National Science Education Research Articles

Middle Management and Instructional Leadership: The Case of Natural Sciences’ Heads of Departments in South Africa

Natural sciences heads of departments often find themselves in the middle, shuttling between one role as part of the school management team, and another as an ordinary classroom teacher whose role as subject and instructional leaders is made even more complex because of the several duties incorporated in the subject which brings together other science disciplines, with each having its own disciplinary culture and expectations. The crucial role played by this group of teachers in the area of management and instructional leadership can go a long way in determining effective output in teaching and learning. This study reports on a mixed methods approach to explore the practices of natural sciences heads of department, as they provide instructional leadership to the teachers in a multidisciplinary context of their subject. This research involved 30 participants who responded to the questionnaire and 6 purposively selected subject heads of department interviewed and observed from four districts in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The data collected through questionnaire, semi-structured interview and observations were analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The results from this investigation revealed that natural science heads of departments devise creative ways to mitigate the challenge of differently qualified natural science teachers. These study concludes that the effectiveness of heads of departments as instructional leaders is influenced by the immense pressure from the dual roles of managing from the middle, which also appear to affect the optimal implementation of the natural science curriculum.

Spanish Science Teacher Educators’ Preparation, Experiences, and Views About Nature of Science in Science Education

The obstacles and difficulties that science teachers face when teaching the nature of science (NOS) are well-known. Nonetheless, little is known of what science teacher educators (STEs) know, do, and think about this issue. Thus, a study with 142 Spanish STEs was conducted. This was aimed at analysing (i) what preparation the STEs have to teach NOS, (ii) what educational experience they have about NOS, (iii) what importance they give to NOS in their training plans, (iv) when NOS should be taught, (v) how to integrate NOS in science education, (vi) how to teach NOS, (vii) what to teach about NOS, and (viii) the influences interconnecting the STEs’ preparation, experience, and opinions regarding NOS teaching. Among the results, it was found that most STEs state that they have ample knowledge of NOS, are well prepared pedagogically to teach it, and have extensive experience in teaching it. However, there was some mismatch between their stated preparation and their experience teaching NOS. In addition, they think that NOS should be taught from early ages and be treated as cross-cutting content in science education. They also consider that, when teaching NOS, an implicit approach is just as effective as an explicit-reflective one. As for their selection of NOS content to include, they are fundamentally divided into two groups — those who select only epistemic aspects of NOS and those who select a balanced proportion of both epistemic and non-epistemic aspects. The limitations of the study are reported along with the issues that require further research.

PREPARATION OF FUTURE TEACHERS OF NATURAL SCIENCES FOR WORK IN THE NEW UKRAINIAN SCHOOL

The article shows the main trends in the development of natural education worldwide. Methodical features of teaching natural subjects in the conditions of the New Ukrainian School are revealed. Emphasis is placed on the availability of various model curricula of integrated courses, i.e., «Natural Sciences,» «Knowing Nature,» and «Environment.» The necessity of teacher training for work in the New Ukrainian School is substantiated. The relevance of the specialty 014.15 Secondary education (Natural Sciences) in higher education institutions is confirmed. Educational training programs for future teachers of natural sciences, physics, chemistry, and biology are analyzed. The main methodological guidelines in the teaching of natural sciences are outlined: implementation of an integrative approach to the content of courses through the introduction of special integrated courses in the field of natural sciences, using integrated tasks (physics + chemistry + biology + geography), conducting integrated lessons and extracurricular activities; the use of competence-oriented tasks that model standard or non-standard life and professional situations and require students to independently engage in cognitive activities, as well as personal qualities that determine readiness for such activities; implementation of educational projects; implementation of a research approach using methods similar to the scientific activity of a scientist (observation, experiment, formulation of a hypothesis, substantiation of a theory, processing of data, formulation of conclusions, design of subsequent studies); use of elements of STEM education, in particular, making; application of various digital computer technologies, equipment of specialized offices with multimedia projectors, interactive whiteboards, tablets, etc.; formative assessment of students’ knowledge.
 Each of these guidelines is described in detail. Thus the essence of integrative and research approaches is revealed, the peculiarities of competence-oriented tasks and formative assessment are clarified, digital resources of natural sciences are indicated, and STEM education in general and one of its directions is characterized. Nowadays, significant changes are taking place in school science education due to the implementation of the conceptual provisions of the New Ukrainian School. All in all, it is crucial to prepare future science teachers for the introduction of new integrated courses in the field of science education. The mentioned issues can be systematically considered during the study of the educational discipline «Methodology of Teaching Integrated Courses in Natural Sciences.»

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.

COMMON DISCOURSE PATTERNS OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ARTICLE ABSTRACTS

The previous study already conducted a similar study in several fields, except education, thus, this study was conducted to complete it. This study aimed at investigating discourse patterns of research article abstracts in the education discipline. The data were a set of research article abstracts of five sub-disciplines in education, i.e., language education, mathematics and natural science education, social education, technological education, and elementary education. The data were collected from journals of education study. This research was conducted by implementing a four-move abstract structure. The results found that Moves 1 (research space), 2 (research procedure), and 3 (result summary) were obligatory, while Move 4 (result evaluation) was considered an optional move. The most common pattern discovered was 1-2-3. The pattern of 1-2-3-4 is another common pattern obtained, except for social education. These results provide the discourse patterns of educational research article abstracts and are regarded as new findings in the previous and related studies.

IMPLEMENTACE INKLUZIVNI PEDAGOGIKY DO VYUKY CHEMIE

The aim of the article is to draw attention to the context that inclusive understanding of pedagogy brings to the education of natural sciences with an emphasis on the teaching of chemistry and to open a debate for cooperation in the fields of social and special pedagogy and the methodology of teaching chemistry. In the article, inclusion is understood as a process of creating and improving the learning conditions of all students, taking into account the broader dimensions of heterogeneity, diversity, and language, as well as cognitive and physical barriers that may occur during the teaching of chemistry. The main focus is centered on the concept of science literacy for all, out of which comes the requirement to link inclusive pedagogical principles and the goals of natural sciences education. We bring to attention the need to increase the sensitivity of chemistry teachers to differences that may have a negative impact on learning outcomes, as well as the need for targeted teacher training for leading inclusive classes and for assessing their level of competence required for inclusive teaching.

DEVELOPMENT OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES OF FUTURE TEACHERS OF NATURAL SCIENCES

The article discusses the peculiarities of development of professional competencies of future teachers of Natural Sciences. The concept of "competence approach" is explained. Some aspects of value-based and motivational, cognitive, activity-based and axiological components of professional competence are analyzed.

The Model of STEM Education as an Innovative Technology in the System of Higher Professional Education of the Russian Federation

To study STEM and STEAM education as an innovative technology, the authors of the paper conducted a comprehensive theoretical and methodological study on the stated problem. A comprehensive theoretical and methodological study was directed towards the solution to the problem of developing a new model for the STEM and STEAM education system to make correct management decisions in the framework of the country’s socio-economic development based on objective data. The object of the study was STEM and STEAM education as an innovative technology. The subject of this study is the mechanisms of STEM and STEAM-education in the system of higher professional education of the Russian Federation. The methodological foundation of the study was the general scientific ideas for holistic, systemic, and integrative approaches to the study, which gave an opportunity to assess a set of interrelated and interacting elements that form a certain integrity. The use of these approaches provided a comprehensive analysis and formulation of the research problem and determined the strategy for its study. Both theoretical and empirical methods of studying the indicated problem were used in the comprehensive theoretical and methodological study presented in the paper. The leading methods of scientific knowledge were the following: the method of comparison; phenomenological data analysis; discourse analysis of the text; theoretical analysis; empirical description (expert assessment method and in-depth interviews). The result of the study is the STEM education model developed by the authors as an innovative technology in the system of higher professional education of the Russian Federation. The materials of the paper will be useful for specialists in the field of higher professional education, teachers of natural sciences and humanities, the teaching method of which is based on the STEM approach.

STEM and STEAM Education in Russian Education: Conceptual Framework

The paper examines the STEM approach as one of the revolutionary tools for transforming education. This paper discloses the content of the concept of “STEAM-education”, substantiates its importance and prerequisites for its appearance. The author elucidates a comparative analytical review of trends and prospects for the development of STEAM education in the Russian Federation. In this paper, the authors want to touch upon a comprehensive theoretical and methodological study conducted on the declared problem to identify the problem of the formation and development of the STEAM approach in the education system in the Russian Federation at all levels: general education, vocational education, and additional education. The object of this study was STEM education. The subject of this research was the STEM approach and STEM technologies in the system of general education, vocational education, and additional education. The methodological foundation of the study was the general scientific propositions on the holistic, systemic, and dialectical approaches to research, which made it possible to assess the totality of interrelated and interacting elements that form a certain integrity. The use of these approaches provided a comprehensive analysis and formulation of the research problem and determined the strategy for its study. The analysis of the current state of STEM and STEAM education in higher education in the Russian Federation suggests that it is necessary to stimulate the development of information and communication technologies in the country’s education system in general, as well as to develop comprehensive programs for adapting STEM and STEAM approaches among the subjects of educational relations. In the context of modern global risks and challenges, the educational trajectory of development in Russia should be conceptually consistent with the new strategy in the field of natural science education adopted in the United States, “The Path to Success: American Strategy for STEM Education”. Experts believe that through the practical implementation of STEM and STEAM technologies, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the quality of training for the purposes of the modern digital economic sphere. In this regard, the primary competences obtained in the higher education system in the areas of STEM and STEAM training should be cognitive, personal, and interpersonal competences, expressed in digital literacy, computational thinking, creativity, open mind, soft skills, and others. The concept of STEAM education in the system of higher professional education in Russia will ensure the transformation of ideas about scientific knowledge and build an innovative development process through the formation of skills in the field of exact sciences, linguistics, engineering, art, etc.

Visão holística do sistema terra para o desenvolvimento sustentável

O desenvolvimento sustentável abrange um aglomerado de problemas ambientais, sociais e económicos, sendo urgente ensinar para a cidadania responsável e informada. A visão holística do Sistema Terra na educação em ciências potencializa a perceção do papel do Homem nos ecossistemas e promove a consciência ambiental imprescindível ao desenvolvimento sustentável. Este trabalho é um recurso didático para discussão e reflexão orientada no ensino das Ciências Naturais (8.º ano do 3.º ciclo do Ensino Básico) e da Biologia e Geologia (10.º ano do Ensino Secundário), segundo o currículo português. A abordagem inovadora do Sistema Terra afasta-se da tradicional perspetiva centrada em uma interpretação redutora do planeta. Propõem-se questões e atividades, sequenciais e intencionais, adequadas ao domínio Sustentabilidade na Terra e ao capítulo I “A Terra e os seus subsistemas em interação” e capítulo III “A Terra, um planeta único a proteger”, definidos, respetivamente, no currículo nacional do 8.º e do 10.º ano de escolaridade.

Improving MGMP teachers’ self-efficacy through technical guidance in learning from home program

The target of this technical guidance was secondary teachers of natural sciences, social sciences, and language who were members of the Teachers Professional Development Forum or Musyarawah Guru Mata Pelajaran (MGMP) in Siak Kecil, Bengkalis Regency. This training aimed to provide digital literacy strengthening for teachers in designing, implementing, and evaluating home-learning programs. This technical guidance was carried out through an online platform (Zoom) and offline mentoring in the MGMP discussion forum. The technical guidance mechanism consists of training and simulations in designing digital learning media in PowerPoint presentations, video monologues, e-student worksheets, and e-modules using software applications such as Filmora, Explee, Sigil, and Kinemaster. The results of this technical guidance were increasing self-efficacy with indicators of confidence in completing tasks (high), internal motivation (high), persistence (high), and being able to overcome obstacles and difficulties (high). There was also an increase in teachers' digital literacy in the aspects of data awareness (good), data analysis skills (sufficient), and ability to focus (excellent). The assessment of the results also showed that participants could design and use applications to carry out digital learning from home. Overall, this technical guidance positively impacted teachers' Continuing Professional Development (CPD), especially secondary teachers in Siak Kecil and Lubuk Dalam Sub-districts in Riau Province.

FORMATION OF LOGIC - ALGORITHMIC CULTURE OF STUDENTS IN THE PROCESS OF TEACHING NATURAL SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES

The paper substantiates the need for the formation of a logical and algorithmic culture of students, which contributes to the conscious perception of educational material, which is adequate to modern school and university education in order to instill information and computer literacy in the younger generation. Teaching students to generalize, systematize, apply logical knowledge in a new situation, transfer the acquired knowledge from one subject to another is one of the main tasks of a modern school. At the same time, the logical and algorithmic level of their assimilation provides such a quality of knowledge as completeness and effectiveness, i.e. the student can list all the leading elements of knowledge, define each of them, characterize their main features, and also perform tasks on the topic using the acquired knowledge and skills. The generalization of the practical experience of the organization of the educational process allowed us to offer methodological recommendations for the organization of the formation of the logical and algorithmic culture of students on the basis of interdisciplinary connections in the process of teaching natural science disciplines. In the article, this technique is implemented with the help of one of the new forms of organization of classroom work at the university – complex seminars. The plans of conducting complex seminars on the topics "Harmonic oscillations" and "Integral and its application in physics" are given.

Extended-Reality Technologies: An Overview of Emerging Applications in Medical Education and Clinical Care.

Extended-Reality Technologies: An Overview of Emerging Applications in Medical Education and Clinical Care.

Integration of IBL and CLIL in Preparing Prospective Teachers for Teaching Natural Sciences in Multilingual Environment

Introduction. The relevance of the problem of preparing prospective teachers of natural sciences for teaching in several languages is determined by the social need of society. Insufficient practical training of young specialists requires the search for effective methods to help solve the problem. The aim of the research was to study the impact of the integration of IBL and CLIL methods on the quality of prospective teachers’ preparation to teach science subjects (taking Chemistry as an example) in English. The integration of CLIL and IBL methods is proposed to prepare prospective teachers of natural sciences for teaching in English which serves as a foreign language in a multilingual environment. Materials and Methods.Using the methods of pedagogical experiment, observation, testing, analysis of lesson recordings, descriptive and mathematical statistics, prospective science teachers’ speech acts as indicators of effective training were analyzed during the period of pedagogical apprenticeship. The research was carried out before and after learning in two groups of students studying with application of the CLIL method (control group) and the integration of IBL and CLIL (experimental group). Results. Obtained results demonstrate the non-random pattern of the changes between the two groups of students. Experimental students expressed more directives. A significant increase was observed in high-level questions at the stages of lessons with the organization of independent student research. The types of directive acts have become more diverse than in the control group. The integration of the CLIL and IBL methods had a positive effect on the growth of indicators of the quality of student preparation. Discussion and Conclusion. The presented results can be used to prepare prospective science teachers for teaching subjects in any second language. The results will be relevant for university lecturers in European and CIS countries who are looking for effective ways to train multilingual teachers.

Effects of Islamic Scientist History on Seventh Graders' Understandings of Nature of Science in a Thai Islamic Private School

Societies and cultures influence students' understandings of the nature of science (NOS). An approach to promote an accurate understanding of the nature of science is to manage the learning based on students' contexts through the integration of their social, cultural, and religious stories. Hence, this study investigated the pedagogical effects of Islamic scientist history on seventh graders' understandings of the nature of science in an Islamic private school, Yala Province, Thailand. Through a mixed-methods convergent design, data were collected from 30 seventh graders in an Islamic private school of Yala who were selected through a convenience sampling. The instruments were 1) a NOS questionnaire and 2) a semi-structured interview on the understanding of the nature of science. The quantitative data were statistically analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and a dependent t-test. The qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis and categorized into three groups based on the views of the nature of science: informed views (IV), transitional views (TV), and naive views (NV). Results revealed that the students who learned from the history of Islamic scientists had gained higher mean scores on the understanding of the nature of science at the .05 significance level and transformed their views from transitional (TV) and naive (NV) to informed (IV) in every aspect of the nature of science. This can be summarized that applying the history of Islamic scientists with the explicit reflective NOS teaching is practical in Islamic private school. To make this change happen in the unique school context, science teachers must devote time to analyzing the NOS hidden in the history of Islamic scientists. In addition, another Islamic context, such as local Islamic wisdom, could also promote the understanding of the NOS for students in private Islamic schools.

TRAINING NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STUDENTS AS A PRE-SERVICE TEACHER IN CONSTRUCTING ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS OF COGNITIVE DOMAIN THROUGH CONSTRUCTIVIST CLASSROOM

This research aimed at training science education students as a pre-service teacher in constructing assessment instruments of cognitive domain through constructivist classroom. The modification of constructivist classroom in material of cognitive domain test assessment procedures was developed by researcher. The subject of this research were 22 college students semester V of natural science education students at STKIP Modern Ngawi. The research used pre-experimental design with one-shot case study design. The instruments used for analyzing the competences in constructing assessment instruments of cognitive domain was by students learning outcomes completeness sheet. The college students will be said to be complete their competences if they sufficient Criterion Referenced Evaluation specifically more than equal to 75%. Empirically, the result of this research according to the completeness of student learning outcomes as a whole was 85.50% or in a very valid category. It means that natural science education students can construct well assessment instruments of cognitive domain trough constructivist classroom.

Lateral Thinking Ability Analysis in Preparation of Science Teacher Candidate Papers and Reports

The preparation of papers and reports is also an alternative solution to the problem of low reading and writing skills among students. The improvement of reading and writing skills is integrated in the preparation of papers and reports through a lateral thinking style in finding problem-solving solutions. This study used a quantitative descriptive approach to describe the lateral thinking skills of second semester science teacher candidate students in the preparation of papers and reports conducted during twelve meetings. The study population involved a total of 36 students of the Department of Natural Science Education, Campus III FKIP Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa University, Jalan Ciwaru Raya, Serang, Banten. Some of the aspects contained in the assessment rubric are the systematics of papers and reports, the flow of thought and the casting of ideas. The number of students who managed to get the highest score at the meeting before UTS was 18 students, 6 students scored 88, 6 students scored 84 and 6 students scored 82. These results differ from the number of students who managed to get the highest score at the meeting after the UTS, namely 6 students, 6 students scored 86, 18 students scored 84 and 6 students scored 82. The existence of differences in results at the meeting before and after the implementation of the UTS is an indication that presenting learning activities that provide experiences to students involves the role of several aspects. Some of these aspects include the scope of the problem, the choice of learning methods and the learning experiences of previous students.

Analisis Kualitas Pertanyaan Mahasiswa Calon Guru Rumpun Ilmu Pengetahuan Alam Ditinjau dari Pengalaman Belajar

The quality of the question can describe the development of a person's thinking level. The questioning activity is also an indication that a student is actively involved in the learning process. The purpose of this study was to describe the quality profile of the students' questions from a natural science family in terms of their learning experience. This study uses a descriptive method because it aims to describe the profile of research subjects. The research instrument was a learning experience questionnaire and a question matrix. Learning experience questionnaires are used to reveal a picture of student learning experiences during lectures. Meanwhile, the question matrix is used to measure the level of thinking on each question made by students. The population of this study were all students in the Mathematics and Natural Sciences Education Department who had attended Basic Biology courses. Data analysis using simple regression shows that student learning experience does not significantly influence the quality of student questions. Each study program has a t score of 0.120 (chemistry education); 1,341 (Physics education); and 0.578 (Biology education). The entire t score is less than the t table. This condition is strongly suspected because the core activity phase of the lecture process did not go well. Based on the data analysis, it was found that the core activity phase had the lowest score of 67.33 which was significant.

STUDENTS 'ABILITY TO SOLVE RANDOM CHANGE PROBLEMS AND DISTRIBUTION OF OPPORTUNITIES IN THE ERA OF COVID-19

The ability to solve problems is one of the abilities that mathematics students must have in order to become a capable problem solver. This study aims to describe the ability of the fifth semester students of the Mathematics Education Study Program, Mathematics and Natural Sciences Education Department, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Palangka Raya in solving problems on the random variable material and the distribution of opportunities. The research instrument consisted of 2 questions consisting of one routine question and one non-routine question. The subjects in this study were students of the Mathematics Education Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, University of Palangka Raya, who programmed the Mathematics Statistics I course in the fifth semester of class B academic year 2020/2021 as many as 26 students. The results showed that only 8 people (30.8%) were able to complete routine questions perfectly and 18 people (69.2%) were less than perfect. Meanwhile, for non-routine questions, only 1 person or 3.8% were able to answer correctly and 96.2% were unable to complete the questions given. This shows that the ability of students to solve random variable problems and the distribution of opportunities in the Covid-19 era in general for routine questions is still low and non-routine is very low, which indicates that students' lack of understanding and mastery of the concepts that have been conveyed through online learning

4th INTERNATIONAL BALTIC SYMPOSIUM ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION “SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION: DEVELOPING A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE (BalticSTE2021)”: SYMPOSIUM REVIEW

Time is running relentlessly fast. The Fourth International Symposium was held on June 21-22 this year. The topic of the Symposium was “Science and technology education: Developing a global perspective”. More than 60 scientists from 18 countries participated in the symposium. Comparing with the symposium which took place in 2019, the geographical distribution of the participants is wide and diverse. Ukrainian, Serbian, Moldavian, Malaysian, Latvian, Slovak etc. researchers participated in the symposium. Another important feature of the symposium is that it was held remotely/online due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. One of this international symposium ideas is – to show that Baltic region countries also actively participate in natural science and technology education research, especially in STEAM context. The second idea is that Baltic countries as well as other small regions of the world need corresponding close communication and cooperation. During this symposium, these two essential ideas were developed and supported. The symposium was organised by scientific methodological centre “Scientia Educologica”, the associated member of Lithuanian Scientific Society. The main symposium partner was Publishing House Scientia Socialis, Ltd. It is significant that even in the conditions of a pandemic, the symposium was properly organized.