Science Students Research Articles

Assessing the Evidence Base for School-Based Promotion and Prevention Interventions: Introduction to the Series.

Schools are an important component in the mental health system of care for youths. Teachers and other school staff have unique opportunities to promote emotional wellness and prevent mental health conditions. Although numerous programs are available, identifying evidence-based and effective options is a significant challenge. This introduction lays out the rationale and methodology of the Assessing the Evidence Base (AEB) Series, a collection of systematic reviews of school-based mental health promotion and prevention approaches recommended by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine for students in kindergarten through grade 12. Authors of the current AEB Series used the rating criteria derived from the 2014 AEB Series, which provided systematic reviews of a wide spectrum of interventions for mental and substance use disorders. Like its predecessor, the current series upholds a high standard of scientific rigor while ensuring that the information is easily accessible to various stakeholders in education, behavioral health, and communities. It describes the universal features included in each systematic review, such as a rating of the level of evidence for interventions, intervention program components, identification of interventions that have yielded positive outcomes for students from underserved populations, and a review of cost data. The AEB systematic reviews will serve as an important tool for decision makers involved in managing limited resources for various programs in school-based mental health services by synthesizing large bodies of research for use by leaders in education and behavioral health.

From Data to Design: Constructing Scapula and Hip Bone Through Online Datasets, Open-Source Software and 3D Printers.

Introduction Human skeletons and bones are essential for medical and allied sciences students. Nowadays, it is becoming challenging to procure bone legally, resulting in medical students' inadequacy of bone. Plaster-of-Paris or resin bone models sold on the market are less detailed than real bones. Aims and objectives This study aims to create a three-dimensional (3D)-printed human bone model with free, open-source software and fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printers, compare its accuracy with the original bones and validate it with a textbook description. Methods Scapula and hip bone models were produced using open-source software 3D Slicer from computed tomography (CT) data from the "New Mexico Decedent Image Database". After automated segmentation, bones were edited manually with tools in a 3D Slicer(https://www.slicer.org/) and Meshmixer software(Autodesk Inc., San Rafael, California, United States) and 3D bone models were printed using polylactic (PLA) filament. Results and discussions 3Ddigital models of both bones were successfully created with the maximum possible accuracy with an FDM 3D printer. A 3D digital replica of the scapula obtained after segmentation retained most anatomical features except for the glenoid cavity, as the head of the humerus obscured the glenoid cavity. The 3D digital skeleton of the hip bone retained all anatomical features except articulating surfaces, such as the acetabulum and auricular surface ilium, which were obscured by the head of the femur and sacrum. A few morphological features of both bones differed from the original dry bone, and a few finer details were unclear in the iliac fossa and ischium. After manual editing and post-processing, the final physical model obtained has all the features. Conclusions We conclude that it is possible to produce anatomically accurate models with the greatest possible resemblance and accuracy to the original bones using free and open-source data with an FDM 3D printer.

Effects of Online Cooperative Learning (OCL) Student Teams Achievement Division (STAD) Method to the Motivation, Self – efficacy, And Academic Achievement of Students in Science 10

This study explores the impact of Online Cooperative Learning (OCL) using the Student Teams Achievement Divisions (STAD) method on science 10 students’ self-efficacy, motivation, and academic achievement. Conducted at Ocampo National High School during the COVID-19 pandemic, the quasi-experimental design involved 90 tenth-grade students split into control and treated groups. Pre- and post-experiment assessments included Likert-scale questionnaires on motivation and self-efficacy, along with summative tests. Data analysis, conducted with R software, employed descriptive statistics, t-tests, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results indicated significantly heightened motivation (weighted mean=4.17, p=0.056), increased self-efficacy (weighted mean=4.2, p=0.04), and improved academic performance (weighted mean=38.69, p=0.00) among students using OCL-STAD. Path analysis revealed the direct effects of self-efficacy on academic achievement (path coefficient=0.25) and motivation (path coefficient=0.04). Keywords: motivation, online cooperative learning, Student Teams Achievement Divisions (STAD) method, self-efficacy

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.

Effect of Brain-Based Instructional Strategies on Achievement in Science of Elementary School Students with different Learning Styles.

No two individuals are alike and so are their learning styles. Brain-based learning strategies that are based on the core principles of human brain development can be promising in improving the achievement of students catering to the need of diverse learners with varying learning styles. These strategies are having a sound basis in Neurosciences and these strategies can be instrumental towards students’ performance as well as retention. The current research attempts to examine the effect of these strategies on achievement in science of elementary students with different learning styles. The sample of 100 students was taken which was randomly divided into two groups namely Experimental and Control Group. The students in the experimental group who received teaching using brain-based instructional methodologies outperformed than students in the control group on achievement test. In addition, students in the experimental groups with accommodation and divergent learning styles had considerably higher mean scores on achievement in science as compared to convergent and assimilation learning styles. Hence, the students' achievement in science improved significantly when they were taught using brain-based teaching methodologies.

Effectiveness of psychiatric clinical posting on attitudes toward psychiatry and mental illness among medical, nursing and other healthcare students: systematic review

This review aimed to systematically identify and appraise available evidence on the effectiveness of clinical psychiatric posting on the attitudes of health science students toward mental illness and psychiatry. The data were sourced from Scopus, ScienceDirect and PubMed. The references of the included studies were searched using Google Scholar. The search was done across the above databases from 20th October to 21st December, 2023. This review followed the preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) outline. The quality of the articles was assessed using critical appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies. The review showed mixed results. Clinical psychiatric posting is effective in attitudinal changes toward mental illness and psychiatry when the duration is six weeks or longer (p < 0.001). When the posting followed teachings in psychiatry and anti-stigma orientation, it had more significant impacts on the attitudes (p < 0.001). This review highlights the importance of the duration of clinical psychiatric posting, teaching in psychiatry and anti-stigma orientation in improving the effectiveness of the training modality. Longer duration of postings (six weeks or more) that followed teachings in psychiatry and anti-stigma orientation has been shown to be more effective. This calls for curricular reform and policy formation.

Measuring Communication and Collaboration Skills in Sciences of Secondary School Students in New General Curriculum: A Case of Vietnam

Communication and collaboration are important skills for students in the 21st century. In order to develop these skills, students will interact with others in specific situations, where they will need to face a situation directly. In Vietnam, the new general education curriculum was issued by the Ministry of Education and Training in 2018. This curriculum has been developed using competency-based approach. Communication and collaboration are identified as core competencies in this curriculum, and these competencies have been proposed with detail components and criteria for students at the final stage of each education levels (e.g., primary, lower secondary and upper secondary education). However, one of the practical problems teachers and students facing is that these criteria are too general. Therefore, it is difficult for teachers and teachers to monitor and assess these competencies in specific subjects. The purpose of the present research is to propose a detailed assessment framework and to validate an instrument for assessing communication and collaboration competencies in the Science subject based on general criteria of these competencies in the general education curriculum in Vietnam. The present research used Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to analyse the research data. The results show that there are three components to measure communication and collaboration competencies with 19 out of 20 indicators having good factor loadings. Reliability analysis for each factor using Cronbach’s alpha shows that each factor has internal consistency, with values ranging from .704 to .861.

Institutional Study: Collaboration between Madrasah Ibtidaiyah and Madrasah Diniyah

Education at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah and Madrasah Diniyah could be more optimal in maximizing students' religious, science, and technology education. Madrasah Ibtidaiyah combines the 2013 and independent curricula, but most teachers and parents consider Islamic learning less in-depth. Meanwhile, Madrasah Diniyah only focuses on religious teaching without including general knowledge. This research analyses the collaboration between Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (MI) and Madrasah Diniyah (Madin). The research method used is qualitative research with a case study approach. Data was obtained through observation, documentation and interviews. Data analysis refers to Miles and Huberman's theory, which involves data reduction, visualization and validation stages. The collaboration between MI Baitul Muttaqin and Madin Baitul Muttaqin involves joint decision-making to shape students' religious character and science and technology abilities through comprehensive learning between religion and science and technology. This collaboration is analyzed using collaborative governance theory, emphasizing shared goals, participation, organizational structure, role division, communication, and evaluation. The impact is comprehensive education of students' religious character and science and technology skills. The obstacles come from differences in the characteristics of Madin and MI educators, but the heads of MI and Madin consider the benefits more. Coordination, intensive communication and improving the qualifications of Madin educators are critical solutions for harmonizing learning. It is also essential to support harmonious family habits at home to achieve comprehensive results.

Diversifying laboratory assessment modes broadens engagement with practical competencies in life science students.

Laboratory practicals in life science subjects are traditionally assessed by written reports which reflect disciplinary norms of documenting experimental activities. However, exclusive application of this assessment has potential to engage only a narrow range of competencies. In this study, we explored how multiple modes of laboratory assessment might affect student perceptions of learned skills in a life science module. We hypothesized that while a mixture of assessments may not impact student summative performance, it might positively influence student perceptions of different skills that varied assessments allowed them to practice. This was informed by universal design for learning (UDL) and teaching for understanding (TfU) frameworks. In our study, in a 3rd year Bioscience programme, written reports were complemented with group presentations and online quizzes via Moodle. Anonymous surveys evaluated whether this expanded portfolio of assessments promoted awareness of, and engagement with, a broader range of practical competencies. Aspects that influenced student preferences in assessment mode included time limitations, time investment, ability to practice new skills, links with lecture material and experience of assessment anxiety. In particular, presentations were highlighted as promoting collaboration and communication and the quiz as an effective means of diversifying assessment schedules. A key takeaway from students was that while reports were important, an over reliance on them was detrimental. This study suggests that undergraduate life science students can benefit significantly from a holistic assessment strategy that complements reports with performance-based approaches that incorporate broader competencies and allow for greater student engagement and expression in undergraduate modules.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics undergraduates’ knowledge and interest in quantum careers: Barriers and opportunities to building a diverse quantum workforce

Efforts to build the workforce in support of the second quantum revolution are growing, including the creation of education programs that will prepare students for jobs in this area. We surveyed 186 undergraduate students with majors across the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines and followed up with group interviews to understand their perspectives. The project was designed to understand what these STEM students know about quantum and quantum career opportunities and their level of interest in pursuing a career related to quantum. We found that most of the students know very little about quantum. Nevertheless, except for students in the life sciences, there was an interest in quantum careers. Across STEM majors, women were less likely to express interest in quantum careers than men, but this difference disappeared when we examined only physical and computer science majors. Of the few students who had knowledge of quantum concepts, most learned about this topic from online media, especially online videos. Some students reported learning about quantum in high school classes, where it was taught as an extension beyond the usual topics of the course. The undergraduate STEM students in our study identified multiple ways they would like to learn more about quantum, including short videos, seminars, courses, certificates, and degree programs. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Understanding College Students’ Satisfaction With ChatGPT: An Exploratory And Predictive Machine Learning Approach Using Feature Engineering

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are continually improving and becoming more pervasive in many facets of our lives. ChatGPT is one such cutting-edge artificial intelligence application, and it has received a lot of worldwide media attention, specifically from educationists, technologists, and learners. It is imperative to understand and evaluate the impact of ChatGPT on computer science students as it directly and holistically influences them. A quantitative instrumental case study explores ChatGPT’s impact on early adopters in education. A survey of undergraduate computer science students at a state university of Delhi was conducted to get insight into their opinion on adopting this revolutionising technology for their education, career, and overall satisfaction. An end-to-end data science approach is applied to encompass exploratory and predictive modelling with feature engineering solutions. Results reveal the most influential features contributing to students’ satisfaction in adopting ChatGPT for their day-to-day chores concerning their social life, education, and career. The Linear Support Vector classifier, a machine learning algorithm for predicting the satisfaction or dissatisfaction in students’ shows an accuracy score of 72.73% and 97.72%, respectively. The AUC for this multiclass prediction model is convincing and is 0.74, 0.71, and 0.96 for satisfied, neutral, and dissatisfied classes, respectively.

Hesitancy towards COVID-19 Vaccine among Students of Medical and Allied Health Sciences in Pakistan: A cross sectional study

Hesitancy towards COVID-19 Vaccine among Students of Medical and Allied Health Sciences in Pakistan: A cross sectional study

KEEFEKTIFAN LAYANAN BIMBINGAN KELOMPOK DENGAN TEKNIK SOSIODRAMA UNTUK MENINGKATKAN KEPERCAYAAN DIRI SISWA KELAS XI IPA SMA NEGERI 1 TANJUNG

The purpose of this study was to determine how effective group guidance services with sociodrama techniques are to increase the self-confidence of class XI science students at SMA Negeri 1 Tanjung. This type of research is a quantitative experiment with a True Experiment research method using a pretest posttest control group design. The samples taken were 20 students, 10 students for the experimental group and 10 students for the control group using purposive random sampling. In this study, data were obtained through research instruments in the form of a self-confidence scale and interviews. The research design used was pretest, treatment, and posttest. The treatment was carried out five times in the experimental group with an average of 69 to 86.1, an increase of 17.1. The results of the hypothesis test obtained that tcount = 100,662 were consulted with a significance level of 5% (0,05) namely 2,101. This shows that tcount = 100,662 &gt; ttable = 2,101 It was concluded that group guidance services with sociodrama techniques were effective in increasing the self-confidence of class XI science students at SMA Negeri 1 Tanjung.

The psychological reality of the learned “p 

The .05 boundary within Null Hypothesis Statistical Testing (NHST) “has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move” (to quote Douglas Adams). Here, we move past meta-scientific arguments and ask an empirical question: What is the psychological standing of the .05 boundary for statistical significance? We find that graduate students in the psychological sciences show a boundary effect when relating p-values across .05. We propose this psychological boundary is learned through statistical training in NHST and reading a scientific literature replete with “statistical significance”. Consistent with this proposal, undergraduates do not show the same sensitivity to the .05 boundary. Additionally, the size of a graduate student’s boundary effect is not associated with their explicit endorsement of questionable research practices. These findings suggest that training creates distortions in initial processing of p-values, but these might be dampened through scientific processes operating over longer timescales.

An identity-based learning community intervention enhances the lived experience and success of first-generation college students in the biological sciences

Working-class first-generation (FG) college students are underrepresented in higher education and STEM. Using a longitudinal quasi-experiment, we tested the impacts of a living learning community (LLC) in the biological sciences on FG students in their first year of college (Semester 1: N = 243; Semester 2: N = 199), across three cohorts (2018–2019, 2019–2020 and 2020–2021). Participation in the LLC enhanced FG students’ belonging, confidence, motivation, grades, knowledge of the social relevance of biology, and reduced STEM anxiety compared to a control group of FG students not in an LLC. LLC participation also increased retention in biological science majors one-year post-intervention compared to the control FG group. Moreover, LLC participation closed the academic gap between FG students in the LLC and honors students from college-educated families in a separate honors LLC. Benefits of the LLC intervention remained stable despite the COVID-19 pandemic, when living together became impossible, producing positive effects across cohorts from pre-pandemic to in-pandemic. Our results suggest that affinity-based learning communities—with or without shared housing—in the transition to college enhance academic thriving, persistence, and reduce social class driven achievement gaps in STEM.

Increasing PhD student self-awareness and self-confidence through strengths-based professional development

Strengths-based programs have emerged as asset-based approaches to professional development that promote positive student engagement and success. This paper shares the outcomes of a strengths-based professional development program provided to biomedical and health sciences graduate doctoral students within an academic health center. Program outcomes and changes in participants’ perceived confidence when identifying and applying their strengths in different contexts were evaluated through a mixed methods design that included a Likert-based survey and thematic analysis of qualitative responses. Findings strongly suggest that most participants lacked the self-confidence and/or self-awareness to recognize their own strengths prior to the program. Themes that emerged upon implementation of the program point to the following outcomes: participants gained an increased understanding of their strengths, confidence that the knowledge gained about their strengths would help them learn more effectively in laboratory settings, an increased belief that they possess natural talents and skills that make them good scientists and strong members of their research team, and confidence that applying their strengths will help them to overcome both personal and professional challenges. This program shows promise to strengthen graduate student self-awareness and self-confidence. Further studies are needed to understand and measure how asset-based programs such as this can impact graduate student resilience, science identity, and overall student success.

Family and consumer science students' technical skill attainment and postsecondary success

AbstractThis study's purpose was to determine if passing the technical skill attainment test predicted Missouri Family and Consumer Sciences students' postsecondary placement. Using quantitative data obtained from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education from 2015 to 2019, data from 8622 students enrolled in at least one Family and Consumer Sciences class were analyzed. Results indicate Family and Consumer Sciences completers who pass their technical skill attainment have a statistically significant relationship with postsecondary placement in either a related career field, higher education with a related major, or the military. Findings also reveal some inequities among race and ability status.

Enhancing academic performance and student engagement in health education: insights from Work Station Learning Activities (WSLA)

Making health science students aware of the importance of basic science knowledge for professional practice is a major educational challenge, especially during the early years of preclinical courses. Here, using an integrated curricular approach, we analyze whether Work Station Learning Activities (WSLA), which combine active learning methodologies for teaching basic science in clinical scenarios, can help to develop deeper learning and student engagement. In order to increase student motivation, we evaluated the effectiveness of WSLA using statistical analyses and an observation tool based on the ICAP (Interactive, Constructive, Active, and Passive) framework, which categorizes learning tasks based on the nature of student engagement. Statistical analyses revealed positive correlations between the different summative evaluations along the development of the activities, indicating the learning process inherent to WSLA progression and affirming the positive influence of WSLA on academic outcomes. Comparing the pre- and post-tests, students scored significantly higher on the post-test (statistically significant p < 0.001). WSLA promotes both constructivist and interactive learning, as validated by its alignment with the ICAP model. The study examines student engagement through systematic observation, revealing a relationship between student engagement and final grades. Students who exhibit constructive learning consistently earn higher grades, emphasizing the positive impact of active engagement. Thus, passive behavior profiles show a significant proportion of fails (40%), while constructive profiles stand out as the sole recipients of the coveted excellent rating. Ultimately, this study contributes to our understanding of the effectiveness of WSLA in promoting active learning and enhancing student engagement within integrated health education curricula. It highlights the importance of active learning behaviors for academic success and suggests avenues for further research to optimize integrated teaching methodologies in medical education.

Inquiry-Based Learning Resource Material for Improved Integrated Process Skills in Elementary Science

Poor science education techniques may lead to low science competence. The shift in education tends to be in distance learning, which negatively impacts Philippine Education. Consequently, educators are looking for the best innovations to help bridge the science education gap, especially in teaching techniques. This study focuses on developing an inquiry-based learning resource to enhance the integrated science process skills of Grade 4 students in Science at Del Remedio Elementary School, San Pablo City, Philippines. Descriptive-developmental methodology was used for this study, which is a process aimed at developing and evaluating a learning tool. The participants of this research are the grade 4 learners of Del Remedio Elementary School. The developed inquiry-based learning resources meet the criteria of being highly acceptable in terms of graphic design and layout feasibility, construction feasibility, language feasibility, and content feasibility, as per the findings. The dependent samples t-test revealed that students' pre-test and post-test scores are significantly different from their integrated science process skills; this implies that their grades improved after inquiry-based learning. The Pearson Product-Moment correlation shows a significant relationship between the students; inquiry-based learning technique and their level of integrated science process skills, with a significant level of 0.05. This led to the conclusion that the technique implemented to be used in the developed resource material helps students improve their understanding of the lesson, leading them to higher achievements.

On Verified Automated Reasoning in Propositional Logic: Teaching Sequent Calculus to Computer Science Students

As the complexity of software systems is ever increasing, so is the need for practical tools for formal verification. Among these are automatic theorem provers, capable of solving various reasoning problems automatically, and proof assistants, capable of deriving more complex results when guided by a mathematician/programmer. In this paper we consider using the latter to build the former. In the proof assistant Isabelle/HOL we combine functional programming and logical program verification to build a theorem prover for propositional logic. We also consider how such a prover can be used to solve a reasoning task without much mental labor. The development is extended with a formalized proof system for writing machine-checked sequent calculus proofs. We consider how this can be used to teach computer science students about logic, automated reasoning and proof assistants.