An understanding of how sensemaking unfolds when elementary students engage in engineering design tasks is crucial to advancing engineering teaching and learning at K-12 levels. Sensemaking has been widely studied in the context of science as a discipline. In this paper, we seek to contribute to the more nascent efforts to build theory about the…

We present an alternative to the traditional classroom lecture on the topics of metabolic scaling, allometric relationships between metabolic rate (MR) and body size, and reasons for rejecting Rubner's surface "law," concepts that students have described as challenging, counterintuitive, and/or mathematical. In groups, students work with…

Many K-16 educators agree that active learning is a key component for student success in life sciences. At the same time, some instructors are frustrated by inconsistent student participation in these activities and may revert to traditional teaching strategies. Horse caregivers face a similar frustration when they lead a horse to water and it…

The topic of keeping livestock is very well suited to addressing the ecological, social, and economic aspects of the sustainable production of our food in school lessons. However, the production of animal-based foods is mainly outside the personal experience of children and young people. To derive relevant implications for teaching, this paper…

This paper used content analysis to examine the way that animal identity and space were represented in South Korean world geography textbooks, from which it was found that animals were represented as being a passive result of the natural environment, objects worth preserving, and as a living bio-capital. It was concluded that these perspectives…

Necropsy, the examination of animal carcasses to determine the cause of death, is an essential skill for many professionals. Traditional training methods, however, are costly and time-consuming. The article suggests that Web-based Augmented Reality (WebAR) can offer an immersive and cost-effective training experience for laboratory animal…

Attending to emotion in science classrooms can expand the range of resources valued for science learning, and it can offer insights into students' investigations. However, research that characterizes emotion as a part of disciplinary science learning is relatively nascent. In response, we explore the dynamic relationships between feelings,…

High-impact experiences, such as service-learning opportunities or hands-on laboratories, have been shown to enhance student learning, course satisfaction, and attitudes and behaviors. Thus, it is essential to incorporate these experiences into psychology curriculums when possible. However, it is also critical to analyze the impact of these…

Objective: To investigate the physical activity levels of students enrolled in a standard fitness walking class versus a service-learning dog walking class. Participants: College students (N = 65) from a university in the Southeastern United States (71% female; 85% White; 72% seniors). Methods: Students wore NL-1000 pedometers twice a week for 50…

This study describes student interest in the agricultural content pathways established by the National Council for Agricultural Education. Differences exist between male and female students concerning curriculum choices in agriculture, food, and natural resources. Male students were most interested in food products and processing systems, while…

Because of their mostly upbeat everyday presence in most people's lives globally, Internet memes have gained attention as tools in spreading information and enacting attitudinal change in the face of environmental troubles. The reappropriation of memes for classroom purposes is not straightforward, however. We focus our exploration of Internet…

The analysis of students' conceptions is a crucial element in modern science education research. Based on a large number of studies, we know that learning environments should build upon students' existing knowledge to initiate conceptual change towards an adequate scientific understanding. This also holds true when it comes to moral reasoning. In…

It is a controversial issue in education that students perform dissection experiments. Different opinions have been noted in studies on this subject, and various applications are recommended according to education levels. This case study aimed to determine pre-service science teachers' views of hands-on dissection and virtual dissection. The study…

Evidence increasingly demonstrates nature engagement benefits. However, little evidence shows nature engagement provides children with a reflective perception of biodiversity, nor whether perception influences children's wellbeing and resilience. We explored the impact of weekly nature engagement in schoolgrounds on 509 eight-to-eleven-year-olds'…

Large carnivore predators can be controversial animals, but sustainable coexistence with humans depends on peoples' tolerance and willingness to support their conservation. We conducted a short-term study on a sample of Slovak schoolchildren (aged 9-15) aimed at changing attitudes toward the grey wolf. The intervention consisted of videos and PPT…