This study examines how middle school students develop an increasingly coherent understanding of aquatic ecosystems. As part of a broader design research study that used Structure-Behavior-Function (SBF) theory as an organizing conceptual representation, we created two instructional units that focused on pond and aquarium environments. We coded…

In this study, we analyzed the descriptive knowledge and mental models of the phenomenon of tides manifested by 111 preservice primary teachers. The instrument employed is an open-ended questionnaire, analyzed by means of an approach that explores the descriptions, explanations, and predictions in respect of this phenomenon by our subjects. First,…

In the area of science education research, studies have attempted to investigate conceptions of learning, approaches to learning, and self-efficacy, mainly focusing on science in general or on specific subjects such as biology, physics, and chemistry. However, few empirical studies have probed students' earth science learning. This study aimed to…