This article describes two sets of experiments designed to enhance the understanding of colloidal systems. These experiments were designed as a part of the theme "Colloids: Where Science Meets Engineering" taught in the Department of Chemical Engineering and additionally offered to physics, chemistry, and materials science departments as…

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship and prediction of motivation, conceptual understanding, and critical thinking on metacognition in introductory physics. A correlational research design with multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the data from 84 first-year pre-engineering students from two public universities in…

Previous work has identified that recognition from others is an important predictor of students' participation, persistence, and career intentions in physics. However, research has also found a gender bias in peer recognition in which student nominations of strong peers in their physics course disproportionately favor men over women. In this…

Identifying and naming inorganic compounds is sometimes a challenge for many first-year chemistry and engineering students; however, these difficulties can be overcome after extensive practice using homework sets based on naming inorganic compounds or applying inorganic nomenclature rules. Werner is a card game in honor of Professor Alfred Werner…

This work is aimed to assess the performance of two groups of students from colleges of Science, Education and Engineering on the understanding of electricity and magnetism concepts. To conduct this assessment, the Electricity and Magnetism Conceptual Assessment (EMCA) test was implemented twice as a pre-test and a post-test for two calculus-based…

Hydraulic fracturing ('fracking'), like other complex social and environmental issues, is a controversy about science which raises educational questions about how best to prepare young people to understand, respond to and, where necessary, act (or not) in response. It raises political questions. We present a state-of-the-art review of research…

Transfer of mathematical learning to science is seen as critical to the development of education and industrial societies, yet it is rarely interrogated in applied research. We present here research looking for evidence of transfer from university mathematics learning in semester one to second semester sciences/engineering courses (n = 1125). A…

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed many aspects of our world including the way we teach chemistry. Our emergence from the pandemic provides an opportunity for deep reflection and intentional action about what we teach, and why, as well as how we facilitate student learning. Focusing on foundational postsecondary chemistry courses, we…

Research on students' transition, retention and experiences in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) has increasingly focused on identity formation and on students' integration in the study programmes. However, studies focusing on the role of the curriculum in this process at the level of higher education are scarce. The present…

Self-efficacy toward science learning has been shown to play a crucial role in determining students' motivation and achievements. Social cognitive theory proposes that positive and negative task outcomes affect mastery experiences from which self-efficacy develops. The current research examined whether prior level of self-efficacy would serve as a…

This study investigates three aspects--university major, year, and institution type--in relation to student scientific reasoning. Students from three majors (science, engineering, and education), four year levels (years 1 through 4), and two tiers of Chinese universities (tiers 1 and 2) participated in the study. A large-scale written assessment…

This Snapshot Report presents information on student degree attainment in science and engineering disciplines for 2004 and 2014. It offers data on the following: (1) Science and Engineering Degrees as Percentage of All Degrees; (2) Gender Distribution of Science and Engineering Degrees by Level; (3) Gender Distribution of Bachelor's Degrees in…

Using a large multi-institutional dataset, we describe demographics and outcomes for students starting in and transferring into chemical engineering (ChE). In this dataset, men outnumber women in ChE except among black students. While ChE starters graduate in ChE at rates comparable to or above their racial/ethnic population average for…

A great deal of research within science and engineering education revolves around academic success and retention of science and engineering students. It is well known that South Africa is experiencing, for various reasons, an acute shortage of engineers. Therefore, we think it is important to understand the factors that contribute to attrition…

National efforts to transform undergraduate biology education call for research experiences to be an integral component of learning for all students. Course-based undergraduate research experiences, or CUREs, have been championed for engaging students in research at a scale that is not possible through apprenticeships in faculty research…