In this paper, we present the results of an investigation into the effects of engaging with robotic telescopes during an Astronomy 101 (Astro101) course in the United States and Canada on the self-efficacy of students. Using an astronomy self-efficacy survey that measures both astronomy personal self-efficacy and instrumental self-efficacy, the…

This paper presents the results of a confirmatory factor analysis on two self-efficacy scales designed to probe the self-efficacy of college-level introductory astronomy (Astro-101) students (n ¼ 15181) from 22 institutions across the United States of America and Canada. The students undertook a course based on similar curriculum materials, which…

Based on the results of an online survey of 500 Québec's elementary (K-6) teachers conducted in 2015 that probed the way respondents teach astronomy to their classrooms, their background in S&T, their pre-service education, their aims and goals for astronomy teaching, their attitude toward teaching astronomy, the resources and materials they…

'It is the belt!' This is how middle school teachers in a science teaching professional development program rationalized why they believe Orion is the most recognizable of all constellations in the night sky. It was from this foundation that we chose Orion to be the focus of a four-phase ethnoastronomy-based project reported here. Ethnoastronomy,…

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Astronomy Education Research.] This paper presents the cases of two doctoral students in observational astrophysics whose circumstances and experiences led them on a career trajectory out of academic research. In this article, I employ a sociocultural lens that provides insight into the dynamics of…

Richard Hechter and Nayif Awad wrote this article from opposite sides of the Earth and are getting ready to meet again in December 2017 to continue their project of bringing the world together through physics education, one constellation at a time. With the events in France, Belgium, Germany, United States, and United Kingdom fresh in their minds,…

Makerspaces provide a viable option for constructing and sharing knowledge in schools. Inherent in the designing, tinkering, and playing that learners engage in through making are competencies, such as the ability to create, problem solve, and innovate, decreed as critical by education policymakers. This paper summarizes results from a study in a…

Introduction: We report an investigation on collaboration practices in research papers published in the most prestigious English-medium astrophysics journals. Method: We propose an evaluation method based on three numerical indicators to study and compare, in absolute terms, three different types of collaboration (international, national and…

Teachers are not typically involved as participatory designers in the design of technology-enhanced learning environments. As they have unique and valuable perspectives on the role of technology in education, it is of utmost importance to engage them in a participatory design process. Adopting a case study methodology, we aim to reveal in what…

This special issue of the Canadian Mathematics Education Study Group/Groupe Canadien d'Étude en Didactique des Mathématiques (CMESG/GCEDM) Proceedings looks at CMESG/GCEDM's collective history, reflects on where the group has been, and who the members have become as an organization. Through a selection of excerpts from past proceedings, the…

An instrument designed to measure a 3-factor model of research motivation was developed and psychometrically examined in the present research. Participants were 437 graduate students in biology, chemistry/biochemistry, physics/astronomy, and psychology. A principal components analysis supported the retention of 20 items representing the 3-factor…

The Alberta Large-area Time-coincidence Array (ALTA) study has been in existence for about 10 years under the direction of Jim Pinfold of the Centre for Particle Physics at the University of Alberta. The purpose of the ALTA project is to involve Alberta high schools, and primarily their physics classes, to assist in the detection of the presence…

Back in 1958, environmental clubs were few, organizations that considered eco-practices were almost non-existent, and the concept of environmental studies at any level in their educational system was in its infancy. It was in this environment that Voyageur Wilderness Programme (VWP) was founded on Voyageur Island, Nym Lake, Quetico, Ontario,…

In this report, we discuss the interests of Grade 9 boys and girls studying astronomy at Fletcher's Meadow Secondary School in Brampton, Ontario. A total of 152 Grade 9 academic students were asked to rate their interest levels in various astronomy topics on a scale of 0-3, where 0 represented no interest and 3 represented a high level of…

Designed to provide easily accessible, comparative information on graduate programs and research in physics and in fields based upon the principles of physics, this directory contains descriptions of programs offered at institutions of higher learning in North America. The entries are organized geographically for institutions in the United States,…