to develop interest in science. The study is part of a field test of a new middle school science curriculum called OpenSciEd. Data consist of survey responses from 847 students across 34 teachers located in nine states. Our analysis employed mixed‐effects models to accommodate the nested structure of the data. We found that classrooms vary substantially in the degree to which they reflect collective enterprise and care, indicating that classroom culture is a perceptible and consequential feature of the shared classroom environment. Student background did not predict reports of collective enterprise or care, providing evidence that classrooms in our sample were equitable along these dimensions. Critically, collective enterprise and care are both strongly associated with student‐reported interest in science. These findings underscore the importance of attending to classroom culture and the relational aspects of science learning as we seek to expand interest in science, particularly for students from historically marginalized populations.

The Integration of Sustainable Development Goals in the Secondary Science Curriculum of Cordillera Administrative Region

Schools play a crucial role in education for sustainable development. The aims of this study are to determine the extent of the incorporation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the secondary science curriculum and the extent of knowledge and attitude of science teachers regarding SDGs. The research design was concurrent triangulation mixed method. Purposive sampling was used in the selection of the science curriculum while convenience sampling was used in determining the participants for the survey and focus group discussion. The locale of the study is at Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. Findings show that the clusters of the SDGs related competencies of the Junior High School science curriculum are 51.61% knowledge, 21.29% values, and 21.19% skills. The dimensions reveal 14 learning competencies for social, 25 environmental, and 23 economic. This means that students are taught the interconnection of social, ecological and economic issues as evident in the curriculum. Furthermore, the extent of knowledge of science teachers regarding SDGs is high (M = 3.10, SD = 0.15) while the attitude is very positive (M = 3.46, SD = 0.09). Pearson correlation indicates weak positive correlation between the two variables, r=.37 while regression test showed significant correlation between knowledge and attitude, r=.37, p=0.03. Therefore, due to the inclusive nature of the SDGs, they are a great tool for expanding the science curriculum by giving real-world scenarios and life skills. SDGs are also helpful teaching resources that offer depth and perspective to scientific lessons.

Pedagogical beliefs of South African physics teachers for inquiry approaches

This study explored the pedagogical beliefs held by South African physics teachers towards inquiry approaches. A significant curriculum goal of school science in most countries is for learning to happen through inquiry. A similar goal is expressed in the South African school science curriculum. The findings of a quantitative survey that was administered to 166 teachers showed that teachers reported having a predominantly constructivist pedagogical belief suggesting a tendency to facilitate students’ construct of knowledge through their experiential learning. To a lesser extent, teachers exhibited a traditionalist belief that is teacher-directed and lends itself to transmission of knowledge. In investigating the relationship between pedagogical beliefs and orientation towards inquiry-based teaching, it was found that teachers who have a constructivist belief favour guided inquiry and open inquiry. Teacher who possess a traditionalist beliefs have a tendency for direct epistemic approaches such as didactic direct or active direct.

Infusion PCTS Syntax in the Implementation of the Middle School Science Curriculum

Curriculum implementation is an important stage in supporting the success of a curriculum designed by educational institutions. This research aims to apply the PCTS syntax in one of the science learning materials in junior high schools. PCTS is a learning model that focuses on improving students' critical thinking abilities through solving contextual problems. The method used in this research is a qualitative method using a descriptive approach. Data was collected through document study. Data analysis techniques through reduction, presentation, and conclusion. The findings obtained are that the PCTS model is quite easy to apply to science learning as a form of curriculum implementation, and is very supportive of improving students' critical thinking through the PCTS syntax, especially in the last two steps of the syntax. The conclusion is that the PCTS model is believed to support the implementation of the Merdeka Science Curriculum for Middle Schools in improving the critical thinking of individual students through the infusion of PCTS model syntax in science learning at the middle school level. AbstrakImplementasi kurikulum merupakan tahapan penting dalam menunjang keberhasilan suatu kurikulum yang dirancang oleh institusi pendidikan. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengaplikasikan syntax PCTS dalam salah satu materi pembelajaran IPA di SMP. PCTS merupakan model pembelajaran yang berfokus pada peningkatan kemampuan berfikir kritis siswa melalui penyelesaian masalah kontekstual. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini yaitu metode kualitatif menggunakan pendekatan deskriptif. Data dikumpulkan melalui study dokumen. Teknik analisis data melalui reduksi, penyajian dan penarikan kesimpulan. Temuan yang didapat yaitu model PCTS ini cukup mudah diaplikasikan kedalam pembelajaran IPA sebagai bentuk implementasi kurikulum, dan sangat mendukung terhadap peningkatan critical thinking siswa melalui syntax PCTS, khusunya pada dua langkah terakhir syntax tersebut. Kesimpulannya bahwa Model PCTS ini diyakini akan mendukung implementasi Kurikulum Merdeka IPA SMP dalam meningkatkan critical thinking siswa secara individu melalui infusi syntax model PCTS dalam pembelajaran IPA tingkat SMP.Kata kunci: Critical thinking; implementasi kurikulum; model PCTS; pembelajaran IPA

‘How do plants grow?’: teaching photosynthesis using digital inquiry-based science learning

The use of digital technologies as teaching and learning materials supports and enhances science learning, encouraging students to develop valuable inquiry skills and knowledge. In response, this paper seeks to explore digital inquiry-based learning as a useful aid for teaching the elementary school science curriculum on plants in Malaysia. There is a strong rationale for this work, as (i) this curriculum has received less attention compared to the equivalent on animals, and (ii) students have developed misconceptions about plants, typically in the areas of plant nutrition and photosynthesis. Thus, the paper describes a 5E Instructional Model lesson plan, which uses various digital technologies to tackle different inquiry elements at each instructional model stage. The goals of the activities are to help students: (i) assess their preexisting knowledge and engage with a new concept, (ii) create predictions and document their observations, (iii) display their conceptual understanding, (iv) gain a more profound and broader understanding through new experiences, and (v) examine their understanding and abilities with the aid of digital technology resources. The suggested activities are further discussed in relation to different types of digital technologies and evidence-based practice, thus encouraging other educators to integrate digital inquiry-based learning into their work.

Investigating the effects of creative educational modules blended with Cognitive Research Trust (CoRT) techniques and Problem Based Learning (PBL) on students' scientific creativity skills and perceptions in science education

In today's world, the growth of technology and the continuous creation of new products have made innovation and creativity more important in many fields. It has become increasingly essential to nurture individuals' creativity within the educational framework they undergo. Student-centered approaches have proven to be effective in fostering creativity. Consequently, in this study, we utilized problem-based learning, a representative student-centered method, alongside five techniques sourced from the creativity section, which constitutes the fourth section of the CoRT program—a recognized toolset for enhancing creative abilities—to facilitate the development of students' creativity. Twelve modules, with three designed for each grade level, have been created for the middle school science curriculum. These modules are founded on a framework that integrates the problem-based learning (PBL) approach with five creativity strategies derived from the fourth section of Edward de Bono's Cognitive Research Foundation (CoRT) Thinking Program. Given that creativity varies depending on the specific field, the present study sought to cultivate students' creative skills within the domain of science education. The effects of the modules developed for this purpose on students' scientific creativity and their opinions on the activities in the module and their creative thinking skills are revealed. The research design is a case study that aims to examine the concept of scientific creativity in depth. In the study, students' creativity skills were assessed by administering the Scientific Creativity Test (SCT), a scale specific to creativity, as a pre-test before and after the intervention, and by applying educational activities based on divergent and convergent thinking during the implementation process. Qualitative data was collected from the responses of 12 participants to the SCT, which consists of five open-ended questions and a product development task. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with eight participants and systematic analysis was applied to SCT and interview data. The results revealed that most students exhibited improved creativity skills as reflected in their responses on the post-test administered by SCT. When we examine student opinions concerning scientific creativity and the developed modules, the majority expressed positive views, which demonstrates that the educational modules developed within the scope of this study can enhance the creative potential of students, especially in the product development section.