Context-based learning (CBL) has influenced teaching and learning science in many countries over the past decades. Twelve years ago, a special issue on CBL was published in this "Journal," focusing on CBL curriculum development. Seven papers in this current special issue on CBL now address the question of how a context influences the…

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of the science module which was designed using the problem-based learning method on the basis of the Integrated Curriculum Model and applied in the blended learning environment on the scientific reasoning and scientific process skills of gifted students. The study was carried out with 9 gifted 5th…

Making in schools, where students produce and share physical or virtual objects, has garnered increased global attention for its potential to foster twenty-first century learning in STEM and develop students' inventiveness, creativity, and entrepreneurial thinking. However, there has been limited attention paid to how maker-centred learning…

Theoretically framed within Social Cognitive Career Theory emphasising on the construct of situational interest, this study explores the impact of career-based scenarios, as an instructional approach, on students' interest in science and understandings of STEM careers. This case study involved 16 students aged 13-15 years old, who participated in…

Learning science in the context of socio-scientific issues (SSI) is widely advocated for achieving the goal of scientific literacy that values using science in daily lives. While prior research suggests that SSI-based learning can promote students' disciplinary knowledge and practices, less is known about students' perceptions of SSI-based…

The beginning years of a teacher's career are among the most challenging and complex. Content-specific induction programmes can help teachers navigate these early years of teaching and build their instructional practices. Although there is growing interest in studying new teachers' reform-based instruction, little is known about new science…

This study aimed to explore the relationships between students' perceived learning practices and associated self-efficacies regarding mobile-assisted seamless science learning. The learning practices for mobile-assisted seamless science learning questionnaire was developed with three scales that denote learning supported by mobile technology.…

Practical independent research projects (IRPs) are a feature of school science in a number of countries. To assess the impact of IRPs on students, a systematic review of the literature was undertaken. Thirty-nine papers met the review inclusion criteria, reporting on work from twelve countries. The review indicates that IRPs are often associated…

This embedded mixed method study used a randomised controlled? trial design to examine two cohorts of upper (grades 4-6) elementary teachers' classroom implementation of nature of science (NOS) instruction following their participation in a statewide professional development (PD). The treatment group (n = 145) was compared to a control group (n =…

Engaging students in active learning is linked to positive learning outcomes. This study aims to synthesise the peer-reviewed literature about "active learning" in college science classroom settings. Using the methodology of an integrative literature review, 337 articles archived in the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) are…

Research on learning and instruction of science has shown that learning environments applied in preschool and primary school rarely makes use of structured learning materials in problem-based environments although these are decisive quality features for promoting conceptual change and scientific reasoning within early science learning. We thus…

There is a tendency for lecture-based instruction in large introductory science courses to strongly focus on the delivery of discipline-specific technical terminology and fundamental concepts, sometimes to the detriment of opportunities for application of learned knowledge in evidence-based critical-thinking activities. We sought to improve…

A model of teaching/learning is proposed based on a "problem-based structure" of the contents of the course, in combination with a training in paper and pencil problem solving that emphasizes discussion and quantitative analysis, rather than formulae plug-in. The aim is to reverse the high failure and attrition rate among engineering…

The efficacy of problem-based learning (PBL) in an analytical chemistry laboratory course was studied using a programme that was designed and implemented with 20 students in a treatment group over 10 weeks. Data from 26 students in a traditional analytical chemistry laboratory course were used for comparison. Differences in the creative thinking…

Scientific inquiry involves a variety of abilities scientists use to investigate the natural world. In order to develop students' scientific inquiry, researchers and educators have developed different curricula and a variety of instructional resources, which make features and descriptors of scientific inquiry in teaching and learning even more…