The "A Nation at Risk" report was released in 1983 and enumerated systemic flaws in the U.S. education system, highlighting science education as an area of concern (Denning, 1983). Over a generation later, a new opportunity has emerged to improve science education for all students, and especially the youngest learners. The Next…

Although Christians comprise the majority of the population in the United States, they make up less than one third of the scientific community. This underrepresentation is attributed to the desire to avoid the secular culture in academia or self-selection due to a perceived incompatibility or belief in negative stereotypes of Christian scientists.…

Laboratory activities are a prevalent and essential part of chemistry learning because of their potential to help students develop problem solving abilities, visualize chemistry concepts learned in lecture, and gain practical skills. However, learning in the laboratory environment is not without its challenges. For example, cookbook-style…

The longstanding call to prioritize science education has gained momentum, particularly with the noticeable changes aligned with reform-era practices. This quantitative study explored the relationship between policy, time allocation, and teacher practices in elementary science education, guided by constructive learning theory as the theoretical…

Academic achievement in elementary science achievement scores throughout Title One schools in metro-Atlanta could be identified through analphabetism and improper vocabulary instruction to accommodate students' learning styles. Teaching words explicitly entails extensive time and patience when exposing new science vocabulary. However, teaching…

Science learning is important for the well-being of individuals and society. Acquiring the knowledge necessary for success in science is not easy because science involves relational thinking, or the ability to abstract and generalize from similarities between concepts. Using relational words, or shared linguistic labels that identify commonalities…

As educators, our goal is to help our students be successful, but in order to accomplish this, we need to understand what factors contribute to student success. One factor, small-group active learning, has been correlated to improved academic outcomes; however, the magnitude of this improvement can vary across different courses, different types of…

Socio-Scientific Issues (SSI) appear to be a viable means for promoting students' development of science literacy, providing relevance to scientific concepts for students to apply their understandings and make sense of science-related issues. However, the question remains as to how their reasoning competencies regarding these issues interact with…

Secondary school administrators play a vital role as instructional leaders, specifically those that are aimed at improving students' learning of science content (Hill & Grossman, 2013). Unfortunately, administrators rarely have a background in science (Halverson et al., 2011). Little is known about an administrator's knowledge of science…

Efforts to improve student learning in K-12 education in the US are not new; however, educational research has traditionally focused on individual components of schools (e.g., teacher professional development, leadership, social relationships, programs, curricula) targeting teachers to improve student learning. While these innovations provide hope…

One of the goals of science education is to help students make sense of the world around them. To that end, it is critical that students understand the central ideas in each discipline like, in chemistry, energy and interactions. These ideas are of particular importance because they are directly related to one another and are relevant across other…

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) science and engineering practices (SEPs) involve commands of the English language in writing, speaking, reading, and listening. Language tasks embedded in NGSS SEPs require English learners (ELs) to develop science skills and understanding and language proficiency simultaneously. Sense of self-efficacy…

For decades, stark disparities in academic achievement have existed between racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse students and White students. These discrepancies have resulted in significantly less of these marginalized students enrolling in higher level science courses and, subsequently, pursuing careers in science fields. While these…

The purpose of this study was to explore how student behaviors, while using an adaptive courseware system, influenced performance in a gateway biology course. This study used a mixed methods approach. Quantitative data was collected from the course's learning management system (LMS) and the adaptive courseware. This data was analyzed using…

Instructional explanations are an ubiquitous component of classroom instruction, but are relatively neglected in science education when compared to other facets of teaching and learning. The ubiquity of instructional explanations and their potential to stimulate learning in students suggests that they should garner more attention from science…