One reason for the widespread use of the energy concept across the sciences is that energy analysis can be used to interpret the behavior of systems even if one does not know the particular mechanisms that underlie the observed behavior. By providing an approach to interpreting unfamiliar phenomena, energy provides a lens on phenomena that can set…

This paper explores the integration of STEM activities in teaching and learning, emphasizing the importance of innovative pedagogical approaches in effectively introducing theoretical concepts, such as variables and functions, and merging them with practical applications. Drawing on existing literature, this study investigates the integration of…

This study aimed to present a module related to the use of concept cartoons integrated into problem-based learning (PBL) method in science lessons. As part of the study, concept cartoons were developed based on scenarios dealing with daily life situations. A module was designed using these concept cartoons. The module focused on the topic…

Conceptions of ecological processes such as the flow of energy and cycling of matter in an ecosystem are increasingly important understandings in a rapidly changing world. This study utilizes a p-prims, or knowledge in pieces, lens to examine understandings and disconnections in students' conceptualizations of energy flow and matter cycling…

This study investigates the preconceptions of junior secondary school students in Niger State on scientific ideas. The sample was made up of three hundred and sixty (360) junior secondary school students (JSSS I) who were randomly selected from twelve secondary schools. Four schools in each three educational zones with thirty (30) students from…

This research is conducted among 65 seventh graders (12-14 years old) who attend introductory course on physics. Tests and interviews are used to trace the roots of the students' misconceptions about mass. Results from the research reveal serious weaknesses in students' understanding of concept of mass, and its confusion with concepts of density…

The National Curriculum Framework-2005 (NCF-2005) recommends that learning of children has to shift away from methods encouraging rote memory. This is possible only if children get an opportunity to explore the surroundings themselves. In this paper the researcher shares her experiences in the use of various innovative approaches in…

This study investigated how the format of verbal instructions in computer simulations and prior knowledge (PK) affected 8th graders' cognitive load (CL) level and achievement in a multimedia learning environment. Although PK was not found to significantly affect student performance and CL level, instruction format was found to impact both.…

In the past two decades, the role of language in the science curriculum has become prominent in science education literature. From a constructivist perspective, language mediates social interaction and meaning is constructed as learners interpret and reinterpret events through the lens of prior knowledge. This perspective applied to the science…

As environmental changes become a significant societal issue, elementary science curricula need to develop students' understanding about the key concepts of energy and climate change. For teachers, developing quality learning experiences involves establishing what their students' prior understanding about energy and climate change are. A survey…

Science educators face constant tradeoffs between allocating time to important topics and including more topics in the curriculum. We study 3,000 students experiencing 4 increasingly streamlined versions of a computer-enhanced middle school thermodynamics curriculum to investigate the impact of instructional time on knowledge integration.…

The transfer of matter and energy from one organism to another and between organisms and their physical setting is a fundamental concept in life science. Not surprisingly, this concept is common to the "Benchmarks for Science Literacy" (American Association for the Advancement of Science, [1993]), the "National Science Education Standards"…