The main research question of this research study is how to design a valid and reliable holistic rubric to be used as a criterion for the comparison of the STEAM model by analyzing different countries' science curricula. Considering this question, STEAM model rubrics was created by examining the ways of shaping science education policies. The…

Virtual reality (VR) can provide access to otherwise inaccessible aspects of the world and thus promote science learning. We developed a VR learning tool about the water cycle, with 11 lessons for classroom teaching at the primary level. We assessed prior knowledge before a four-week intervention and learning outcomes directly after the…

Current models of best practice in science education advocate for students to learn science by engaging in applied contexts that integrate the various science disciplines. Permaculture offers one such integrated context for elementary science. Although permaculture is relatively new in PK-12 education, the broader practice of school gardening has…

Preserving biodiversity is vital, and early education plays a key role in fostering environmental awareness. An Augmented Reality Outdoor Mission (AROM) has been created as an innovative educational tool for children between the ages 7 and 11. AROM combines entertainment and education and is designed to engage elementary schoolchildren and…

Elementary science education calls on teachers to facilitate student learning of the content of science while they engage in the work of scientists. Additionally, recent national and state standards incorporate the practices of engineering into science education throughout grades K-12. However, many practicing teachers receive little to no…

Research-based science curriculum has become a common means of supporting best practices in science teaching. However, despite one elementary school's adoption of commercially available science curriculum, the school's fifth-grade teacher selected only certain science modules for implementation in her classroom. The purpose of this narrative study…

This autoethnographic study is part of a funded project involving a school science teacher and university science education researchers. In this project, we incorporated nature of science (NOS) into the fifth-grade curriculum and implemented it for a semester at a public school in Turkey. We adopted Reconceptualized Family Resemblance Approach to…

The app 'Roteiro Entre-Marés' offers digital itineraries for exploring intertidal zones, such as the rocky platform of the Avencas Marine Protected Area. As users travel through the intertidal area, several challenges emphasising the biodiversity and environmental issues are presented. Eighth-grade students (n=63) used this application and were…

Promoting a functional scientific literacy entails preparing people to effectively engage and make decisions regarding real-world socioscientfic issues (SSI) through consideration of the relevant products and processes of science, as well as social, cultural, environmental, and ethical factors. Students can develop a functional scientific literacy…

In recent decades a body of research has emerged supporting the effectiveness of a plethora of science teaching practices in improving learners' science achievement and scientific literacy. However, if the benefits of evidence-based science practice are to be realised consistently and at scale we need to improve our understanding of how teachers…

This study aimed to develop a specialized rule-based AI chatbot tailored for a sixth-grade optics unit and to evaluate the impact of the implementation of the chatbot on students' cognitive and affective outcomes related to science within the classroom setting. Specifically, this study explored how factors such as gender and achievement levels…

Stagnating test scores, underwhelming student scientific literacy and declines in post-compulsory science enrolment are major issues in Australian science education. Universities are central in improving science education, as a relatively small group of 33 higher education providers can directly influence generations of primary teachers…

The research that studies the improvement of elementary school students' science knowledge and the development of elementary students' abilities to use the scientific and engineering practices is restricted. The purpose of this research is to study the effects of an instructional intervention on the knowledge of the students of elementary school…

Natural Selection is prevalent throughout life science learning standards across K-12 contexts. Additionally, undergraduates who are interested in the fields of biology and education must also be well informed on the topic, as it is foundational to some biology research and necessary to touch upon within elementary and secondary classrooms. This…

There is increasing interest in early childhood science education and a corresponding increase in research in this area. Studies have shown that in some countries the teaching of science in the early years remains low. These studies show that science pedagogy in the early years needs attention, despite the myriad opportunities afforded for the…