In recent years, single-subject experimental courses have not been able to meet the demands of the comprehensive development of life sciences. This study is based on two fundamental disciplines, molecular biology and metabolomics, with the analysis and intervention of tumor-related genes as the starting point. A comprehensive experimental course…

Understanding reaction mechanisms is integral to success in organic chemistry; however, prior research suggests that learners struggle with recognizing the importance of underlying implicit features in reaction mechanisms. Because of this struggle, understanding how learners' reason about reaction mechanisms and developing assessments to elicit…

Functional group analysis is an essential part of the curriculum for identifying unknown organic compounds. However, traditional methods of analyzing functional groups use excess reagents and generate a large amount of waste material that is difficult to dispose of. This work is focused on alternative methods for detecting functional groups such…

Imagine handing out assessments that spark enthusiasm rather than dread. In six easy-to-follow steps, this book empowers science teachers to create tasks that guide students to use their knowledge, not just memorize facts. The NGSA design process transforms assessments into valuable classroom tools that teachers can use to chart how students'…

Bacteria have developed a cell-to-cell communication system called quorum sensing (QS), allowing them to regulate group behavior and synchronize the expression of virulence factors, responsible for increasing their infection capacity and resistance to antimicrobials. Although the control of microbial infections through the inhibition of microbial…

To potentially engage students in "doing organic chemistry", organic chemistry courses should foreground weaving together structure- and energy-related ideas to construct causal accounts for phenomena. Here, we investigate whether enrolling in an organic chemistry course that places substantial emphasis ([approximately]50% of total…

If the concepts used in curriculum, textbooks, classroom teaching, and assessment are not consistent, students may have difficulty in understanding the concepts of science correctly and this may lead to the formation of misconceptions. The purpose of this study is to measure the alignment of science concepts by analyzing the semantic networks of…

The work in this dissertation is presented in two parts. The first part (Chapters 3 and 4) details work relating to students' explanations of reaction mechanisms in organic chemistry. The second part (Chapters 5 and 6) details work relating to the evaluating the uptake of research-based instructional practices in introductory chemistry,…

Nitrate is a crucial parameter for assessing water quality, owing to its dual function in ecological systems. These functions can be beneficial or detrimental depending on whether nitrate concentrations are low or high, respectively. The ultraviolet spectrophotometric method (standard as 4500-NO[subscript 3]--B) is a classic method for determining…

Science and engineering practices (SEPs) and crosscutting concepts (CCs) constitute a significant part of "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" (NRC 2012). As teachers, the role of the authors is to highlight the pivotal role that both scientific knowledge and the practices used to generate knowledge play in learning. This article…

Research-based assessments (RBAs) measure how well a course achieves discipline-specific outcomes. Educators can use outcomes from RBAs to guide instructional choices and to request resources to implement and sustain instructional transformations. One challenge for using RBAs, however, is a lack of comparative data, particularly given the skew in…

This study aimed at determining the category and analyzes the mental models of the students from three senior high school clusters (low, medium, high) on the solubility and solubility product topic, knowing students' opinions on chemistry subject, knowing learning methods and assessment that teacher used in solubility and solubility products…

Green and sustainable chemistry (GSC) will become ever more central to the study of chemistry. This is demonstrated by commitments from the American Chemical Society, particularly the Committee on Professional Training and the Green Chemistry Institute, and the United Nations (UN Sustainable Development Goals), which underscore the urgent need for…

Fostering methods that promote learners' conceptual understanding is crucial for better performance in science subjects. This study investigated how teachers of physical sciences perceive the utilization of Concept Cartoons as a formative evaluation tool. Ten Grade 11 teachers selected from secondary schools in the Nelson Mandela Bay district of…

Scientific creativity plays an essential role in science education as an advanced cognitive ability that inspires students to solve scientific problems inventively. The cultivation of scientific creativity relies heavily on effective assessment. Typically, human raters manually score scientific creativity using the Consensual Assessment Technique…