Science Education Course Research Articles

Implementation of online learning and its impact on student science competency

Student science learning outcomes in the first year of online learning are good. However, this is in the Basic Science course, whose learning objectives do not cover all science topics and are at the basic science level. Continuous monitoring of student performance during online learning is also a necessity. This study analyzes student science learning outcomes in Science Education courses in the second year of online learning implementation. This research is a type of descriptive research that uses qualitative methods. The sample consists of 147 Elemntary School Teacher Department (PGSD) FKIP students at the University of Mataram who had taken Science Education courses. The learning outcomes data collected are final grades in qualitative – A, B+, B, C+, C, D+, D, or E. This data is collected using a closed questionnaire instrument via google forms. The data were analyzed quantitatively using descriptive statistics. The study results provide information that students can be grouped into three based on their scientific competence. This group is students with excellent, good, and sufficient competence. Most of them (98.6%) have competence in the good and very good category.

Improving Student Attitudes and Academic Performance in Introductory Biology Using a Project-Based Learning Community.

ABSTRACTStudents majoring in non-STEM fields often identify introductory biology courses as irrelevant and overly rigorous. Resistance to enroll in a required general education science course, coupled with negative attitudes toward the subject, can adversely affect the academic performance of students; this can especially be present in students from under-represented minority groups. Therefore, instructors have to intentionally design a curriculum that overcomes these factors as they educate non-major students enrolled in introductory biology. BioArt, a learning community, was formed between introductory biology and introduction to graphic design courses to improve the attitudes and academic performance of students in the biology course at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). The BioArt model incorporated a common theme, project-based learning, and opportunities for experiential learning. To measure outcomes, traditional examinations, non-traditional assessments, failure/withdraw rates, and student attitudes were evaluated. Using this model, introductory biology became less intimidating, more relevant, and improved academic success among freshman minority students. Thus, the BioArt model can be utilized as an intervention at different institutions of higher learning.

Guidance in Providing Evidence: An In-Depth Analysis of Pre-Service Science Teachers’ Instructional Designs

ABSTRACT It is necessary to foster teachers’ ability to design and implement instructions that encourage students to construct evidence and engage in argumentative discourse. The argument of this paper is that the continuous reflection and discussion as well as regular practice on instructional designs will promote pre-service science teachers’ (PSSTs’) competence to guide students in providing evidence. An in-depth analysis on PSSTs’ instructional designs provided evidence for this argument. For this purpose, this study implemented an action research (AR) in which PSSTs’ instructional designs were analyzed before and after the three-week reflection and discussion on instructions that they conducted in groups of three or four in a science education course. The author of this paper, who is also the instructor of the course, analyzed these instructional designs to identify PSSTs’ level of guidance by using the rubric that she created with expert judgment. Two other researchers and the author coded each category in the rubric independently. She scored the PSSTs’ level in each category from 1 to 3 and then calculated their total score for the design. She also made paired samples t-test on the scores of each category and in total scores to identify how the PSSTs’ instructional design guides students to use evidence before and after the continuous reflection and discussion of their instructional designs. The results suggested that integrating continuous reflection and discussion into her teaching improved PSSTs’ guidance in providing evidence. Concluding remarks will be made for the further implications of this study.

Teaching Field Data Crowdsourcing Using a GPS-Enabled Cellphone Application: Soil Erosion by Water as a Case Study

Crowdsourcing is an important tool for collecting spatio-temporal data, which has various applications in education. The objectives of this study were to develop and test a laboratory exercise on soil erosion by water and field data crowdsourcing in an online introductory soil science course (FNR 2040: Soil Information Systems) at Clemson University. Students from different STEM disciplines (wildlife biology, forestry, and environmental and natural resources) participated in the study in the fall of 2021. They completed a sequence of self-contained digital teaching modules or reusable learning objects (RLOs), which are often used in online learning. The exercise included a field exercise and learning module to teach students about different types of water-based soil erosion as well as field data collection and crowdsourcing tools. As a result of this exercise, student familiarity with crowdsourcing was effectively increased, as shown by the post-assessment survey with a +31.2% increase in the “moderately familiar” category and a +28.3% increase in the “extremely familiar” category. The online quiz contained ten questions and was taken by 56 students with an average score of 9.5 (out of 10). A post-assessment survey found that most of the students indicated that the laboratory was an effective learning experience about field data crowdsourcing using a GPS-enabled cellphone application. Detailed students’ comments indicated enjoyment of learning (e.g., data collection, learning about different technologies), the value of multimedia (e.g., ArcGIS Survey123, cellphone), the flexibility of learning (e.g., field work), the content applicability (e.g., actual field examples of erosion by water), and criticism (e.g., technical issues). A word cloud derived from students’ comments about their laboratory exercise experience indicated the most frequent words used by students, such as “erosion”, “enjoyed”, and “different”, among others. Incorporating a learning module and field exercise using modern data collection technology into an undergraduate soil science education course enabled students to understand the value and methods for leveraging cellphone-based field collection methods to crowdsource data for environmental assessment. Practical recommendations for planning and executing future crowdsourcing exercises were developed using the current study as an example.

Promoting Pre-Service Primary Teachers’ Development of NOSI Through Specific Immersion and Reflection

This study examined pre-service primary teachers’ (PPTs) initial NOSI conceptions and their evolution after the immersion in a specific teaching module focused on inquiry and NOSI. The participants were 40 PPTs attending a science education course during a semester. The study consisted of a pre-test/post-test design approach framed qualitative methods. The intervention consisted of nine 90-minute sessions in which participants addressed NOS and NOSI aspects through explicit-reflective teaching combined with the implementation of inquiry tasks set in everyday-life contexts. Data were collected through an open-ended questionnaire both at the beginning and at the end of the module and they were examined through content analysis. The main findings suggest that pre-service teachers presented naive NOSI conceptions when entered the course, and their ideas improved considerably in most of the NOSI aspects after their immersion in the teaching module.

Exploring Pre-service Science Teachers' Understanding of Scientific Inquiry and Scientific Practices Through a Laboratory Course.

The intervention study presented in this paper explored pre-service science teachers’ (PSSTs) understanding of scientific inquiry (SI) and scientific practices (SPs) during a laboratory application in science education course. Thirty-nine secondary school PSSTs, who study in the Science Education Department in a public university in Turkey, enrolled in a 14-week-long course and volunteered to participate in the study. The participants were exposed to a method is called the 4-phase implementation that includes laboratory-based inquiry activities addressing SI and SPs and they completed microteaching presentations. Their understanding of SI and SPs was examined through the course period. The main data sources included Views about Scientific Inquiry (VASI) Instrument and concept maps were used to track the changes in these understandings. The findings indicated that PSSTs had inadequate understanding of inquiry on some aspects even after the treatment. Yet, the method had positive impact in PSSTs’ understanding inquiry especially in terms of facilitating the comprehension that scientific investigations begin with questions, there is no single method in investigations, and explanations are derived from collected data. The concept maps created by some of the participants also supported these results and revealed a more coherent and holistic understanding of SPs by integrating both epistemic and social components into their maps. However, PSSTs did not seem to have totally understood other aspects of inquiry including the inquiry procedures, the research conclusions, and the difference between data and evidence. Further implications are critically discussed in terms of designing future laboratory applications for science education courses.

Student views of a PBL chemistry laboratory in a general education science course

Several traditional chemistry lab experiences were replaced with a problem-based learning (PBL) experience in a college, general education, conceptual chemistry course. Students worked in small groups on an authentic chemistry problem where each student played a different role (Scientist, Engineering, Marketing Manager, Safety Officer, or Secretary). Mid-semester, the pandemic forced the course online. Q methodology [Q] was used to determine the divergent viewpoints that existed amongst the students regarding their PBL experience. Each student provided their view by sorting related statements into a grid. Three divergent viewpoints emerged from the analyses Two viewpoints are positive about the PBL experience (Motivated learners and Committed to my group) and one is negative (Negative experience due to group dynamics). Descriptions of these views and implications are discussed.

Leveraging Citizen Science in a College Classroom to Build Interest and Efficacy for Science and the Environment

University instructors can leverage citizen science resources to support student learning and cultivate interest and efficacy in science and the environment. In this case study, we examined learning outcomes of students from various majors participating in citizen science experiences as part of a general education science course at a large public university in the United States. In Spring 2019, students were assigned to collect arthropod data for an iNaturalist project. In Fall 2020, students chose between analyzing iNaturalist bumblebee observations or identifying plants using iNaturalist’s Seek app. In both years, study participants completed pre- and post-assignment surveys designed to assess interest in nature, self-efficacy for environmental action, interest in science, and self-efficacy for learning and doing science (n₂₀₁₉ = 131, n₂₀₂₀ = 78). Across all students, we found a significant increase in interest in science and a slight increase in all other variables. Compared with agriculture and natural resources majors, non-majors reported greater increases for all variables, significantly so for efficacy for environmental action and efficacy for learning and doing science. Overall growth was also more pronounced in 2020 than 2019, with 2020 gains greatest among students who chose to analyze iNaturalist data. Our findings suggest that integrating choice and different ways of engaging with citizen science into university curricula has the potential to bolster interest and efficacy, which facilitate learning, particularly among students enrolled in courses outside their major. Designing citizen science assignments that incorporate choice and accommodate diverse student interests and motivations can help achieve these goals.

Less is More: Course Redesign and the Development of an Atmospheric Science Process Skills Assessment

General education science courses strive to promote scientific literacy and the development of scientific process skills. However, research shows that many general education courses are still designed to stress content mastery. In this study, the number of topics in five semester-long introductory atmospheric science courses was reduced to increase time for the development of scientific process skills, a critical component of scientific literacy. The Atmospheric and Climate Science Literacy Frameworks and a general science education skills rubric were used to guide the course redesign and development of course activities. Details of the course structure and sample course activities are described. A pre-post-test was developed to evaluate attainment of five scientific process skills and the efficacy of the course redesign. Preliminary validity and reliability studies suggest that the majority of the assessment questions are reliable, though further validation of the assessment is required.

Dialogue-Based Learning: A Framework for Inclusive Science Education and Applied Ethics

Dialogue-based learning is an inclusive pedagogy that leverages epistemological pluralism in the classroom to enhance cross-cultural education, encourage critical thinking across modes of inquiry, and promote novel contributions in applied ethics. The framework emerged from the Buddhism-science dialogue and our experiences teaching science courses for Tibetan Buddhists in India through the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative. Buddhism and science are two modes of inquiry that emphasize critical inquiry and empiricism, yet navigating complementarities and points of friction is challenging. Our proposed framework aims to raise awareness of onto-epistemological assumptions to convert them from obstacles into assets in dialogue. In drawing attention to epistemological orientations, our framework demonstrates that receptivity to other ways of knowing fosters clarity in one’s own views while creating space for new and enriching perspectives. In this article, we contextualize the Buddhism-science dialogue, explore the development of our dialogue-based learning framework, and demonstrate its application to a novel exchange about the COVID-19 pandemic. Broader aims of the framework include increasing scientific literacy and advancing transdisciplinary research.

The reality of the suitability of the science teacher specialization path in the intermediate stage in Saudi Arabia for teaching science courses and the difficulties of implementation from the point of view of teachers in Tabuk: واقع ملاءمة مسار تخصص معلم العلوم بالمرحلة المتوسطة في السعودية لتدريس مقررات العلوم وصعوبات التنفيذ من وجهة نظر المعلمين بتبوك

The study aimed to identify the appropriateness of the science teacher's specialization path in the intermediate stage in Saudi Arabia for teaching science courses and the difficulties of implementation from the point of view of teachers in Tabuk. The study used the descriptive method, and a questionnaire surveyed the opinions of teachers. It was distributed to a sample of (41) middle school science teachers in public schools in the city of Tabuk. The results of the study showed that the reality of the appropriateness of the science teacher's specialization path in the intermediate stage for teaching science courses obtained an overall average of (4.18). Or by (83.6%) and reflects the appropriateness of (weakly), and it also revealed difficulties that hinder the appropriateness of science books from the teachers’ point of view with a total average (4.18 from 5), a degree (highly), and at the level of sub-specialties, physics got the highest average (4.20). Then chemistry with an average of (4.19) and finally biology with an average of (4.14), all of which are difficulties with a degree of (highly), meaning that the contents of science courses do not fit with the course of their specialization , also there is no statistical significant differences between the teachers’ responses on the scale of the appropriateness of the science teacher’s specialization path to the scientific subject content of the science book at the intermediate stage , the study recommended the need to re-planning and implementing the science method in proportion to the method of separate subjects, and to reconsider the plans of preparation of science teachers in Saudi universities.

Student Experiences of a Social Justice-based Agricultural and Life Science Education Course at an 1862 Land-Grant University

Agricultural and Life Science (AgLS) research tends to focus on the need for a globally competent workforce prepared to work with diverse populations. However, as AgLS education mirrors society, minoritized populations in AgLS are marginalized and othered. Further, AgLS curricula continues to frame agriculture through a white male lens; consequently, current and prospective students note the lack of educational curricula focused on the experiences of marginalized populations. The purpose of this single-case study was to explore students’ learning experiences in a new interdisciplinary social justice-based graduate course focused on historical and contemporary diversity, equity, access, and inclusion (DEAI) issues in AgLS. Findings are organized into four areas: (1) what students enjoyed most in the course, (2) race and representation, (3) students’ perceptions of learning experiences and outcomes, and (4) suggestions for improvement. Students reported most positively on the readings, class discussions, and assignments (i.e., op-ed and social justice initiative). Regarding race and representation, students reported taking the course because they were seeking perspectives outside of the whitestream perspectives they had previously been exposed to, and because Black students were seeking agricultural diversity courses taught by Black faculty. Students reported positively regarding their experiences and learning outcomes. Last, students gave suggestions regarding the final research paper, course topics, and the number of weekly readings required. This study illuminated the need for AgLS educators to better address and embed DEAI in agricultural contexts, decenter whiteness in AgLS curricula, and work harder to diversify their faculty ranks.

A Meta-Analysis of Teacher and Student-Centered Practices and Processes in Undergraduate Science Education

This meta-analysis investigates the effects of four instructional dimensions rated on a scale from more Teacher-centered (T-C) to more Student-centered (S-C) plus several coded moderator variables on the achievement of undergraduate students in science education courses. More student-centered conditions served as the ‘treatment’ while more teacher-centered conditions were considered the ‘control.’ Hedges’ g, operationalized as the adjusted standardized differences between treatment and control means, served as the outcome measure. The weighted average difference between groups was g̅ = 0.34, k = 140 (random effects analysis), indicating an overall difference in favor of student-centered instruction. Out of four rated dimensions (Pacing, Teacher’s Role, Flexibility, and Adaptation) only Flexibility was significant in meta￾regression as a negative predictor of effect size. Two demographic variables (i.e., class size & subject matter), and one instructional moderator variables (i.e., technology use) were also significant when added to Flexibility, producing a model that accounted for 36% of total variation in effect size.

Lessons in the Use of Technology for Science Education during COVID-19 Age under a Teachers’ Collaboration Cluster

The COVID-19 confinement has represented both opportunities and losses for education. Rarely before has any other period moved the human spirit into such discipline or submission—depending on one’s personal and emotional points of view. Both extremes have been widely influenced by external factors on each individual’s life path. Education in the sciences and engineering has encountered more issues than other disciplines due to specialized mathematical handwriting, experimental demonstrations, abstract complexity, and lab practices. This work analyses three aspects of science education courses taught by university professors in a collaborative teacher cluster, sharing technology applications and education methodologies in science over three semesters when the COVID-19 lockdown was in effect. The first aspect was a didactic design coming from several educational frameworks through adoption or sharing. The second one was an analysis by discipline of multiple factors affecting student engagement during the health contingency. The third analysis examined the gains and losses in our students caused by the university closure and the pandemic’s intrusions. The report explores the correlations of the exiting student perceptions with their academic performance in the courses and survey results about the impact of decisions or happenings during the crisis. This work’s value lies in the lessons for the future of education concerning the teacher dominions of didactic design, support, and collaboration in a broader sense than only for teaching.

Female computer science students: A qualitative exploration of women\u2019s experiences studying computer science at university in the UK

The under-representation of w omen in computer science education courses is well documented, and the social and commercial need to address this is widely recognised. Previous literature offers some explanation for this gender imbalance, but there has been limited qualitative data to provide an in-depth understanding of existing quantitative findings. This study explores the lived experiences of female computer science students and how they experience the male dominated learning environment. Female computer science students from eight universities were interviewed (n = 23) and data were analysed using template analysis. Whilst these women have not been troubled by their sense of fit at university, a combination of stereotypical assumptions of male superiority in this field, and a masculine, agentic learning environment, has left them feeling less technologically capable and less motivated. The findings are discussed in terms of Cheryan et al.’s tripartite model for women’s participation in STEM (2017) and we recommend that computer science departments should consider feminist pedagogy to ensure that all learners can be well supported.

The Effect of STEM Activities on the Scientific Inquiry Skills of Pre-service Primary School Teachers

In this research it is aimed to examine the effects of STEM-based activities on pre-service primary school teachers’ scientific inquiry skills, conducted in a science education course of third year undergraduate students. A mixed research method, combining pretest posttest single group design and semi-structured interviews guided the study. Participants of the study consist of 47 pre-service primary school teachers in a state university. The activities implemented with third grade pre-service primary school teachers for ten weeks/thirty course hours. “Views About Scientific Inquiry” scale which was developed and translated into Turkish was used as data collection tool. Based on the eight aspects of science standards, a STEM activity plan was created for each of these dimensions in terms of science, mathematics, engineering and technology achievements. Test as pre and post-test are analyzed statically and for the normally distributed data of VASI, the dependent samples t-test was applied. The dependent sample t-test was used to determine whether there was a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores after the scientific method-based STEM applications. Semi-structured interviews were performed to support quantitative data and analyzed descriptively. Results of the study showed that at the beginning of the research, the scientific inquiry skills and views of the pre-service primary teachers were inadequate. Additionally, there is a significant difference on scientific inquiry skills and views of the study group, participating in the STEM-based science activities, after STEM applications and activities within the course. It can be concluded that STEM based activities enhance scientific inquiry understandings and skills of pre-service primary school teachers.

PENGEMBANGAN RENCANA PELAKSANAAN PEMBELAJARAN (RPP) BERBASIS KOOPERATIF TIPE TGT MATERI GETARAN DAN GELOMBANG

This research is initialized by the teacher-centered science learning process, thelimited use of learning tools in the form of lesson plans, the less varied use of learningmodels and games making students understand easily. The objectives are describing: theprocess of developing TGT cooperative-based RPP on vibration and wave material and thefeasibility of TGT-based cooperative learning plans on material vibrations and waves. Thedevelopment model used was ADDIE model consisting of 5 stages, namely Analysis,Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation but the Implementation stage wasnot implemented. The validity data used RPP validation sheet. This development researchresulted in a TGT-based cooperative learning plan (RPP) product. The results indicatedthat the process of developing a lesson plan refers to the ADDIE development model.Analysis consisted of 3 steps covering needs analysis, curriculum analysis and materialanalysis. Design was carried out by collecting references and compiling a cooperative RPPbased on the TGT type. Development was assessed by experts consisting of 3 validators,namely 2 lecturers of natural science education courses and 1 junior high school teacher.From the results of the assessment obtained validity assessments as well as input andsuggestions from the validator used to produce the final RPP product. The Evaluation stepwas carried out at each stage. The quality of the TGT cooperative learning based learningplan on vibration and wave material developed based on validity was declared feasible touse because the validation results obtained a score of 4.78 with a very valid category.Keywords: Development of lesson plan, Cooperative Learning, TGT (Teams GamesTournament), ADDIE development model.

The validity of the science teacher efficacy belief instrument (STEBI-B) for postgraduate, pre-service, primary teachers

The STEBI-B (Enoch and Riggs, 1990) has been widely used as a measure of undergraduate primary pre-service teacher self-efficacy since its creation. However, the publication of its use within postgraduate teaching courses has been limited. The postgraduate pre-service teachers (Graduate Diploma and Master of Education students) are a very different population, presenting with more life experience and importantly, more experience in Science. This brings the generalizability of the STEBI-B to this population into question. The validity of the STEBI-B for use with a postgraduate, pre-service teacher population was investigated using a Rasch model analysis. Results support the two-factor structure presented by the original authors, the rewording proposed by Bleicher (2004), and additional modifications to the Likert scale and wording to improve targeting for this specific population. With simple, justified modifications the STEBI-B can be used as a tool to positively influence course design in postgraduate, pre-service teacher, science education courses.

Social Media communicative skills of younger students with intellectual disabilities in science education course

Social and communication skills of individuals with intellectual disabilities are limited. It is important to support children who are affected from an early age by the insufficiency in terms of social cohesion and social skills. Social skills deficiencies lead to failure in academic skills and it is known that academic success and social skills are closely related. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of an intervention program on enhancing socio-communication skills of children with intellectual disability in science education course. Experimental research was carried out in the study in order to examine the effectiveness of an intervention program designed to promote social and communication skills of students with intellectual disability. A total number of 59 individuals with intellectual disability participated in the study. The level of development and features of development of social and communicative skills in this category are revealed. Results obtained from the study were discussed with relevant results from the literature and implications for further research and practices were provided.
 
 Keywords: children with intellectual disabilities, social and communication skills, intervention;

Strengthening Digital Citizenship through Citizenship Education Based on Science, Technology and Society in Era 4.0

The purpose of this study was to determine the strengthening of digital citizenship through science, technology and society-based Citizenship Education courses in the 4.0 era. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative, collecting data through interviews, documentation and observation. The results of the study show that 1) strengthening digital citizenship through Civics Education courses based on science, technology and society in the 4.0 era is forming civic competence, 2) Strengthening digital citizenship through Citizenship Education courses requires digital habituation in students' daily lives. 3) Approach to Science, Technology and Society (STM) to answer the problems that exist in the community so that learning becomes more meaningful. Strengthening digital citizenship through science, technology and community-based civics learning in the 4.0 era in the end is towards smart and good citizens.