There are relatively few studies examining cooperative learning during laboratory activities in a science museum. This study aims to explore such activities to better understand the nature of cooperative learning, if any, in that setting. The participants in this study were 60 fourth-grade students who visited a science museum lab as part of a…

Background: Science education should encompass enculturation in science which implies performing scientific practices such as use of data and modelling, in authentic contexts like the field. Purpose: This work aims to determine how preservice elementary teachers (PETs) use data obtained in the field, and how these data contribute to the process of…

The Promoting Radio Astronomy in Ghana through School visits and Astronomy Clubs (PRAGSAC) project was an intervention to promote astronomy education in schools in Ghana. It was initiated by a group of enthusiastic students who were trained in radio astronomy and astrophysics under a Royal Society/Newton Fund UK project termed Development in…

School visits to science museums are recognized educational resources that provide students with unique learning experiences, if teachers intentionally plan these. Surprisingly one finds that investigations analyzing teachers adopted practices by systematic monitoring, without researcher intervention, are almost non-existent in the literature. We…

In the teaching of natural science, field trips are a means of bringing students directly into contact with the biological and geological aspects of the environment. The present study explored French students' views of fieldwork and the relationships they establish with the natural environment as a result. We analyzed the responses of 293 primary…

This study contributes to the literature by shedding light on students' learning by examining and comparing students' gestures in two educational contexts: geological field trips and classroom-based modeling activities. This study engaged 10 middle-school students in two different geological field trips and two classroom-based modeling activities…

This paper examines the gap between Jewish and Arab students in Israel in the context of learning in informal environments. I attempted to understand whether the difference is a matter of inequity in terms of resource allocation and opportunities provided to the schools. I present the socio-historical-political context and the current situation,…

This article describes how preservice elementary teachers learn about the nature of science and develop scientific literacy through a collaborative project that prepares them to design meaningful learning experiences for students. The Life's Replica Project was an effort between a college professor and an elementary school teacher to facilitate…

The Ministry of Education, Youth, and Information (MoEYI) in Jamaica engaged in curriculum reform, producing the National Standards Curriculum (NSC) for Grades 4-9. This paper reports on a content analysis of the Grades 4-6 curriculum to determine the representation of Climate Change (CC) content, pedagogies, and activities for supporting Climate…

As the use of online education increases, technologies to improve the quality of learning have been improving alongside it. One method of information dissemination is virtual learning environments (VLE), in which educators can tailor digital lessons according to their subject and the needs of their students. For soil science, and field-based…

Zoos have been under attack by animal rights groups for decades. Despite significant reforms to improve animal welfare in accredited zoos and aquariums across North America, and significant participation in animal conservation efforts globally, these attacks persist. If zoos are to continue long-term, they need to establish themselves as community…

Narratives, or stories, are used every day by people as a way of making sense of and communicating events in the world. Narratives can be highly useful as a learning tool in science education. Though research on narrative-based pedagogy in science education and communication is very common, most of that research was done in formal settings. Our…

Preservice teachers in science education courses do not generally experience informal, authentic science education practices in their fieldwork. This study used the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning to frame a study that integrated informal science teaching experiences with a university teacher education science methods course. The results…

We live in environmentally turbulent times where issues such as freshwater scarcity, soil and air pollution, natural disasters and depletion, biodiversity loss, and infectious diseases pose a serious danger for future generations. Climate change is one of the most significant modern threats, the solution to which requires the engagement of…

Motivation is a key aspect of learning, and the degree of motivation is primarily dependent on the environment in which the learning process takes place. This article employs a museum-based framework to study the design of intrinsically motivating science communication lectures. The analysis was conducted based on the motivational components of…