The purpose of this study was to determine Turkish primary teacher candidates' conceptual understandings of gases. In this study, a survey approach was used. The sample consisted of 240 primary teacher candidates. As the data collection tool, a questionnaire of six questions consisting of three open-ended and three multiple choice was used. The…

Universities play an important role in society. On the other hand, more and more governments and international organizations are concerned about the environment. Thus, both in their educational programs and research, as well as in the case of public exhibitions, universities are increasingly including subjects related to the environment and its…

In this article, the author describes two lessons in which students applied the scientific knowledge learned from studying offshore oil drilling to construct a fact-based argument on the topic and then communicate it to their policy makers, since public commentary was solicited. The students practiced using their scientific knowledge to…

This practical article features an arts-integrated science unit on fossils of the Burgess Shale for fourteen elementary/middle school students at a weeklong summer day camp. The day camp had a theme of recycling, reduction and reuse; all of the fossil models had substantial recycled components to support this theme. Next Generation Science…

Making decisions about the production and use of chemical substances is of central importance in many fields. In this study, a research team comprising teachers and educational researchers collaborated in collecting and analyzing cognitive interviews with students from 8th grade through first-year university general chemistry in an effort to map…

Increased energy efficiency and reduced reliance on fossil fuels are both essential if people are to have any chance of avoiding escalating energy prices and the grim reality of catastrophic climate change. By increasing the diversity of energy sources people can also achieve increased security, reducing their dependence on imports. As…

Contrary to popular opinion, most oil is not discovered by a backwoods hunter shooting at some food when up through the ground comes bubbling crude (you younger people ask your parents what silly TV program the author is referring to). Neither is it discovered simply by drilling holes randomly to see what you can find. There are several methods,…

This study explored 30 Grade 1 to 6 (6-12 years old) Thai students' existing ideas about energy. The study employed the Interview about Event (IAE) approach. During IAE, the cards of an event or things were showed to students in order to probe their views of energy concepts. Findings indicated that young students held various alternative…